Tutorial: Installing Windows 3.11 with (working) drivers! [Updated]

[Glijnos]

Use the default Destination Folder and Click "Next >".

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The setup will now install IE501 on your computer.

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Hit "Cancel" when it asks to setup a modem.
When the installation is complete Click "Reboot Now".

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[Glijnos]

After the Reboot windows will ask to confirm your time zone settings.
You can now start internet explorer. When the internet connection wizard starts to configure a modem you have to click cancel.
If you are lucky Internet Explorer may run now, but it probably doesn't.

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To fix this problem go to the Program Manager, then Main --> Control Panel --> Internet --> tab: Connections.
Under Connection select "Your local area or another dialer" and Click "Apply"

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This will fix the "hanging" problem!

[Glijnos]

If you like you can change your Home page to "www.google.nl" or anything you like, by clicking on the "General" Tab.

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Click "Apply", then "OK" and run internet explorer again.
If all goes well then Internet Explorer will load your home page!

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[Glijnos]

Using Internet Explorer the standard VGA display driver with a resolution of 640×480 is too small for browsing. Windows 3.11 comes with standard super VGA drivers up to a resolution of 1024x768, but it does not work on VirualBox. It will result in the "Blue Screen of Death" and Windows 3.11 has to be reinstalled again (Windows 3.11 doesn't have safe mode to recover it).
Because VirtualBox uses a VESA virtual graphic card which is not compatible with Windows 3.11 SVGA-drivers we need to patch them first.
Hint: An already patched SVGA-driver is also stored on the CD-ROM disk Image that I already made for you.

First Step: You need to search and download the Super VGA (svga.exe) driver for Windows 3.11 on the web or follow this link to download it directly: http://www.resourcemate.com/other/svga.exe

Second Step: Search and download the vgapatch tool or follow this link to download it directly: http://sites.google.com/site/chitchatvm ... 060411.zip

Now we need to make a floppy disk image again. Extract the win31svga-060411.zip to the root of the image and copy the svga.exe there also.
Your floppy Image need to look like this:

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Boot into MSDOS and load your floppy disk Image.
Go to: A:\ and type svga.exe to extract the svga drivers.

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After that we need to patch the svga256.drv that was extracted.
To patch: insert after the A:\ prompt "vgapatch p" and hit Enter.

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[Glijnos]

Now boot into Windows 3.11 and open the program group "Main". In "Main" open the program "Windows Setup", click "options" and then "Change System Settings". In the display dropdownbox scroll down and select "Other display (Requires disk from OEM)". Browse to the location where you stored the patched display drivers (A:\ properly) and click "OK". Now select the "Super VGA 1024x768 256 small" driver and click "OK" and "OK" again, then Restart windows.

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Windows 3.11 on 1024x768 with a nice background from windows 7

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mod note: The original hiress.jpg was too big for the forums, so I had to trim and compress it a little more.

This is the end of my tutorial
Enjoy!

Made By: Glijnos

[mpack]

I think your tutorial has merit (very clear) and should be moved to the tutorials section, though I do have a couple of concerns.

1. I don't recognize your problem with the display driver. My own Win 3.1 VM is running using the same "Super VGA 1024x768 256 Small" driver, and I didn't need to patch it to get it to work with VirtualBox's VESA interface. Can you provide a link to any discussion on these forums of that problem?

2. Do you know the copyright status of the drivers and patch tools that you provide download links for?

[Glijnos]

Hi mpack,

It was initially intended to post it on the tutorial selection but i had no rights to post there.
I would appreciate it if you moved this post to the tutorial selection

1. I reinstalled windows 3.11 on a new VM to test if the standard svga that come with windows 3.11 work and i tested the unpatched svga.exe drivers which ara basicly the same drivers.
But it simply doesn't work for me.
I get the following error after loading:

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If you got them working without patching then i really like to know how and why it's working. I used the latest VirtualBox on a windows 7 host.

It is dicussed in the following post: viewtopic.php?t=1033

2. The vgapatch tool is free to use in any way: https://sites.google.com/site/chitchatv ... ex#license
the svga.exe are drivers made by microsoft and to my understanding you may use them at any time with a legal copy of windows 3.11?

Glijnos

[michaln]

1. I reinstalled windows 3.11 on a new VM to test if the standard svga that come with windows 3.11 work and i tested the unpatched svga.exe drivers which ara basicly the same drivers.
But it simply doesn't work for me.

It's not expected to. The driver from Microsoft only works with specific SVGA chips, none of which VirtualBox emulates.

The only generic option is the 800x600 resolution available in Windows NT and at least some Windows 3.x versions; however, that is 16-color planar VGA and therefore slow.

[ghr]

And about CPU load ? Do we still need goodies like DOSIDLE and WQGHLT ?

[michaln]

And about CPU load ? Do we still need goodies like DOSIDLE and WQGHLT ?

If you don't use POWER.EXE and/or the Windows APM support, sure...

[Kuato]

First of all, this is a great tutorial. Second, I've had 3.11 running for over a year and I just noticed that when MSIE is running the CPU usage jumps up to over 100%. I have DOSIDLE and WQGHLT and they work great with the exception of MSIE 5 (at least that's all I've noticed so far). Does anyone know of a fix for this? Thanks!

[stefan.becker]

Thats what DOS or WinDOS is, 100 %. Rain&co. helps when CPU is idle.

When a Program is running under WinDOS, the CPU is not idle.

If you need a fix, then install a NT based OS from NT, 2K and so on, that is a real OS with scheduling, only working on the cpu if there is something to work.

[mpack]

Over 100%? That's quite a trick...

they work great with the exception of MSIE 5 (at least that's all I've noticed so far). Does anyone know of a fix for this? Thanks!

The fix would have to come from Microsoft - only they can write their code to give up more idle time.

A possible workaround would be to set a cap on CPU for that VM (see VM settings | System|Processor) - though a caveat is that while I know the feature exists, I've never needed to use it so can't say much about it, even whether it works.

[Kuato]

I think the over 100% is because the CPU has 2 cores, so the total is 200%. Anyway, thanks for the information. Not really a big deal since I don't use IE much on the 3.11 virtual machine. I was just curious on the off chance that someone had a fix or workaround.

[urbite]

I have a WFW 3.11 installation in VirtualBox 4.1.8 on a Win 7 Pro host. Everything is working great except for...the SVGA display in 256 colors. Actually, anything SVGA driver resolution (640x480, 800x600, 1024x768) in 256 color mode isn't displayed correctly. However, the only 16 color modes, SVGA 800x600 and the default VGA driver, are displayed perfectly.

For the 256 color modes, the left half of the Windows image is stretched to cover the screen completely. When I change to any 256 color mode and Windows restarts, there's a brief time at startup when the wallpaper is displayed correctly (non-stretched).

I've followed the directions given earlier in this post regarding the SVGA driver, and still no joy.

Anyone have any ideas? I'd really like to get the 1024x768 resolution working.