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Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 2. Dec 2018, 03:51
by Yeah
I'd like to copy files from a Windows 95 VM to a Windows 10 host running it. I've turned on drag & drop and shared clipboard but they don't seem to be working. Any ideas?

Another, semi-related question: is there any way to write a floppy image from a Windows 95 VM?


Thanks for the help!

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 2. Dec 2018, 10:41
by mpack
Yeah wrote:I'd like to copy files from a Windows 95 VM to a Windows 10 host running it. I've turned on drag & drop and shared clipboard but they don't seem to be working. Any ideas?
Drag and drop, shared clipboard, and shared folders are never going to work with a Win95 VM because those are all Guest Additions conveniences (see user manual), and there are no GAs for unsupported DOS based guests such as Win9x.

Nor can you use a USB drive because Win95 predates it, even with Win98SE you needed custom drivers for each flash drive: there was no generic support in the OS.

You can get files into the VM using CDs and ISO files. The only way to get data out in a convenient way is SMB network shares. See the tutorials section, and don't expect too much: Win95 has been gathering dust for a VERY long time.
Yeah wrote:Another, semi-related question: is there any way to write a floppy image from a Windows 95 VM?
Write to it yes, create one no. You need to have a blank floppy image to start with (I just attached one). You can't easily use this to get files in and out of the VM though, since you would need a host tool that can (un)pack floppy images. Oh yes, you may also need to add a floppy controller and floppy drive to the VM recipe. I'm not sure that VirtualBox adds them by default any more.

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 2. Dec 2018, 14:58
by pt58
I've had success transferring files between a Win95 VM and Win10 host using Windows SMB files sharing.
These are the steps I've used to get it working:

Ensure that SMB1 is enabled on the Win10 host (in "Programs & Features - Turn Windows Features on/off")

Set up the Win95 VM to use Bridged or Host-only networking in the VirtualBox Network properties.

Make sure TCP/IP networking is set up on the Win95 VM. You may need access to the Win95 installation CD to set it up if it's not already installed.
Create a shared folder in Win95 for the files you wish to transfer to the host. If you only want to transfer files to the host then you can leave it as readonly. If you want to be able to transfer files form the host to the VM, then make it read/write.

You should now be able to browse to the Win95 shared folder on the Win10 host and be able to transfer files.

Hope this helps.

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 2. Dec 2018, 16:49
by socratis
pt58 wrote:Ensure that SMB1 is enabled on the Win10 host (in "Programs & Features - Turn Windows Features on/off")
Right, absolutely right! I keep forgetting that this option exists. That's why I originally said "forget networking". Thanks pt58 for reminding me!

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 3. Dec 2018, 00:27
by BillG
I have never tried Win95, but that works fine with Win98SE and NT4.

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 2. Jan 2021, 19:58
by hubig
There are also two another tricks, maybe not quite comfortable, but are working. I'm using Virtualbox 6.1.16.
First way indeed by networking. Another option similar to that described earlier: it is possible to copy indirect from Win95 to one of another (a newer one) virtual systems (running on a virtual machine) and then from the newer virtual system copy to the host system unsing one of available ways other than by network. I advice that indirect way, as I can't cofigure a working connection between virtual Win95 and my host (Win10), but it was possible between two different virtual systems (using internal network "intnet").
Second way is by the virtual disk of the virtual system. When one saves data on the local disk of the virtual system (i.e. Win95) and then takes a current virtual system snapshot afterwards, the data will be saved together with whole virtual system to the virtual disk used by the system. Then from the real system (in my case Win10) one have only to open the VHD file using any of available software (even one of free programmes) and the data are possible to save as one wants. In my case the virtual system's disk is in the format of VHD, and it works excellent. I used the PowerISO software to read the VHD file.

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 2. Jan 2021, 20:07
by mpack
Thanks for the advice. I would only offer that VHD needs to be killed and buried. There are free tools out there now which can view the contents of VDI files, which is the natural disk image format in VirtualBox. For example "7z" can view and extract files from a VDI, assuming of course that it contains a filesystem which it recognizes, which would include the FAT format used by Win95 (I believe FAT32 was introduced with Win95-OSRB).

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 25. Jan 2023, 07:35
by parag0n
Can someone please help me with this?? I've been trying for 3 days to get files shared between my windows 95 VM and Windows 10 host.... Really starting to irritate me.

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 25. Jan 2023, 12:01
by mpack
Win95 is antiquated beyond belief. If you insist on using it then you have to live with the consequences, including that there is no easy way to integrate it into modern scenarios. The discussion above is still valid.

Re: Copying files from Windows 95 guest to Windows 10 host

Posted: 25. Jan 2023, 17:54
by scottgus1
Windows 7 & later hosts can mount VHD virtual disks on the host OS, as 'hubig' mentions above.

You can use a fixed-size* VHD (not VDI) for the 95 VM, then you can mount the VHD on the host while the VM is completely shut down not save-stated (and no snapshots). Transfer files either way. Then unmount the VHD from the host OS and start the VM.

Use a disk size commensurate with the disk sizes Windows 95 would have seen in its day.

* fixed-size because VHD has a design flaw that may kill off dynamic-expanding VHD files if the host glitches while the VHD is expanding. Fixed-size also has the design flaw but the disk never gets bigger so the design flaw never gets triggered.