Windows NT 3.51 Workstation install

[pjhutch45]

Has anyone successfully installed Windows NT 3.51 Workstation on VirtualBox. I have a custom CD with a I386 folder in an ISO, and created the 3 setup floppy disk images. I boot from the 3 disks and when its time to use the Windows NT workstation disk, it does not seem to recognise the ISO I inserted, pressing Enter does nothing, no errors. Does the disk have a specific label name or some file(s) it needs to access but it will access the disk? I've tried lots of different names with no success?

[Martin]

Which guest OS version did you set for the VM? Is the virtual CD drive connected to the IDE controller?

[pjhutch45]

Gust OS is Windows NT 4.0

The HD and CD drive is connected to a IDE controller.

ISO image is a ISO 9660 mode 1 formatted disk.

[michaln]

Has anyone successfully installed Windows NT 3.51 Workstation on VirtualBox.

Yes.

I have a custom CD with a I386 folder in an ISO, and created the 3 setup floppy disk images.

Obvious question -- how do you know the ISO actually works?

To reduce the number of things that can go wrong, you could try installing from DOS (should be doable without boot floppies, too). That does require formatting and setting up a bootable DOS partition in a VM first.

[pjhutch45]

I tried booting from a DOS disk and running WINNT.exe from a I386 folder on the HDD, and it still asks for Windows NT Workstation CDROM at some point. There is about 120 MB of files on the ISO, just a I386 folder, nothing in the root level. Does not want to recognise the disc or be able to bypass installing from CDROM or Floppy (A:). Do you have the steps you used to install it?

[michaln]

I tried booting from a DOS disk and running WINNT.exe from a I386 folder on the HDD, and it still asks for Windows NT Workstation CDROM at some point.

That certainly doesn't sound right. I'd suggest finding a less hacked-to-death ISO of NT 3.51... there should be several files in the root directory, including a SETUP.TXT file describing the installation options.

[ForeverToday]

Hi, I think I have the solution for your problem.

Try running WINNT.EXE /B from the I386 folder. It will copy the contents to a temporary folder, and after the reboot the real setup will start.

This works on NT 4.0 too, but I think it's rarely used since its CD-ROM is bootable.

Hope it will work for you.

[pjhutch45]

Ok, I tried with the Winnt.exe /B option and that worked! I now have a Windows NT 3.51 server running.

Anyone have a list of applications that will work on NT 3.51? Will the VBox tools install on 3.51 (I know they work on NT 4)?