Windows 3.1 on modern-ish hardware

[os2fan2]

There are some useful things ye can do to the setup files, to allow for modern hardware.

1. In SYSTEM.INI [386Enh], set "PageOverCommit=2". This prevents windows creating too big a page file. If you want to modify the source, the file to unpack is SYSTEM.SR_.

2. If ye have more than 20 MB, consider either having no paging file, or a very tiny one. The default is three times memory, which was fine when computers had 2M of ram, but it really does not need it these days. I never used a paging file on 20 MB ram, with no ill effects.

3. Windows 3.x does not check files. You could pretty much add/subtract anything from setup.ini. I've been doing custom Windows since 1994. There is a file size limit of 64 KB on Setup.ini, so it's pretty much what ye can cull.

4. If ye have an upgrade version, the upgrade check is "does win.com exist?"

5. The auto-setup file is Setup.shh. This is the 'winnt.sif' kind of setup.

6. You can use setup /a to unpack the files, and setup /n to create a minimal directory. Note here that the home directory will have just win.com and winver.exe, along with the .INI files. A neat trick here is that you can stick all of the .EXE files (like write, winhelp, &c into a different pathed directory, to stop them being over written. A program like DDEEXEC, take command/16 or Norton's group.exe (from NU8 or something), does quite nicely at creating and populating groups.

One of my windows versions is a minimal one with just progman.exe, to which i use DOS batch files (with MAINTINI.EXE) and some Windows things to add not just the desktop, but all of the user apps as well.

[cyberformer]

Hi, JustinStacey!!

It's nice to know you are having a go at Win 3x-----------!

I've got Windows for WorkGroups installed on an old Pentium 1, using 64mb, with a 1 to 2 GB HD.

Ive got AOL 5 something or other installed, and all I think I need to use Dial up.

I do not have dial up at the moment though.

I have the old PCI Lan card and the drivers to install, but I do not have the BellSouth modem drivers for DSL---! When I went into the current CD, I found them for 9x, but did not notice any 3x drivers.

I hope they had them for that back in the day; but if not, I will have to dig up my older tan colored Westell modem and see if they have drivers for that.

Does anyone here have a 3x internet capable box running?

And if so, how hard was it to get it going?

It was absolute hell getting it to recognize the CD drive!!

I eventually found a floppy that came with a sound card believe it or not---and in conjunction with something else (can't remember right now) ---finally got the CD to be recognized.

From what I notice about what I've seen so far, it looks like one can really mess up the system rather easily; and that it is nowhere as forgiving as the 9x systems.

But I am completely obsessed with getting on the internet with 3x-----!

I wish you great success in your endeavors!!!

[Dude112]

It was absolute hell getting it to recognize the CD drive!!

I eventually found a floppy that came with a sound card believe it or not---and in conjunction with something else (can't remember right now) ---finally got the CD to be recognized.

But I am completely obsessed with getting on the internet with 3x-----!

Its very nice seeing such awesome creativity!!

Good luck to all who are working on this

[technoid]

And if after all this, you want your Win 3.1 to look nearly like 9x, XP or Vista, then you may go try http://www.calmira.de , if you don't know about it. It's a nice shell and I used it a few years ago on a 3.11 system of mine, especially the XP version. However, the LFN version (long file names in 3.1) of Calmira didn't work for me, crashing everything on the harddrive and I had to reformat. I must have missed a step, but I couldn't be bothered to start all over again. I'm sure I can get another 3.1 system going one of these days.

[amocanu]

Cyberformer..if you want to go online with Windows 3.x you need Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows for Workgroups, a web browser...I just found IE5, the 16 bit version and drivers for your network card (if they're not included with Windows)

You can find most stuff on HPC Factor and gaby.de

You should also look on http://www.oldversion.com/, there is some old 16 bit software there.

This guide here, Networking Windows 3.11 under Virtual PC, could provide some help for you.

I ran a test on Virtual PC and I was able to go online with Wfw 3.11, so it should work on a real machine too.

Edited July 25, 2009 by amocanu

[cyberformer]

Thanks for the info amocanu!

I think I did indeed install the TC/IP stack, and could easily get on dialup, if I had dial up.

I am going to start searching for the "Westell" DSL modem drivers.

I've an older Westell modem, somewhere in a box.

There might be 3x drivers for that somewhere on the net.

Even once I get the Ethernet/Lan card working (which is not PCI like I thought, but ISA )

it most likely needs the DSL modem too.

If that does not work, I am going to have to hunt down a really much older modem than even that one.

Since this is in the "Fun"----"hobby" aspect of my PC/Windows lifestye, I don't have to rush!

[pcalvert]

cyberformer,

I don't think you'll need modem drivers if want to set it up for DSL, as long as it's an external modem. You only need a driver for the Ethernet card. I am using Debian GNU/Linux with a Westell DSL modem, and I didn't need a driver for it. Although it came with a CD, I didn't need it at all.

Phil