Windows 3.11 on VMware
I have assembled a package which you can download which will allow you to have Sound (Creative Sound Blaster 16), Network (Windows 3.11 TCP/IP stack), and CD ROM in your Windows For Workgroups 3.11 Virtual Machine under VMware. The package also contains MS-DOS 6.22 network drivers!
You can download the drivers and software here:
Windows 3.11 Drivers for VMware.rar (1.66MB)
Windows 3.11 Drivers for VMware.zip (1.85MB)
Installation steps:
1. DOSIDLE.EXE
First you should install the DOS Idle program which is recommended in the VMware instructions for setting up MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows 3.11. This program will emulate your processor into 16-bit mode. To Do this, copy the DOSIDLE.EXE file to a floppy disk. Start your virtual machine and insert the floppy into the drive, and from the command prompt type: COPY A:\DOSIDLE.EXE C:
Then you must edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file to load the DOSIDLE.EXE FILE. At the command prompt type
EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT. Place the line C:\DOSIDLE.EXE in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and then save, then exit. Reboot the virtual machine and the DOSIDLE.EXE program will load each time you start.
2. Sound Card – Creative Sound Blaster 16
If VMware is running shut it down. On your host machine go to My Documents\My Virtual Machines\MS-DOS (Or the name of your Windows 3.11 Machine), and find the file MS-DOS.vmx. Right click on the file and choose open with notepad.
Find the line that says Sound.VirtualDev = ” ” and replace it with Sound.VirtualDev = “sb16″ . Now Click save, and the close. Copy the files from the Sound Blaster 16 folder to a floppy disk. Start VMware and start your Windows 3.11 virtual machine. Shut down Windows to a command prompt. Insert the floppy, change to the A: drive, then type install. Accept all of the defaults in the installation. Now you can start Microsoft Windows 3.11 with sound.
Wave sounds work but MIDI for some reason does not work. This should be more than enough to play games, though!
3. CD-ROM Driver Installation (for MS-DOS and Windows 3.11)
Copy the AOATAPI.SYS file to a floppy disk. Start your virtual machine. Insert the disk, and then type COPY A:\AOATAPI.SYS C:
At the command prompt type EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT. Place the line c:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECD000
in the autoexec.bat and save, then exit. Now type EDIT CONFIG.SYS. Place the line DEVICE=C:\AOATAPI.SYS /D:IDECD000 in the config.sys and then save, then exit.
Restart the machine and start Windows. Open the File Manager and now you will see Drive D for the CD-ROM.
Tip: VMware allows you to use ISO images for CD-ROM drives. You can use CD burning software such as Ahead Nero to create ISO images with any files that you want to copy onto or use in your virtual DOS 6.22 / Windows 3.11 environment.
4. Network Installation
When you install Windows for Workgroups install the Microsoft Network.
From the Network folder copy the DOS and Windows folders to a floppy. Then copy all the files from the TCPIP folder to another floppy. Start your Windows virtual machine and launch Windows 3.11. Open the Network Setup Group. If there is a network adapter listed, remove it. Click Drivers. Add Adapter. Select Unlisted or Updated Network Adapter from the list. Click OK. Place the disk with the Windows and DOS folders in the floppy. Browse to Windows folder and click OK. Then it will ask for another driver. Browse to the DOS folder and click OK.
Now you have to add the TCP/IP protocol to be able to get on the Internet.
Open the network setup group again, click drivers, and click Add Protocol. Put the disk in that contains the TCP/IP folder. From the list choose, Unlisted or Updated Protocol. Click OK and browse to the TCP/IP folder on the floppy. Click OK, and the protocol will install.
Now you should restart Windows.
I am using a cable modem and the following directions are used to setup the network to work with that type of connection. If you have a different type of network you will have to experiment with the TCP/IP settings.
On your host machine open a command prompt and type: ipconfig/all . Record your IP Address, Subset Mask, and Default Gateway.
Now open your Windows Virtual machine and go to the network setup. Click on TCP/IP and choose Setup.
Enter an IP address. Example: If your host machine’s IP address is 192.168.1.100 then enter 192.168.1.101 in your virtual machine. You may have to change the last number until you get it to work. Enter the same Subset Mask and Default Gateway as your host machine.
It works perfectly ! thanks a lot !
Now, I have a Windows 3.11 on an 2Ghz dual core ! yeeeeeaaaaahhhh !
YOU ARE A GENIUS!!!!
THANKS A LOT! WORKS PERFECTLY
nice
Thanks man!
all settings seems to be correct, i’m using SUN VIRTUALBOX inside UNUNTU 9.10(linux) in a compaq CQ60 2ghz, 2 gb ram, i just need to download IE for win 3.x o netscape o OPERA web browser.
but anyways thank you for making this so simple. if you ever do an update how can i make the window full screen atleat 800×600 i can’t do it in vBox when you switch to full screen it has a res of 640×480 so you get a small window and black borders all around the screen.
YOU JUST NEED THE USB DRIVERS TO HAVE A 100% FUNCTIONAL WIN 311
Unfortunately Windows 3.11 doesn’t support USB. USB functionality was first introduced in Microsoft Windows 95 B (OSR 2.1). It’s funny how something that we take for granted today did not exist not that long ago!
Hi there,
I’m trying to set up the network but I can’t find the Network Setup Group.
Whenever I try to install the drivers from Control Panel\Drivers I get to the second disk and it says I’m missing a file.
Any help would be great! Thanks
Oh, I’m using Sun Virtualbox if that helps
Whatever I tried to install in terms of drivers I always get an error message: Not enough conventional memory is available. Remove some or all resident programs before running INSTALL”.
How can I overcome this problem?