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Install Windows 3.1 in DOSBox to run old 16-bit Windows games on 64-bit versions of Windows, Mac Bone 10, Linux, and anywhere else DOSBox runs. This is particularly useful as only 32-bit versions of Windows can run those 16-bit applications.
Windows 3.1 was actually just an application that ran on DOS, and DOSBox is an emulator designed to run DOS and DOS applications. Windows 3.1 in DOSBox is an ideal combination for running old Windows 3.1-era applications.
Install Windows 3.1
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First, you'll need to create a folder on your reckoner. This folder will contain the contents of the "C:" drive you'll provide to DOSBox. Don't utilize your actual C: drive on Windows for this. Make a folder like "C:\dos", for instance.
Create a folder inside the "C:\dos" folder — for example, "C:\dos\INSTALL" — and copy all the files from your Windows iii.1 floppy disks to that binder. Windows iii.one is nevertheless under Microsoft copyright, and tin can't legally be downloaded from the web, although many websites practise offering it for download and Microsoft no longer offers it for sale.
Yous tin can utilize Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 — whichever yous accept bachelor.
Next, install and launch DOSBox. At the DOS prompt, blazon the following command and press Enter to mountain the folder you created as your C: drive in DOSBox:
mount c c:\dos
(If you named the folder somewhere else or placed it at another location, blazon that location instead of c:\dos.)
Switch to the C: drive by typing the following 2 characters and pressing Enter:
c:
Next, enter the folder containing your Windows 3.1 installation files:
cd install
(If you named the folder something else, type that instead of install.)
Finally, launch the Windows 3.1 setup wizard:
setup.exe
Go through the Windows 3.one setup magician to install Windows 3.1 in DOSBox. When information technology'south done, close the DOS system by clicking "Reboot" in the magician.
When you lot restart DOSBox, you lot tin can launch Windows three.1 by running the following commands in guild:
mountain c c:\dos
c:
cd windows
win
Install Video Drivers
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DOSBox supports standard VGA graphics. Yet, it also supports another types of graphics. By default, it'south set upward to emulate S3 Graphics. For best graphics support, you'll want to install the S3 graphics drivers and configure Windows 3.1 to utilize a higher resolution and more colors.
Yous tin can download the S3 video commuter from the Classic Games website. Unzip the .zip file to a binder inside your DOSBox C: drive folder. For case, it would make sense to put these files in the "C:\dos\s3" folder.
In Windows 3.1, double-click the Main program folder and double-click the "Windows Setup" icon. Click the "Options" bill of fare in the Windows Setup window and select "Modify Arrangement Settings."
Click the "Display" box, scroll down to the lesser, and select "Other display (Requires disk from OEM)."
Blazon the path to the S3 drivers. For example, if you unzipped them to the C:\dos\s3 folder, y'all'd type "C:\S3" here.
Choose your preferred resolution and colors. We recommend choosing 800×600 with 256 colors. This is the highest resolution and number of colors many games will support.
Click OK several times. Windows will install the drivers and you'll be prompted to restart it. After yous do, you'll encounter your new graphical settings in consequence.
If Windows won't work properly afterward you select a brandish mode, run the following command later using the "cd windows" control to enter the Windows directory:
setup.exe
Y'all'll and then be able to select a different video mode.
Install Audio Drivers
There's one more commuter issue to have care of. Windows 3.1 doesn't include audio drivers that volition work completely with the SoundBlaster sound hardware DOSBox is emulating. You lot'll desire to install those, too.
As with the S3 video driver, you can download the Sound Blaster 16 Creative Audio Driver from the Classic Games website. Unzip the downloaded archive into a folder like c:\dos\sb
Exit Windows 3.1 by clicking "File" and selecting "Exit Windows" if it'due south open in DOSBox. Run the following commands to launch the Sound Blaster 16 commuter installer, assuming you unzipped the binder to c:\dos\sb
cd c:\sb
install.exe
Press Enter to install the drivers, select Total Installation, and printing Enter again. Past default, you'll see the line: "Microsoft Windows 3.1 path : None".
Select "Microsoft Windows three.1 path" with the arrow keys and press Enter.
Enter the default path, which is C:\WINDOWS, and press Enter. Press Enter again to continue.
On the adjacent screen, select the "Interrupt setting: 5" value and press Enter. Information technology's set to 5 by default, but DOSBox'southward default is 7.
Select "7" for the Interrupt Setting and press Enter. You can then press Enter to go along. Allow the installation process to finish and "reboot" your DOS system past closing DOSBox and reopening it.
Launch Windows iii.1 once more and you'll have full sound back up, including support for MIDI audio. Yous should hear a sound as soon as you launch Windows iii.one over again.
Install and Run Games and Other Applications
To really use an application, download it (or re-create it from old disks) and place information technology in a folder inside your c:\dos folder. For instance, you might want to place it in c:\dos\gamename.
Y'all can and then create a shortcut to the game's .exe file by clicking File > New and browsing to its .exe file. Double-click that shortcut to launch the game.
The game should just piece of work, launching within the DOSBox window every bit if it were running on Windows 3.ane — later on all, it is.
Yous don't have to become through this unabridged setup process again in the future, either. Just have that c:\dos folder — or whatever else you named information technology — and back information technology up. Move it to some other calculator and yous tin utilize information technology subsequently installing DOSBox. Because we haven't configured DOSBox at all and accept just used its default settings, you won't even have to tweak your DOSBox settings before information technology volition work.
Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/230359/how-to-install-windows-3.1-in-dosbox-set-up-drivers-and-play-16-bit-games/