zb10948 wrote on 2024-04-08, 18:45:
the safest pick is to let BIOS on real machine autodetect the LBA settings, and then make a new LBA based raw image in the VM.
Back in the day, I always did the first step on the target machine (run FDISK, set up a primary partition, then activate it).
Formatting it right away also was helpful, sometimes.
I've used to use FORMAT C: and SYS C: (equivalent to FORMAT C: /S), too, until a wierd Windows 9x distribution refused to install on such a disk (it didn't like to see MS-DOS, for bureaucracy/license reasons).
That's when I've switched to do FORMAT C: /B on anything Windows 9x.
It reserved space for system files, but didn't copy them.
Instead, I've copied WINDOWS directory over and re-booted via boot floppy, then I've started Setup inside C:\WINDOWS.
With the usual switches.
(The text above was about Windows 98 SE, mainly. A plain DOS installation didn't require this procedure, of course.)
Edit: Another method in the medieval times (286/early 386 PCs) was to pick up one of the pre-defined HDD TYPEs.
If I'm not mistaken, they're still included within newer 486 BIOSes.
Last time I've checked, the Setup Utility of WinBIOS had a long list of HDDs, including an userdefinable one.
The downside is, though, that the largest entry has 120MB or so.
That's a bit too little nowadays. In 2004, when many CF cards being sold were still in the 8 to 256 MB range, it was still an option, perhaps.
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