VOGONS


Dosbox Win95 - disk size 2GB limit hack?

Topic actions

First post, by ruthan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

Hello,
i have some Win95x image (i think that it is Bochs) for Dosbox too boot Windows95 and play Win95 games on modern computer that is nice, but annoying is that image is only 2GB big, suppose that is some Dosbox filesystem limit,
is possible somehow fix it and use bigger HDD file? I know that i could create multiple files but its annoying.

Im old goal oriented goatman, i care about facts and freedom, not about egos+prejudices. Hoarding=sickness. If you want respect, gain it by your behavior. I hate stupid SW limits, SW=virtual world, everything should be possible if you have enough raw HW.

Reply 1 of 66, by Dominus

User metadata
Rank DOSBox Moderator
Rank
DOSBox Moderator

Please post Dosbox questions in the Dosbox forums. Moved this for you.

Dosbox is not the best to run Windows 9x, you should use something else instead...

Windows 3.1x guide for DOSBox
60 seconds guide to DOSBox
DOSBox SVN snapshot for macOS (10.4-11.x ppc/intel 32/64bit) notarized for gatekeeper

Reply 2 of 66, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

The original release of Windows 95 is strictly limited to 2GB FAT16 partitions, regardless of whether or not you are using DOSBox.

Windows 95B ("OSR2") and Windows 98 can use FAT32 partitions, but I'm not sure how well that works with DOSBox. As Dominus suggests, it's probably a bad idea anyway.

Reply 3 of 66, by ruthan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

By my experience is Dosbox best solution for Windows 9X games, because of nobody care for Windows 95 support in virtualization, its too old.

Virtualbox is not too much about old Windows, Vmware is expensive, but primary for vintage gaming.. and 1 more note - Dosbox Windows 95, could run quite well even on Android were
is not possible to start any virtualization.

Maybe someone could add FAT32 support for Dosbox, it would make a sense.

I didnt study this in details, i discovered it right now, but this is guide for W98 and 4GB disks i think:
http://dosbox95.darktraveler.com/w98%20part%201.html

Im old goal oriented goatman, i care about facts and freedom, not about egos+prejudices. Hoarding=sickness. If you want respect, gain it by your behavior. I hate stupid SW limits, SW=virtual world, everything should be possible if you have enough raw HW.

Reply 4 of 66, by Dominus

User metadata
Rank DOSBox Moderator
Rank
DOSBox Moderator

Look into dosbox-x

Windows 3.1x guide for DOSBox
60 seconds guide to DOSBox
DOSBox SVN snapshot for macOS (10.4-11.x ppc/intel 32/64bit) notarized for gatekeeper

Reply 6 of 66, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
ruthan wrote:

By my experience is Dosbox best solution for Windows 9X games, because of nobody care for Windows 95 support in virtualization, its too old.

Did you not try PCem?

Vmware is expensive

VMware Player is indeed free. (So is VMware Server, but VMware Player is the way to go. VMware Workstation is the only product of interest that is not free, but VMware Player has all of its most useful features.) Virtual PC is also free.

Dosbox Windows 95, could run quite well even on Android were is not possible to start any virtualization.

The Android ports of DOSBox are entirely unsupported here.

Maybe someone could add FAT32 support for Dosbox, it would make a sense.

No, not really.

Reply 7 of 66, by keenmaster486

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

File system support, when booting from an image in DOSBox, is still OS-dependent, isn't it? So why couldn't you simply use Win95B?

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 8 of 66, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
keenmaster486 wrote:

File system support, when booting from an image in DOSBox, is still OS-dependent, isn't it?

Indeed, but I think there might be some sort of restrictions inherent to the handling of hard drive images by DOSBox. I am hazy on the details.

Also, at least at one point, Windows 95a ran more easily on DOSBox than Win95B. But I am hazy on those details too.

Reply 9 of 66, by collector

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Jorpho, you are right, though I have no idea if that is still true. I suspect that it is as there has been no deliberate development to make it more compatible win Win9x.

The Sierra Help Pages -- New Sierra Game Installers -- Sierra Game Patches -- New Non-Sierra Game Installers

Reply 11 of 66, by ruthan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

VMplayer isnt free, maybe 2 years ago they changed the license and there were some issues.

I dont remember exactly what was wrong, but Vmware Virtualization wasnt best way for Win9x gaming, i have tried it multiple times and development stopped years ago.

Im old goal oriented goatman, i care about facts and freedom, not about egos+prejudices. Hoarding=sickness. If you want respect, gain it by your behavior. I hate stupid SW limits, SW=virtual world, everything should be possible if you have enough raw HW.

Reply 12 of 66, by DosFreak

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

It's free as in you don't have to pay money to use it for what most home users will use it for. Google is your friend.

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/free#desktop … ion_player/12_0

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Make your games work offline

Reply 13 of 66, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
ruthan wrote:

VMplayer isnt free, maybe 2 years ago they changed the license and there were some issues.

You're going to have to be a lot more specific than that, because I never heard of anything of that sort happening two years ago.

I dont remember exactly what was wrong, but Vmware Virtualization wasnt best way for Win9x gaming, i have tried it multiple times and development stopped years ago.

How much more development do you think it needs to support an operating system released eighteen years ago? Especially considering DOSBox hasn't been "developed" to support Win9x at all?

Reply 14 of 66, by ruthan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

VM player license, when on other page is on store for 150E:
http://store.vmware.com/store/vmwde/en_IE/Dis … tationPlayer_EU
Home use, it depends, when you make 1 Youtube video about it, it would be viral, i would make money from that, im really trying to avoid such "free" type of stuff.


How much more development do you think it needs to support an operating system released eighteen years ago? Especially considering DOSBox hasn't been "developed" to support Win9x at all?

Just try it, you hit the wall, it was developed, but for this like testing in IE5, but not too much for gaming and virtual GPU is a bit tricky thing, i thing that i Dosbox source codes for it exists,
for Vmware are not available..

================
Regardless i tried to work with my HDD Bochs image with Win9x, its pain in the the ass, one of my image was even smaller than 2GB, i have trying to resize it, but i can open it with PowerISO and
Winimage and add files, but im unable to resize maximal size of this size.

So i have tried, to create new image file and just copy files from new image to other, but problem is that after such operation, image stopped booting, i suspect something with MBR and
bootsector, but how edit it within *.img file?

Other problem is maximal image size, im using Gulikoza Dosbox build, im quite happy with it and i cant create bigger than 2GB empty image - because FAT16, but in linked tutorials
they are able to create FAT32 img file.. I even tried use their file, but image is not accepted by my build.
Question is could be Gulikoza build modified to work with FAT32 images?

Im old goal oriented goatman, i care about facts and freedom, not about egos+prejudices. Hoarding=sickness. If you want respect, gain it by your behavior. I hate stupid SW limits, SW=virtual world, everything should be possible if you have enough raw HW.

Reply 15 of 66, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
ruthan wrote:

Home use, it depends, when you make 1 Youtube video about it, it would be viral, i would make money from that

Even in the extremely unlike event that does happen, don't you think whoever wrote whatever program you're trying to run in DOSBox or VMware or whatever would have just as much of a claim to your profits?

Just try it, you hit the wall, it was developed, but for this like testing in IE5, but not too much for gaming and virtual GPU is a bit tricky thing, i thing that i Dosbox source codes for it exists,
for Vmware are not available..

It is very difficult to try to decipher your posts. Yes, DOSBox source is available and if you want that sort of large disk support, you are free to add it yourself.

Regardless i tried to work with my HDD Bochs image with Win9x, its pain in the the ass, one of my image was even smaller than 2GB, i have trying to resize it, but i can open it with PowerISO and
Winimage and add files, but im unable to resize maximal size of this size.

You would have to run the appropriate partition-modifying tools within Bochs to resize the image. DOSBox would work exactly the same way.

Reply 16 of 66, by DosFreak

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

VMWARE
PLAYER
IS
FREE
FOR
HOME
USE
BUT
NOT
FOR
COMMERCIAL
USE

This is the last I'll say on the subject. For some reason you want to believe you need to pay for it. Mabye you're lazy or delusional. Who knows? Doesn't change the fact. It's free. Get over it.

https://www.vmware.com/products/player/faqs.html

Can I still use VMware Workstation Player for free?

VMware Workstation Player is free for personal non-commercial use (business and non profit use is considered commercial use). If you would like to learn about virtual machines or use them at home you are welcome to use VMware Workstation Player for free. Students and faculty of accredited educational institutions can use VMware Workstation Player for free if they are members of the VMware Academic Program.

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Make your games work offline

Reply 17 of 66, by Jorpho

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
DosFreak wrote:

This is the last I'll say on the subject. For some reason you want to believe you need to pay for it. Mabye you're lazy or delusional. Who knows? Doesn't change the fact. It's free. Get over it.

I will admit that it is not entirely unreasonable to suggest that "commercial use" may include making Youtube videos that can be monetized. I just have a hard time believing that VMware has ever gone after someone for using the free verison of VMware Player to make a Youtube video.

Reply 18 of 66, by gdjacobs

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Yeah, somehow I think they have bigger fish to fry. However, if that bothers you there are options which even do away with VMWare's restriction.

All hail the Great Capacitor Brand Finder

Reply 19 of 66, by ruthan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

You would have to run the appropriate partition-modifying tools within Bochs to resize the image. DOSBox would work exactly the same way.

Hmm, i was afraid of that, i saw some Bochs info and it looks like some QEMU low level hell, i wasnt in right mood.

Do someone here understand how to do it? Some script or utility would be really handy:)

I now have full head of Amiga lore and i because of this thread, i also dig into PCemu, is nice only P233 MMX, so its not solution for Win9x gaming,
i also have some real W98 machine, but board is wacky (in load unstable, on MB, CPU a GPU are under <40C) a i cant find replacement on ebay.

DosFreak: I was using Vmware Player in the work, but i have to stop because of license change, so i bough Vmware workstation (if i have to pay, i bough something better)
but is quite expensive even for 1 machine (license is per machine, even per installation, if you have multiboot, you have pay even more) - 250 bucks and every 2 years half of that for upgrade,
and generally im trying to avoid these half free products and their other issues like installation, Dosbox could be installed just by copy / paste..

Im old goal oriented goatman, i care about facts and freedom, not about egos+prejudices. Hoarding=sickness. If you want respect, gain it by your behavior. I hate stupid SW limits, SW=virtual world, everything should be possible if you have enough raw HW.