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Help with installing early Windows versions in DOSBox

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First post, by JonathonWyble

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Hello. New member here, but have been a DOSBox user for quite a while now.
Anyway, I'm having a little problem in this program, I can't really install DOS-based Windows versions in it (Windows 1.0, 2.x, and 3.x). Well, I can, but it just says that the directory I entered in the Z:> drive doesn't exist.

It says something like this:

Z:\>mount c c:\DISK1-SETUP.img
Directory C:\DISK1-SETUP.img doesn't exist

I try again after renaming the IMG files (floppy disk images) for Windows 1.0, it just does the same thing,

Z:/>mount c c:\DISK1.img
Directory C:\DISK1.img doesn't exist

I was wondering if the reason for this is because of DOSBox's environment variable Z:>, because I do know that software/operating systems that come on floppy disk require the A:> variable, which means I might have to reassign the variable from Z:> to A:> in DOSBox, or if I have to do something different. So am I doing something wrong or what?

1998 Pentium II build

1553292341.th.19547.gif

Reply 1 of 6, by keenmaster486

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It’s because you’re trying to mount a disk image instead of a folder (MOUNT mounts folders as virtual drives); you need to extract the images to a folder using 7-zip and mount that, or specifically mount them as disk images (there’s a way to do that, command line switch or something but I can’t remember. Might be IMGMOUNT. Check the DOSBox manual.) Also, make a folder as your virtual DOS “C” drive somewhere on your actual C drive (e.g. C:\DOSBox_C_Drive or something) and mount that as C. Mount the disk images as drive A, or just have that folder that you extracted somewhere on your virtual C drive folder.

World's foremost 486 enjoyer.

Reply 2 of 6, by JonathonWyble

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keenmaster486 wrote:

It’s because you’re trying to mount a disk image instead of a folder (MOUNT mounts folders as virtual drives); you need to extract the images to a folder using 7-zip and mount that, or specifically mount them as disk images (there’s a way to do that, command line switch or something but I can’t remember. Might be IMGMOUNT. Check the DOSBox manual.) Also, make a folder as your virtual DOS “C” drive somewhere on your actual C drive (e.g. C:\DOSBox_C_Drive or something) and mount that as C. Mount the disk images as drive A, or just have that folder that you extracted somewhere on your virtual C drive folder.

I did extract the floppy disks for Windows 1.0, but I think it says to mount a floppy disk in DOSBox and then type the "mount C:\" command, according to the DOSBox manual/guide. I might have heard of this "Imgmount" feature, but I probably forgot about that. And I probably didn't mount the disks, because I couldn't seem to find the "Mount" option in DOSBox. Am I using the correct variable (Z:>), or do I have to change it to A:>?

1998 Pentium II build

1553292341.th.19547.gif

Reply 3 of 6, by Dominus

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For an image use imgmount, for a folder use mount. Reade the documentation

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 4 of 6, by JonathonWyble

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Dominus wrote:

For an image use imgmount, for a folder use mount. Reade the documentation

I read the documentation, and I kind of get it now. The first post (by keenmaster486) helped a bit. 😀

1998 Pentium II build

1553292341.th.19547.gif

Reply 5 of 6, by Dominus

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Then good luck 😉
But mind that Dosbox isn't aimed at running Windows. The only Windows version that is running great is Windows 3.x (see my guide to installing that in my signature). Windows 1 or 2 used to have problems and still might. And later Windows than 3.x are not running satisfyingly at all.

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 6, by Tricia McMillan

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Dominus wrote:

... Windows 1 or 2 used to have problems and still might...

Obsolete info is better than no info:

Win 1 and 2 run perfect in DOSBox, if you know the trick:
Win gets confused with higher DOS-Versions (=5.0), that's why it crashes. To solve this:

In .conf [autoexec] set the reported DOS-Version to: ver set 3 36
In [cpu] use core=simple and cputype=386_slow

That's all.

I'm lking fr sme sftware that extracts the ""-buttn f my keybard frm the dustbag f my vacuum-cleaner...