just copy all the files from the floppies to one directory and install then.
It's cuirrently the only way to do so.

I have all of these image files in 1 directory--Win31

Qbix, I do have all the diskette image files in my Win 31 directory, & I tried to install them--it didn't work (see screenshots). I'm afraid I don't exactly understand what you mean, "just copy all the files into 1 directory and install them." isn't that what I did?--Take a look at my screenshots, and tell me what I'm doing wrong and the right way to do this. Thanks.

but...
if I am not getting you wrong, it seems to me you only dropped all those .ima files in there like that

you'll have to extract the "real thing" from the image(s) to begin to work

Kelly Stiver wrote:

I'm afraid I don't exactly understand what you mean, "just copy all the files into 1 directory and install them."

No, copy the *content* of all that *.ima files into one directory to install Windows.

Another way to use the *.ima files directly is to imgmount them all into one drive letter and to switch them (by Ctrl-F4), when Install.exe request to put in the next floppy disk.

Could you please post a tutorial on how to copy/imgmount the contents of all these *.ima files into 1 directory/drive letter? Thanks. 😕

Um you said you created the .ima files from your floppies. Skip that step,
just copy the content of all floppies into one directory, then install.

Or open each .ima with Winimage and extract the files.

Ok, I'll use Winimage to extract the contents of my *.ima files...but where do I extract their contents to? Also, I have a question about my Winimage: the Winimage that I downloaded is a unregistered copy that will expire after 30 days/times I use it unless I pay to register it. Will I have to pay to register it, since it looks like I'm going to be using it for years to come, but when I first downloaded Winimage I thought I was only going to use it like for a short time (20 days/uses). And if I do have to pay to register Winimage, I hesitate because 1) I don't know how much it costs, and if it's a one-time-only payment, and 2) I'd have to ask my parents (I live with them) and I don't know if they'll let me pay to register Winimage just for 10 programs.

wd, I understand what you mean about copying the contents of the floppies, but what do you mean "copy contents into one directory"? Won't the contents be all jumbled into 1 lump if I copied them into 1 directory? I think I'll follow your advice and do this, especially if I don't want to pay to register Winimage. Could you please post me a tutorial on doing this in order to install Windows into DOSbox? I've 8 individual *.ima files in my Win31 directory that I made from the 8 original Windows 3.xx floppies.

Kelly Stiver wrote:

Ok, I'll use Winimage to extract the contents of my *.ima files...but where do I extract their contents to?

you can extract them to any folder, really, then the setup will take over as you run it, and then it won't matter where you had put them before.

But why don't you follow the accurate instructions by Dominus
Windows 3.1x DOSBox Guide
"On your computer make a folder called "C:/doswin".
Copy all the files on your Windows 3.1x floppies to "C:\doswin\win31"... etc.
The precise naming of the folder isn't critical anyway, as long as you know where they ended up 😉

Kelly Stiver wrote:

Also, I have a question about my Winimage: the Winimage that I downloaded is a unregistered copy that will expire after 30 days/times I use it unless I pay to register it. Will I have to pay to register it, since it looks like I'm going to be using it for years to come, but when I first downloaded Winimage I thought I was only going to use it like for a short time (20 days/uses). And if I do have to pay to register Winimage, I hesitate because 1) I don't know how much it costs, and if it's a one-time-only payment, and 2) I'd have to ask my parents (I live with them) and I don't know if they'll let me pay to register Winimage just for 10 programs.

WinImage costs 30 USD or so iirc, but wait, it's shareware so what's the hurry, use it up for those 30 days, no problem.
You can always decide to register next month if you need 😀

Thanks! I practiced a bit with extractng *.ima files that I've made of a DOS game, "Where in Space is Carmen Sandiego?" that comes on a set of 4 floppies, and I see it's simple to extract the contents, really. And you can specify a command-line name to each set of diskette contebnts, which I did with this game. Well, I'm going to try and install Windows into DOSbox, and I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Ready to Install Windows Into DOSbox:
P.S. I've 2 folders on my Win XP laptop's C:\ drive that I'm going to use for DOSbox: C:\oldgames, and C:\doswin3. How do I change from 1 folder to the other in DOSbox? When I try to mount each folder, I get a "Illegal command: mount", and when I do a "cd\doswin3" I get a "unable to change to: \doswin3" message. I've went into DOSbox config file under the header [autoexec] where I've added "mount c c:\doswin3" and underneath this "mount c c:\oldgames"; and I've also added below the "# lines in this section will be run at startup" "c:", "set path=c:\windows;", "set temp=c:\windows\temp" where I have each entry below the one before it. How do I get this working smoothly? Do I have to keep mounting each time I want to go into said folder?

Plus, I have a question about these files that I've extracted from these *.ima files: can the extracted files be burned onto a DVD+RW and be reused repeatedly for years to come? This way, I can just use Winimage for 20-25 days and not have to worry about paying to register it.

Kelly, read my post here:

Re: Transferring Characters from Pool of Radiance to Hillsfar

That should clear up your confusion about mounting.

And yes, you can certainly extract and save the files onto a CD/DVD.

P.S. I've 2 folders on my Win XP laptop's C:\ drive that I'm going to use for DOSbox: C:\oldgames, and C:\doswin3.

just put doswin into c:\oldgames and sowhen you mount c c:\oldgames you have the folder doswin3 "inside" 😀

Plus, I have a question about these files that I've extracted from these *.ima files: can the extracted files be burned onto a DVD+RW and be reused repeatedly for years to come? This way, I can just use Winimage for 20-25 days and not have to worry about paying to register it.

Once you made images of your floppies you barely need Winimage ever again. There are varios programs that can deal with ima/img files. If you want to get hold of the contents of an image you can even just mount it as a:\ in dosbox and copy the contents from within dosbox to a folder 😀
But keep the images araound, some games might be picky and won't install from a folder...

Kelly Stiver wrote:

[autoexec] where I've added "mount c c:\doswin3" and underneath this "mount c c:\oldgames"

The same drive letter used two times ('c').
When trying to mount c:/oldgames you should see a msg like "C already mounted".

Dominus wrote:

just put doswin into c:\oldgames and sowhen you mount c c:\oldgames you have the folder doswin3 "inside" 😀

Another idea is to use the drive letter w to be used as Win3install drive (mount w c:/doswin3 probably, if that is the folder where the win3install files are stored), assumed your c:/oldgames is the win3install goal.

On first install or everytime you update your win3 inside DOSBox and the win3installer asks for its files, then just enter w: in the installer's drive letter field, where you'll be asked for the location of its files.

Kelly Stiver wrote:

Well, I'm going to try and install Windows into DOSbox, and I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Ready to Install Windows Into DOSbox

so, Kelly, are you mounted and riding away by now 😉

-------------------------

The End

No, I'm still on the ground. To date, I've moved my "doswin3" folder with all the Windows 3.xx images, extracted *IMA files, and Windows 3.xx drivers that I've downlosded into the folder "oldgames," and now I'm trying to install Windows into DOSbox. I've already got drive c (dosbox drive c: mounted as "oldgames", and I entered cd\doswin3 <enter>, cd win31 <enter>, and typed win001 (the name I gave to the first Windows extracted file from the first floppy diskette). This didn't work so I typed install. This didn't work, either. Here is what happened: (see screenshots)

Oops, I think I made a mistake when submitting the next couple of screenshots. These screenshots may or may not be in chronological order, Next time I'll name them instead of letting XnView imput it's own computer name. Thanks, guys, for all the replies so far! 😉

SETUP!!!
C'mon please read the guide and also follow it. Best follow the instructions to the letter and you will succeed! Windows 3.1x DOSBox Guide