Update.
This guy made a better svga driver: https://github.com/PluMGMK/vbesvga.drv
So, I f'd around and added it.

1) unless stated otherwise the above list applies
2) I set the default to 1024x768x8bit.
3) There are only 4 display modes in the initial setup because the inf was a pain in the ass
4) Workaround: copied "oem0.inf". modes changable in "Windows setup".
5) added shortcut to show the available video modes before you change it "Video modes"
6) Keep an eye on that github page. New versions are likely.
7) If they do updates, copy files into windows dir, and (if he makes one) rename oemsetup.inf oem0.inf
😎 feel free to edit oem0.inf - it should be fairly self explanatory to add whatever random missing modes your setup supports that I left out.
9) To add VESA modes to Oracle virtualbox: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox>VBoxManage setextradata 311"CustomVideoMode1" "1920x1080x24"
(311 is the VM name)

Edit Opps.
Accidentally removed the tcp/servicepack stuff
Fixed

Was the newest release tested on VMware? I tried running it but it seems to hang when it first tries to load Windows 3.11

No, but vmware does sometimes hang on boot as per Point 5.
A reboot or 2 fixed it for me back then.

I am I right that this image requires an actual CD-ROM drive with a physical machine, and a virtual CD-ROM drive with a virtual machine? I have failed to use it with HP t5720, which has no CD-ROM, but can boot off USB, because the image tries to access an actual CD drive. Could a USB CD drive help?

I have no idea what it needs physically.
It's just a regular CD image with disk 1 of the dos 622 as the embedded boot floppy and a custom bat.
If you can get 622 booting from usb, you label it the same, copy the custom files, and probably edit the CD drive letter finding bit, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to work.
That's probably the issue. It relies on mscdex to get the drive letter to start the next bit.

I haven't looked at it in a long time, but look at the bats. I think I probably used something like %cdrom% which could be set to something else like d: by editing it.

Alternately... Its dos/3.11. There's f all to break.

Install on vm, copy to usb, sys c:, copy to hdd.

Im having trouble opening your zip attached here -- it seems to be corrupted. Can anyone confirm?

I opened it fine on my phone.

myne wrote on 2025-11-15, 12:52:

I opened it fine on my phone.

tried again today, and it downloaded. odd. thank you

Thanks so much for this.. i've been trying to do this myself with no luck.

Can i ask what the secret sauce is that allows the dos setup to work properly? Whenever i tried to make a dos cd-rom installer, i either got the "insert disk 1 into d:" message or it would get through the first "disk" and then ask me to insert disk two.

I've poked through the autoexec.bat and setup.bat files but cant seem to find the answer

I can't remember any problems except the "boot floppy" partition label. It had to be that exact name.

The rest was just copying the files into the folder.

I’ve been slowly REM’ing stuff out of autoexec and it’s now broken. So there’s something in there that’s allowing it to work

I’ll keep at it as my OCD won’t let it go

Not remembering or seeing any real magic here.
I believe it is just the disc label.

1@ECHO OFF
2cls
3set temp=c:\
4set tmp=c:\
5path=a:\
6set formatted=no
7smartdrv
8
9IF "%config%"=="NOCD" GOTO QUIT
10LH MSCDEX.EXE /D:oemcd001 /L:D
11
12IF "%config%"=="SETUP_CD" goto AUTOSETUP
13GOTO QUIT
14
15:AUTOSETUP
16  set CDROM=FOO23
17  if exist z:\w311.cd set cdrom=z:
18  if exist y:\w311.cd set cdrom=y:
19  if exist x:\w311.cd set cdrom=x:
20  if exist w:\w311.cd set cdrom=w:
21  if exist v:\w311.cd set cdrom=v:
22  if exist u:\w311.cd set cdrom=u:
23  if exist t:\w311.cd set cdrom=t:
24  if exist s:\w311.cd set cdrom=s:
25  if exist r:\w311.cd set cdrom=r:
26  if exist q:\w311.cd set cdrom=q:
27  if exist p:\w311.cd set cdrom=p:
28  if exist o:\w311.cd set cdrom=o:
29  if exist n:\w311.cd set cdrom=n:
30  if exist m:\w311.cd set cdrom=m:
31  if exist l:\w311.cd set cdrom=l:
32  if exist k:\w311.cd set cdrom=k:
33  if exist j:\w311.cd set cdrom=j:
34  if exist i:\w311.cd set cdrom=i:
35  if exist h:\w311.cd set cdrom=h:
36  if exist g:\w311.cd set cdrom=g:
37  if exist f:\w311.cd set cdrom=f:
38  if exist e:\w311.cd set cdrom=e:
39  if exist d:\w311.cd set cdrom=d:
40  if "%CDROM%"=="FOO23" goto NOCDROM
41  path=a:\;%CDROM%\
42  cls
43  @echo.
44  @Echo After the first part of the DOS setup:
45  @Echo It is normal to say "Invalid media type reading drive C" here.
46  @echo Press A if it happens
47  if exist c:\io.sys set formatted=yes
48  if %formatted%==yes goto skipformat
49:formatit
50  format c: /autotest >nul
51  copy a:\io.sys c:\
52  if exist c:\io.sys set formatted=yes
53  if %formatted%==yes echo C drive is formatted 
54  if %formatted%==yes echo Restarting in 5 seconds
55  if %formatted%==yes sleep 5
56  if %formatted%==yes restart
57  nlsfunc
58  keyb us
59  Echo About to start setup from a:
60  setup

61
62:skipformat
63  %CDROM%
64  setup.bat
65  goto QUIT
66
67
68:NOCDROM
69  echo.
70  echo The Setup files were not found. xx
71  echo.
72
73:QUIT

This, from the setup.bat looks like it might be the 'magic' you're looking for.

1set path=a:\;c:\;%cdrom%;c:\dos