Prolly something like PSP4, Acrobat 4, WinRAR to cover the basics. Then as required.

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm also checking these sources:
- https://unitedandco.net/2021/07/06/windows-3- … ware-selections
- http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/we1_w31.html
- Windows 3.11 Ultimate Build

You should have a play with the template I built.
Might give you some ideas

Dos+Windows 3.11+tcp+vbe_svga auto-install iso template

SkiFree and After Dark: Star Trek. Not that they're essential, but they are what I remember seeing on Windows 3.1 computers when I was a kid.

I usually load up all the various windows games and entertainment packs I collected back in the day
along with the vibra 16 utilities, players, recorders and editing stuff that came with my sound card.

I like the XING mpeg video player that came with my video card

My old scanner came with image software and clipart that simplified printing various image formats

I honestly enjoy Encarta 95 (the history maze game) once and a while

Paint Shop Pro 3.11 the best simple paint.
I use the 4.15 SE portable version with my 32bit and even 64bit machines still.

Borland Resource Workshop 4.5 hack the executable resources.

Windows PCTool 2.0 File Manager (PCTool only installs from flopies, but the filemanager is better than original with drag and drop but same classic look and feel, and i just made it portable)

WinBar 1.20 the best minimal and nice status bar with start button. Super compact, low resources, super functional and customizable. Totally replaces Program Manager for me. Calmira is nice but too bloated.

Winplay3 2.3 beta 5 can play all your MP3 collection.

- Microsoft Works 4.0 if you want to make some documents.
- Operation: Inner Space, arguably the best game that runs on Windows 3.1.
- Total Commander, as a replacement of File Explorer.
- Some libraries like WinG, Video for Windows... the usual stuff.

Windows 95 retail 😀

Trumpet for TCP/IP (works better than Microsoft‘s one IMO. Also doesn‘t require Workgroups)
Total Commander for FTP access
Netscape 3 for browsing 90s web pages via Wayback Machine. Now, all browsers crash on Win3.x after a while, but I think NS3 does it less often than others
Microsoft‘s Windows Entertainment Pack and Symantec Game Pack because it‘s kinda nostalgic to me

jheronimus wrote on 2024-04-21, 15:50:

Trumpet for TCP/IP (works better than Microsoft‘s one IMO. Also doesn‘t require Workgroups)

Microsoft TCP/IP-32 supports DHCP, and should be faster than Trumpet, but requires WFW 3.11.

As this topic is about Windows 3.1, then indeed, Trumpet Winsock is a must have.
The best version seems to be 2.1F - I had some problems with 3.x.

I think the TCPIP bundled with Internet Explorer 3 was fairly decent, though you did have to put up with the dialler popping up from time to time, I think it was every time a new thing opened a socket.

BitWrangler wrote on 2024-04-21, 16:26:

I think the TCPIP bundled with Internet Explorer 3 was fairly decent, though you did have to put up with the dialler popping up from time to time, I think it was every time a new thing opened a socket.

It only supported dial-up, not LAN, right?

It did support LAN when you installed it for the NIC in the card properties... IDK might have been a mishmash between that as the socket provider and OG TCP/IP driver.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2024-04-21, 03:50:

SkiFree and After Dark: Star Trek. Not that they're essential, but they are what I remember seeing on Windows 3.1 computers when I was a kid.

SkiFree (and Lunner Lander) are absolutely essential, It's 1/2 the reason I install Windows 3!

Windows 3.1 itself isn't really needed. but the GUI can be nice for file management.
Archive program of choice is probably the most important, I like Winzip simply because it's what I used when Win3.11 was my daily PC.
Some form of networking to transfer files. I like using Windows for Workgoups inbuilt file sharing but ftp is another common option.

Everything else is personal choice.
I like Netscape 3 as it was the dominant browser at the time AND IE5 Just because its the final version to work on Windows 3. I don't use either.
Microsoft office 4.3 as its final version and I found a copy in a server room once and MS Works 3.0 as that's what I used at the time.
And some of the MS game packs Tetris, SKiFree, Lunerlander, Chips Challange being the big 3

Well this thread made me wax nostalgic. All the other software recommendations are good but for me a must-have when I had Windows 3.1 was HP's Dashboard, a Program Manager replacement.

It was a start menu style launcher before it became a Windows standard, had built-in multiple desktops and resource meter.

While on the topic of setting up Windows 3.1 with TCP/IP there won't be much you will be able to do with it. You won't be able to connect to any websites with HTTPS except Google and Vogons.

Netscape Navigator Gold 3.01:

Internet Explorer 5: (it was miserably slow but rendered slightly better than Netscape)

Opera 3.62 gave me a General Protection Fault when I attempted to connect to Vogons.

The modern internet is far too bloated for Windows 3.1 browsers.

If you want to run windows 3.1 on the bare metal of your brand new modern pc…

AHCIFIX.386 is must have to use Windows 3.1 directly on modern hardware

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vSqyZxbyHww

Thanks a lot for your feedback. There is really good stuff on the this thread.

Regards

martiniturbide wrote on 2024-04-21, 01:15:

Hello Guys […]
Show full quote

Hello Guys

I want to ask you, what is your "must have" Windows 3.1 software.
When you set up your retro machine for Windows 3.1 which is the software that you must not miss to install there there ?

There are no right or wrong answer. I just want to know your preferences since I want to build mine.

Regards

If you can afford it I recommend visual basic 6. it had a form or app wizard. I think a copy of windows 3.11 under developer license is available with msdn subscription. Can't find info on the homepage. I think it used to be available. You may be able to get vb6 by subscription.

My must have Windows 3.1x software? Visual Basic 3.0, Microsoft Office 4.0, Paint Shop Pro 4.0 and some stuff I can't remember atm probably.