Virtual floppy in Windows 3.1 \ VOGONS

Virtual floppy in Windows 3.1

Topic actions

First post, by AM_PM

Posted on 2025-10-30, 01:11

AM_PM Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 22
Joined: 2025-10-24, 18:34

This Vogons thread: Virtual floppy drive under MS-DOS?, helped me discover Turbo Image (TI101A) which is a great program resident in extended memory allowing the mounting of floppy images as virtual drives in DOS. Sadly, the mounting is only effective in DOS itself and does not carry on when launching Windows. I've searched a lot but have been unable to locate a similar virtual mounting software that works in Windows 3.1 or 3.0. Does anyone know any?

Reply 1 of 6, by Jo22

Posted on 2025-10-31, 16:26

Jo22 Offline

Rank l33t++

Rank: l33t++
Posts: 11443
Joined: 2009-12-13, 07:06
Location: Europe

Oof! Hard to say! Back then Windows 3.x was using MS-DOS for such things, I guess!
True floppy emulation might involve DMA emulation and VXDs, maybe.
It's more in Windows 95/98 era, I think. When virtual CD-ROM drives got common and VXDs would emulated Sound Blaster cards for DOS compatibility and so on.
That being said, it's not impossible that there's something for Windows 3.1 and 95.
Maybe an early virtual floppy for Windows 95 will work on Windows 3.1, too?
The *.386 files are VXDs.

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 2 of 6, by Ringding

Posted on 2025-10-31, 20:29

Ringding Offline

Rank Member

Rank: Member
Posts: 216
Joined: 2016-01-05, 21:02
Location: Wien

Turn off 32 bit file access (386 enhanced settings)?

Reply 3 of 6, by AM_PM

Posted on 2025-11-05, 22:35

AM_PM Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 22
Joined: 2025-10-24, 18:34

Jo22 wrote on 2025-10-31, 16:26:
Oof! Hard to say! Back then Windows 3.x was using MS-DOS for such things, I guess! True floppy emulation might involve DMA emula […]
Show full quote

Oof! Hard to say! Back then Windows 3.x was using MS-DOS for such things, I guess!
True floppy emulation might involve DMA emulation and VXDs, maybe.
It's more in Windows 95/98 era, I think. When virtual CD-ROM drives got common and VXDs would emulated Sound Blaster cards for DOS compatibility and so on.
That being said, it's not impossible that there's something for Windows 3.1 and 95.
Maybe an early virtual floppy for Windows 95 will work on Windows 3.1, too?
The *.386 files are VXDs.

Yeah sadly not luck yet, an early one for Windows 95 probably wouldn't work being 32-bit (unless 32s works!).

Ringding wrote on 2025-10-31, 20:29:

Turn off 32 bit file access (386 enhanced settings)?

Don't have that option in my 3.1.

Reply 4 of 6, by Cyberdyne

Posted on 2025-11-05, 23:27

Cyberdyne Offline

Rank Oldbie

Rank: Oldbie
Posts: 1152
Joined: 2011-09-18, 18:45
Location: Estonia, Tallinn

Try to run Windows in standard mode. Win /s.

I am aroused about any X86 motherboard that has full functional ISA slot. I think i have problem. Not really into that original (Turbo) XT,286,386 and CGA/EGA stuff. So just a DOS nut.
PS. If I upload RAR, it is a 16-bit DOS RAR Version 2.50.

Reply 5 of 6, by AM_PM

Posted on 2025-11-06, 18:15

AM_PM Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 22
Joined: 2025-10-24, 18:34

Cyberdyne wrote on 2025-11-05, 23:27:

Try to run Windows in standard mode. Win /s.

I'm guessing you mean after mounting it in DOS. Just tried and no, not any different.

Reply 6 of 6, by AM_PM

Posted on 2025-11-07, 00:28

AM_PM Offline

Rank Newbie

Rank: Newbie
Posts: 22
Joined: 2025-10-24, 18:34

I'm using the workaround of using the software WinImage to open and extract every IMG to the hard disk and launch from there. (If there are multiple floppies, every IMG itself should be extracted to a folder called DISK01, DISK02...).

Go to top of page Go to top of page

Back to Software