Windows 2.0 to 3.1 abandonware yet?

Cube

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Oct 19, 2005
Messages
1,111
is Windows 2.0 to 3.1 abandonware yet? and up for download by Microsoft I lost one of my disk from our old 486.....


Same with my windows 95 and 98 /98SE disk...

I want to play with it again and try to install it on a modern x79 lga 2011 PC to see if it works and what happens.

That and I have not used windows 3.1 in 20 years and cant remember what it was like.
 
Last edited:
No version of Windows is abandonware. Win 3.1 isn't even on MSDN any more (it's ancient), and you will never find Windows 95/98 available from Microsoft due to the Java Settlement.
 
core I7 are x86 based cpus so they support all x86 16 bit and 32bit instructions.
 
Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not so sure a 16 bit OS will run on 64 bit hardware.
The 16-bit incompatibility is when running in 64-bit mode, which the OS puts the processor in to. Other modes are compatible with 16-bit code.

AMD64/x86-64 processors can run in 64-bit mode, 32-bit mode and other legacy modes (V86, protected, real) for software compatibility. If you notice, you can still boot DOS on even the newest computers (at least when EFI includes BIOS compatibility mode).
 
Microsoft still exist, so none of their software is abandonware.

Abandonware is only software which no one owns the licensing to.
 
I want to play with it again and try to install it on a modern x79 lga 2011 PC to see if it works and what happens.
Without drivers most hardware may not even work. If you're running SATA drives in AHCI mode, those ancient OSs may not even see it. There are also problems with drive sizes and possibly even 4K sector hard drives (if you have one).

You're better off installing those old OSs in a VM if you really want to run it. Native mode will just give you an ugly low res/dithered color GUI and no support for virtually any hardware, if you can even get it installed.

Also, if you're just reinstalling an OS that you already have and lost the disks/CDs, just download it from one of the few sites that host old OS downloads.
 
Win95 needed a service pack (OSR2) to enable AGP support, there's no way you'll get win 3.1 or win95 working with a PCIe buss
 
You'll be better off running a late version stable OS such as Windows 7 it will have less compatibility issues and is considerably more refined.
 
I just checked on my technet subscriber downloads and they are available. Both MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1/3.11/3.11 for Workgroups.

That is probably the only way you can get them legally is to subscribe to Microsoft technet. I doubt anyone will license MS-DOS or Windows 3.x anymore.
 
I just checked on my technet subscriber downloads and they are available. Both MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1/3.11/3.11 for Workgroups.

That is probably the only way you can get them legally is to subscribe to Microsoft technet. I doubt anyone will license MS-DOS or Windows 3.x anymore.

What version of TechNet do you have? Standard or the Premium/Pro level?

I have standard, and I can see MS-DOS 6.0 and 6.22... never mind, I just checked againd and I see: "Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (English)", as well as "Windows 3.11 (English)".

The search function on TechNet could use a little tweaking, as searching for "Windows 3.1" did not resolve with those results.

So anyway, @OP, Looks like you've got a couple options:

1) Subscribe to TechNet (Great for techies and IT professionals that want to keep up with everything microsoft)

2) Download an ISO/EXE installer from "The Internet", since if you already purchased it years ago, you already have your license. (If you need to ask where to download, then you're doing it wrong lol).

As others have said, running it bare metal on your x79 chipset is probably not going to work at all, or very poorly. But if you just want to do it as an experiment, or for "fun", then by all means, go for it, and let us know how it goes!

Otherwise, if you just want to use Windows 3.1, then go VM using ESXi, since that seems to be the best way to do it.
 
Back
Top