How far can I go with Virtualbox?

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carlmart

Gawd
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Sep 17, 2006
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I'm naming Virtualbox but what I mean is how far can I go with a virtual machine inside Windows 7 and how do I do it?

The problem is I need to run DOS pcb design program, which refuses to run in XP or Windows 7. The last time I used it, with no problems, was with Windows 98.

Another option would be installing Windows 98SE on a smaller HD, but I am not sure it will work with modern hardware like mine.

What do you suggest?
 
I have run windows 3.1 in virtualbox with no issues.

Yay for old ass auto dialers!!!!!!!
 
OK, an option I was googling but didn't get me a fine answer.

What about installing Windows 98SE on this PC hardware (less the HDD, of course)? Is that possible?

I wonder which was the smaller HDD W98SE could identify and see if I have one.
 
Have you tried it out in VirtualBox yet? As long as you're not trying to pass through some kind of esoteric external device to the virtual machine, I suspect you'd find that VBox will do the trick. I've run all kinds of old application software in VBox machines.
 
Ok, I installed VB now.

How do I run the program? Any tutorial anywhere?

I mean how do I run the program I need to run, not VB, of course.
 
carlmart said:
Ok, I installed VB now.

How do I run the program? Any tutorial anywhere?

I mean how do I run the program I need to run, not VB, of course.
Click to expand...

First thing you gotta do is create a new Virtual Machine and install the target Operating System in it. Here's an example of Win98.

Note that you will need installation "media" for the OS in question, whether it's an ISO for the Operating System's CD/DVD or floppy images for instance.

Once you have the OS installed in the Virtual Machine, you can install your old software in the virtual machine and give it a whirl.
 
I'm reading the VB manual, and there's not a step by step instruction on how to install Windows 98 inside the VM.

Can someone tell me how to do it?
 
I can't seem to go ahead installing W98 in the VM. The errors I'm getting are not the same as those YouTube tutorials. I'm getting one that says: "No bootable medium found". So I can't go on.

Why don't they make things simpler?...
 
I don't know anything about VBox ..but you may have to set an option in the VMs BIOS to boot from CD/DVD rom ... which is logically connected to a physical drive or an ISO image.

So if you can find a way to enter BIOS on the VM ...try that.

EDIT ... well ... i just downloaded VBox and tested it with a FreeNAS ISO image and it boots fine with no need to enter BIOS.
However .... I did not set up the VM with a hard drive so it was forced to use virtual optical

at VM boot try the F12 option then "C" for cd/dvd

It could be the ISO image you use ... or are you using physical media?

EDIT2:
Just tried a (physical CD)Dell OEM version of Win98SE and it boots fine in VBox

I noticed the default boot order is old school: floppy, CD, HDD .. so i can only guess it's the ISO or the physical media you are using
 
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Well, I don't know what else to try. I made the iso copy with IMGBurn, and put it on a folder on c:

I don't know where to press F12, because it doesn't activate anything.
 
If you "reset" the VM, hit F12 within a few seconds and it gives a boot menu.
After my quick testing though ..this isn't needed due to the default boot order.

I would test with another ISO image ...from a know good source (not one you created) to rule out the image. Also try physical media - this is just to troubleshoot and verify you can boot from ISO or physical media.
 
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