[Guide] Stable Windows 95 on RetroPie!

backstander

@spiky
Great tutorial!

On step 10 where you install the S3 drivers, which driver are you installing?

Also, all your directory addresses should be backslashes instead of forward slashes like boot D:\Win95\c.img ;-)

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Spiky

@backstander forward-slashes mentioned in my guide are correct (they are mostly part of commands of DOSBox where this type of slash is used, on both Windows and Pi). you probably mixed it up with DOS command line where path is indeed defined with back-slashes

VictimRLSH

A bit off topic, but Slash and Myles Kennedy are making some AWESOME music. Better than Slash's other gig if I dare say so...

VictimRLSH

@spiky I GOT IT WORKING!!! It doesn't autostart from the shell script, I have to manually mount and boot it, but I can work on that.

Now if I can get Starcraft Broodwar to run...

EDIT: I can mount the .iso image I ripped from my Starcraft CD using imgmount d /path -t iso BUT booting a HD image in Dosbox wipes out all your mounts, so back to square one there. If there was only a way to return to the Z: drive and mount something while Win95 is loaded up.

***By running MS-DOS from a disk image, you will lose some of the niceties of the DOS environment which DOSBox provides. Some such examples are the ability to mount and unmount drives whenever you like, and the ability to run DOSBox’s internal commands. Also, if you need to use the mouse in MS-DOS you will need to load a suitable mouse driver.

DOSBox does not emulate CD-ROM hardware, so you won’t be able to load CD-ROM drivers and access a CD-ROM drive or ISO image. An alternative could be to use a hard disk image and attach an additional IDE drive to DOSBox. You will still be unable to switch between disk images while DOSBox is running, however.***

UPDATE: apparently there ARE utilities that will mount an iso image in Win95, but I can't seem to get the huge iso image onto the virtual drive without hanging Dosbox. I'm downloading the 28mb freeware demo, if I can't get that working then I guess there is no sense trying to get the whole iso to run anyway.

UPDATE #2: This is becoming an epic pain in the ass. I'm gonna plunk down the cash and trying using Exagear to run some Windows games.

backstander

@spiky
Yeah, I meant that all your DOS commands are typed using forward slashing but should be backslashes

Your *nix commands are correct.

I also read that after you run imgmount c D:/Win95/c.img you can just do boot -l c and it will automatically boot what you already have mounted to the C: drive (which is D:/Win95/c.img in this example so you don't have to use "boot D:/Win95/c.img") I guess another way to skin a cat!

edmaul69

@spiky one question? I have had 95 running for a while. Issue i have is since it cant read real discs i have some iso program on there but it doesnt work when on the pi. How are you reading iso’s to install and play games? Also making a .vhd windows 95 instead of a .img windows 95 allows you to open it up natively on windows as a drive to add stuff

backstander

@edmaul69
I have been experimenting with getting a ISO to stay mounted after booting into the Windows 95 IMG without any luck. I can get a floppy IMG to stay though!

How are you reading iso’s to install and play games?

I did the same as @spiky did with the Windows 95 install CD. I extracted the contents of the CD into a directory on my computer (C:\Win95), mounted the c.img file in DOSBox as C:\ and copied that directory over to the C:\ (which is saving it in the c.img file), then booted into Win95 and just installed it from that new directory.

I've successfully installed Hover! (1995) and Fury 3 (1995) with this method.

I've also read about others install the last Windows 9x compatible version of Daemon Tools v3.4.7 and copying the ISO over like I did with the directory and mounting it in Win95. I haven't tried this yet!

edmaul69

@backstander ive mounted images in separate .vhd as a second drive and installed some stuff but if it does a check to verify its a cd drive it fails. So i was hoping for a better solution.

backstander

@edmaul69

but if it does a check to verify its a cd drive it fails.

Daemon Tools should help with the verify cd drive checks. Another option is to find the no-cd crack for that game but I hate searching for those because half the time they contain viruses.

So i was hoping for a better solution.

Yeah, I hope there is as well! If mounting floppies and separate .vhd's work, why can't .iso's?

edmaul69

@backstander vhd’s mount as a hard drive. Not sure why iso’s dont work.

VictimRLSH

@edmaul69 Only drivers emulated in the Dosbox core program remain if you boot an image. Hard Drive emulation is there, but Dosbox doesn't emulate CD drives at the hardware level, so if you mount a CD image it goes bye-bye if you boot a hard drive image.

***By running MS-DOS from a disk image, you will lose some of the niceties of the DOS environment which DOSBox provides. Some such examples are the ability to mount and unmount drives whenever you like, and the ability to run DOSBox’s internal commands. Also, if you need to use the mouse in MS-DOS you will need to load a suitable mouse driver.

DOSBox does not emulate CD-ROM hardware, so you won’t be able to load CD-ROM drivers and access a CD-ROM drive or ISO image. An alternative could be to use a hard disk image and attach an additional IDE drive to DOSBox. You will still be unable to switch between disk images while DOSBox is running, however.***

edmaul69

@victimrlsh in dosbox i run cd’s from a real drive and it can actually do the cd drive verifications in dos and win 3.11 in dosbox. It would be nice if it was able to see a real disc drive in win 95.

VictimRLSH

@edmaul69 GIven the effort it takes, I'll stick to using Dosbox for DOS games. It is amusing getting Win95 running, but it isn't really that useful. I'll stick to Exagear/Wine for WIndows 9x +. Considering installing 3.11 just to play Fleet. Incredible game.

mediamogul

@victimrlsh said in [Guide] Stable Windows 95 on RetroPie!:

It is amusing getting Win95 running, but it isn't really that useful.

Progress peaked with 'Microsoft BOB' anyway. ;)

VictimRLSH

@mediamogul Then there was that stupid paper clip... CLIPPY!!!

Spiky

@backstander both kind of slashes obviously work. I think it's clear now :)
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@edmaul69 sorry I am not answering, I am really busy these days, no time for RetroPieing

cyperghost

@mediamogul said in [Guide] Stable Windows 95 on RetroPie!:

Progress peaked with 'Microsoft BOB' anyway. ;)

Bill met Melinda in his company - she was the lead project manager at this time for BOB.

About security:

Signing In To Microsoft Bob With A Password-"Protected" Account.

„But instead of requiring you to perform some kind of authentication first -- answer a question
("What is your mother's maiden name?"), etc., you can enter any new password and
it will replace the original one! Anyone can do this to any password "protected" Microsoft Bob account. 
There is absolutely no prior authentication required whatsoever. 
This means User1 could change their own password just by mistyping their password three times and 
entering a different password the fourth time -- and not have to bother with Microsoft Bob's Change password option. 
It also means that User1 could change the passwords of User2, User3, User4, etc. in exactly the same way. 
Consequently, any user could change any other user's password simply by mistyping it three times 
then entering a new password when prompted -- and then enter their account.“

Nothing changed this time :D

Annother security check at this time were the install keys.
So a typical key to activate MS products like xxx-xxxxxxx, last 7 digits must be Mod 7, the leading 3 numbers did not matter as for as I know.

mediamogul

@cyperghost said in [Guide] Stable Windows 95 on RetroPie!:

This means User1 could change their own password just by mistyping their password three times and
entering a different password the fourth time...

Wow! Such an innocent and naive time for Microsoft. That's the operating system equivalent of leaving a key under the mat for a door you never bothered to lock when you went out. Still can't get in? Just knock three times and try the knob again. I actually really like messing around with 'Bob'. It's adorably awful.

VictimRLSH

I was always of the opinion that Microsoft should have destroyed Apple when they had the chance. They decided not to because it gave the appearance that Microsoft had some 'competition' to avoid antitrust suits. I think they are kicking themselves over that one now...

mattfeeder18

@Spiky said in [Guide] Stable Windows 95 on RetroPie!:

2. Creating HDD file

Run bximage.exe (this is part of Bochs x86 package)

enter following input:
1
hd
flat
2048
c.img

file c.img was created in the directory where bximage.exe is placed

move c.img to your working directory, let's say D:\Win95

Just to help with 2 lines of step 2 as to me they were a little unclear. I am using Bochs 2.6.9, so if you're using a different version, change all of the version references below to your version:

Run bximage.exe (this is part of Bochs x86 package)

If using Windows 10 (probably similar on other OSs), this can easily be found in Start > Bochs 2.6.9 > Disk Image Creation Tool.

file c.img was created in the directory where bximage.exe is placed

This image file actually ends up in C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Bochs-2.6.9 (for me, anyway).
Make sure you replace %USERNAME% with your local directory username. For me, in full it was C:\Users\Matthew\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Bochs-2.6.9.
(Credit to Ali Sahan on YouTube for commenting on a somewhat related video with this location.)