Windows NT Build 297 Real GUI Setup with Bootdisk

[gus33000]

So not so long ago, I discovered the actual bootdisk for this build. For those who don't know this build was only installable by running dos2nt.bat inside the dos2nt folder on the disc. But that was before.

Get your copy of the bootdisk at the following location :

Code: Select all

/(Beta) Software Development Kits/PC/Microsoft Win32 Preliminary SDK for Windows NT (1992-07) (5.25'')

Then what should I do to install the build (the way it was intended) ?

This bootdisk has an issue with partitioning, so you will have to do some tricky work to make it work.

First download the latest release of wdpsl at http://wdpsl.gus33000.site40.net

Then boot up a VirtualBox VM with the wdpsl bootdisk in.

Your vm configuration should be looking like this (and don't forget the buslogic parameter inside the scsi controller page) :




At this screen select Hard disk - Prepare and Repair



Select Gdisk Partitioning Tool

Write down this command line :

Code: Select all

gdisk /cre 1 /pri /for /q /-32

When finished close the vm.

Then swap the wdpsl bootdisk with the bootdisk you got from the ftp inside the vm settings (do not do it while the vm is running)

Boot up the vm, let the Windows NT setup proceed as normal and voilà (the à is not a typo, that's how it's written in french and yes for those who don't know it is a french word ) (do not forget to not reformat the drive, leave it as is)










Bonus SDK Setup Screenshots (run d:\mstools\setup.bat) :

[GL1zdA]

I think it was described how to do it over a year ago at the os2museum

[gus33000]

That's not the same build, the one I described was the July 1992 Release (build 297). However what people may not know is that the October 1991 release CD contains the boot-disk and the scripts required to make one, resulting in a relatively easy setup.

[TheCollector1988]

I think it was described how to do it over a year ago at the os2museum

Well, NT 3.1 297 doesn't have any batch scripts or DOS utilities to create a NT boot disk specifically for this build, I once tried making a boot disk with files from 340 (October 1992) but the result was incompatible files with incompatible PE format.