Windows 3.1 running in a VM
Chicago can run Windows 3.1 on a separate screen, if you wish. Note that the applications will have to be installed separately for Windows 3.1 and Chicago in this case.
You should only run Windows 3.1 in VGA mode (640 x 480, 16 color). The reason for this is that many Windows 3.1 video drivers require the presence of a separate Windows 3.1 VDD. The VGA driver does not have this requirement and so it functions correctly on the Chicago VDD. The ability to run on other drivers depends on their requirements. It may or may not succeed.
To run Windows 3.1 under Chicago
1. Copy the file WIN31.EXE from your \CHICAGO\SYSTEM directory to your Windows 3.1 directory (usually C:\WINDOWS).
2. Edit the following lines in the file SYSTEM.INI in your Windows 3.1 directory (usually C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI):
Change To
COMM.DRV=COMM.DRV COMM.DRV=C:\CHICAGO\SYSTEM\DUALCOMM.DRV
MOUSE.DRV=MOUSE.DRV MOUSE.DRV=C:\CHICAGO\SYSTEM\DUALMOUS.DRV
Do this only if the original lines accessed the COMM.DRV and MOUSE.DRV files (the right side of the "=" sign).
3. Set the Command Line and Working Directory in the WIN31.PIF file to reference your Windows 3.1 directory, if it is something other than C:\WINDOWS. To access these properties:
a. Right click on the file C:\CHICAGO\SYSTEM\WIN31.PIF
b. Choose Properties from the context menu
c. Choose the Program Property Sheet
d. Make sure that the Command Line entry starts with your Windows 3.1 directory. Make sure that the Working Directory entry is your Windows 3.1 directory.
4. In your Chicago Main group, create a link to the file \CHICAGO\SYSTEM\WIN31.PIF.
To access Windows 3.1, double-click the icon you just created. Please do not perform Control Panel-related operations from Windows 3.1. However, you can run any application from the Windows 3.1 screen and it will run in a Windows 3.1 environment. To return to Chicago, click on the Chicago icon that will be visible on your Windows 3.1 screen.
I know windows 95 doesn't include these files, but I was curious about whether they'd work on 95 if I copied them over. Beta 1 seems fairly close to windows 95 compared to the other builds I've seen. Has anyone tried this?
That's pretty interesting. I let one of my friends, who still runs Windows 95 on a daily basis, know about it, but he's passed out at the moment. Someone else will probably confirm before hand.
"I hear you say 'Why?' Always 'Why?' You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'" --George Bernard Shaw
"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water." --Rabindranath Tagore
All the program manager is in Windows 95 is used for is an application launcher, or a replacement shell for explorer.exe. I think it was only included as a transitional type thing for those who are migrating to 95 from 3.x who don't want to jump right into something completely new. When you install 95 it gives you the option to choose whether you want to use explorer or progman as a shell. What this section from the Chicago release notes refers to is an actual vm running a full copy of windows 3.1.
I'm giving it a try now (on chicago) to see if it actually works, then I'm going to try it on 95. I'll let you all know how it goes.
edit: gave it a try (just on Chicago for now) and it bombs out. I was trying windows 3.11 though, and it says windows 3.1 so I'll have to image my 3.1 discs and try with 3.1. Basically all that happens is it goes full screen and says "windows is starting" and dies. Screenshot:
Did a fresh install of 3.1 and gave it a try. Nothing very exciting, just windows 3.1 full screen. I can't figure out how to run it in a window, if it's even possible.
I'll give it a shot on Win 95 now and see what happens
edit: Gave it a try on 95. Unsurprisingly it wouldn't work. It says it needs Windows 4.0 to run when I try it. Is it possible to somehow fool it into thinking it's running on Chicago?
