windows 3.1 question

[i486]

Ok, I got a copy of windows 3.1 and would like to install it onto a CD-rom,and be able to boot a computer with it, like knoppix linux. Is this possible?

[EzyStvy]

Do you have the disketts and want to convert them to cd so you can launch the install?

Or do you want to install to a cd and run the system from the cd? (probably can't be done)

[i486]

i want to run the system from cd. someone post the windows for workgroups 3.11 cdrom iso on kazaa.

[Nuclear Krusader]

This is dealing with illegal issues.

As for your initial question: no, no OS can run from a CD. It needs to be installed in the HD, since files on a CD cannot be modified and no swap file can be created on a CD.

[glc]

Yes, Win 3.1 can be run off a CD as long as you make a big enough ramdrive when you set up the config. I have a Knoppix CD that runs self-contained, and also a BartPE - this is XP on a CD. I also have a copy of a very barebones basic bootable Win 3.1 FLOPPY.

[RJ]

Well, Windows 98 can run from a CD. I have no idea if it's possible with Windows 3.1, though.

RJ

[Nuclear Krusader]

OK, I stand corrected then.

[mb26]

Originally posted by Nuclear Krusader This is dealing with illegal issues.

Even if it is theoretically illegal, i don't think there would be a lawyer, police officer, or microsoft employee on earth who would care.

GLC; is that a CD or a DVD that you have XP on? ..also i'd be interested to try a copy of that win 3.1 on floppy.. by 'very barebones basic 'what is it missing?.. where did you get it from? .. reckon you could get office on another floppy lol.

i486; if that is regular kazaa your using i'd get kazaa lite and do some heavy scanning with adaware and spybot.

[bailey]

ok, I'll bite:

why in the world would anyone want to run 3.1 at all ?

it was nothing but problems with me and my packard bell 486 system.

[glc]

mb:

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Provide your own XP cd.

You will have to ask Dok for the floppy image - he wrote it. It boots into Program Manager with a Main group - and the only thing in there I believe is Notepad. He built it just to prove that it can be done, you can't do too much with it.

I beg to differ - I do believe that M$ would care about a full iso of ANY of their software being offered on P2P - it's illegal, and as such, our forum rules apply.

[mikezel]

thats a very interesting link glc, thanks! I had no idea that such a thing existed for xp
mike

[sheeepy the noob]

3.1 rocked! i never crashed on my packard bell...

[RayH]

Is a modern computer too much for W3.1?

[Nuclear Krusader]

It is. Many new devices and features won't work in Win 3.1x, like USB.

[glc]

Ray, there's the FAT16 issue, partitions are limited to 2 gigs. I also believe there's a ram addressibility issue, the number of 64mb seems to ring a bell. I do know that 3.1 just screams on a P166 with 64mb ram, that's the strongest machine I've ever seen it on. There's also the driver issue - the odds of modern devices having 3.1 drivers are not good at all. Remember that 3.1 has to run on top of some version of DOS.

[mb26]

hmm well i was thinking 3.1 on floppy might make a good data-recovery OS, having an o/s with a GUI on a floppy.. but obviously it wouldn't work and i'll have to look to linux for that...
it would also have been interesting to see how the speed compared to XP.. when there was no room for bloat

but in theory, if u had a FAT16 file system it would work on a modern computer? albeit only allowing u 2GB of hard drive space, and 64mb of your ram? i guess not?

regardless of morality, law, forum rules etc (which all have their place and i'm not suggesting we ignore any of them);
i still think u'd be hard pressed to find any M$ employee (or Bill himself for that matter) would care in the slightest about win 3.1 be available on P2P. its not even available anyway so they wouldn't lose any money.

[Nuclear Krusader]

It's not about losing money, it's about respecting the copyright laws. Unless a program has been deemed as abandonware (and not a single program from M$ has) it is a violation of the copyright laws to download it from a P2P network.

[glc]

Commercial data recovery products and most modern diagnostic and utility floppies have a GUI of sorts - the boot floppy uses Caldera or IBM DOS with a mouse driver.

Nuc expressed it better than I could - and as per the forum rules this is the end of that part of the discussion.

[edfair]

I haven't researched the 3.1 on CD issue, but as far as the DOS on CD issue it works fine. Came about because of some used IBM machines without floppy boot capability and I wanted to put install stuff on a FAT16 and W98SE on FAT32.
Burned a bootable 6.22 with CD support and the HD install utilities. Made the HD bootable.
Used a 98SE EBD to create a bootable CD which I used to create the extended and logical D:. Booted again to do the install from c: onto the d:.
Gives me access to what I need.

[RayH]

On the technical side, trying to 3.1 sounds like trying to put Model A tires on a new car or some such. The very newest computers don't even like 98 any more!