Is Windows 98 too old to run in Virtual Box?

[gittist]

As the subject says, is it too old? After I input the product key for Win 98 the setup keeps looking for files that aren't there and won't finish the set up. I wasn't paying close enough attention to tell which files it was looking for.

I have two older programs that are from that era that would probably play better under Win98. If nothing else they do play using WINE.

[AndyMH]

Can't go back that far, but winXP does work in a virtualbox VM.

This may help or not:
https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=9918
the post does date from 2008.

[Pierre]

it does work -- sort of, as I've an copy of win-98 on an CD,
but there was an issue with the Video Driver support,
which I'd been unable to resolve, as the win-98 system,
wouldn't recognise any drivers from the VB Guest additions.

[AndyMH]

I did not try and install guest-additions in winXP, as far as I was aware it is not supported/available.

[Pierre]

my copy of win-xp does have the virtual drivers installed,
- it's also on the later VB6.1.x series as well.

it's also an virtual copy, that I'd made some years ago,
and it was imported into my LM20x series HP laptop,
when that was upgraded to the LM20x series.

[MikeNovember]

Hi,

As said here: https://www.vmware.com/resources/compat ... tConfig=16

Windows 98/98 SE/ME Works, no Additions available Slow because VirtualBox is not optimized for it. Install a 3rd party VESA graphics driver or disable hardware virtualization.

However, Win98 works fine in VMware Workstation Player: https://www.vmware.com/resources/compat ... tConfig=16

VMware Workstation Player for Linux is a freeware for personal use.

Download it from this page: https://www.vmware.com/fr/products/work ... ation.html

Uninstall Virtual Box if installed.

Install VMware Player:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install gcc build-essential -y
cd ~/Downloads
export LC_ALL=C
sudo ./VMware-Player*

Create your Windows 98 guest from an ISO, using VMware player.

Launch your Windows 98 guest. Install VMware tools inside Windows 98 guest from the virtual CD-ROM in Explorer.

Install your software programs, use them.

Regards,

MN

[Reddog1]

Win 98 programs should run in a W7 32-bit VM. I run a W95 CAD program that way so its something to try.

[AndyMH]

Win 98 programs should run in a W7 32-bit VM. I run a W95 CAD program that way so its something to try.

Not always. I have a winXP VM for the sole purpose of running the Saab WIS (maintenance manual) for my other half's Saab 9-3 convertible. It will not run under win7.

[gittist]

Whenever I try to instal Win 98, it goes all the way to the end then I get a lot of "illegal operations" and it looks for a lot of .dll files. I would think my OEM complete download would take care of all of that?

[swhlo]

As the subject says, is it too old? After I input the product key for Win 98 the setup keeps looking for files that aren't there and won't finish the set up. I wasn't paying close enough attention to tell which files it was looking for.

I have two older programs that are from that era that would probably play better under Win98. If nothing else they do play using WINE.

Last time I have tried to install XP (not 98) and it was waste of time. That OS was simply throwing so much errors such as ssl connections errors, please update your browser to continue, etc etc. I prefer Windows 7 and I hate the 11.

[gittist]

"Last time I have tried to install XP (not 98) and it was waste of time. That OS was simply throwing so much errors such as ssl connections errors, please update your browser to continue, etc etc. I prefer Windows 7 and I hate the 11."

I hear you,I hate Windows period. I ran Windows 7 Pro on my 10 year old PC for as long as I could. I thought updates on that were bad until work went to Windows 10. I never understood why my Zero client at work would still take all day to update when everything I had to use was supposedly in the cloud? Now that I updated my old PC to Windows 10 I have to turn it on a day before I want to use it . I was keeping it up for two programs that are Windows only but now that I've got Windows in VB on my new PC I don't need to do that.

I was trying to load Win98 in VB also b/c I have one old program that will run with WINE but I thought it might do better with an older Windows (closer to when it was released). I guess I'll stick to where I am.

BTW, did you get the impression I don't like MicroSoft?? LOL

[ricardogroetaers]

Windows 98 is so small that it would be best to install it on a partition in real mode.
The problem would be device drivers for more current hardware.
However, if the programs you intend to use do not use these devices, there would be no problem.
I, for example, still use DOS.