Windows95 under Recalbox

[Dragu]

Finally, after weeks, I have a running version of Windows95 with 800x600 and 256 colors (for the moment).
First step, still a lot to test and to learn.

[voljega]

this is awesome !! Is it through DOSBox ?

[Dragu]

@voljega

Yes, its just under dosbox. But I found only one version between the 95 and 98 that was stable, a windows95 osr2 floppy disk pack. With only 38MB installation volume.
I am still at the beginning. There are a lot of different files to download to install it under dosbox.
All this files are free, including the microsoft files. Only thing not free, the registration key, but this is easy to find if you dont own it at some moment.
(as the working one on photo )

[voljega]

@dragu lol. Do you think you would be able to run games under it ?

[Substring]

@dragu Dude, congratz for your work ! How "well" does it run ?

[Dragu]

@voljega
@Substring

A part a VXD screen, from time to time, is very stable and dont crash.
I tried now other resolutions 800x600 in true color a little more slow, and also 1024x768 with 256 color. Everything running.
The interface is pretty quick even as it is slowed down for the moment with
'core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=auto
cycleup=10
cycledown=20
'

[Substring]

@dragu As you're using 4.1 for Dosbox, I'd recommend you make screenshots with the raspi2pngcommand or even better : use the screenshot button from the web manager !

[Dragu]

This is 1024x768

[Dragu]

What you need apart recalbox 4.1 and dosbox :
Some extensions to dosbox for the manipulations.
xcopy and deltree are not existing under dosbox, you can download them here :
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/xcopy.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/1.2/repos/pkg-html/deltree.html
You will need also some .img disk for your stuff. 256MB will be enough for this windows95 version, and I also use 1GB .img disk for individual game data for the moment.
Dosbox has no tool to make img's. But ready and empty image files can be downloaded here :
https://sites.google.com/site/dotalshoff/games/dosbox

[Dragu]

Next, the software. To install windows, we need first a running Microsoft DOS, dosbox will not be enough. So first, to download, a 622 MSDOS floppy img file
dosbox95.darktraveler.com/downloads/622c.exe (622c.img)
that you copy to your .pc folder.
Next you need the installation files for Windows95 floppy version OSR2 38MB, the smallest from this page (the files are totaly legal) First link on the page
https://winworldpc.com/product/windows-95/osr-2
Unpack everything inside also the floppy images and copy to a directory WIN95F ?
Transfer this directoy also to your .pc folder.

Next download, the special S3 graphic driver that allows other resolution. The onboard S3 from Microsoft will not work. My S3 drivers are here :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bw4WQfUCKImBRDN6bXNXOVU3T3c/view
You must unload the S3D.zip into an S3D ? directory and transfer to the .pc folder.
By the way, the S3Trio64 drivers are not working.

[rockaddicted]

Windows in my little linux recalbox baby...
I will try to don't vomit every time I will see this post

Anyway, good job @Dragu

[Dragu]

Before transfering your windows image disk rename hdd-256mb.img to something as w95f.img.
Next step, is configuration and about the autoexec section of dosbox.cfg.
You must alter it a few times with progress.

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
# You can put your MOUNT lines here.
mount d "/recalbox/share/roms/dos/nukemMP.pc"
D:
# imgmount 0 622c.img -t floppy -fs none
# imgmount 2 w95f.img -size 512,63,16,520 -t hdd -fs none
imgmount c w95f.img
# imgmount 3 data.img -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none

This will make the w95f image disk accessible for dosbox (D:) as
Start dosbox, go to and mkdir WIN95F or what you want.
CD WIN95F
d:xcopy d:\WIN95F /h /e /i
The files from D:WIN95F should be transfered to C:WIN95F
Make the same with S3D directory existing on
You have now everything what you need on w95f.img.

[Dragu]

We leave dosbox Ctrl+F9 or "exit".
New edit and download to .pc of dosbox.cfg

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.
# You can put your MOUNT lines here.
mount d "/recalbox/share/roms/dos/nukemMP.pc"
D:
imgmount 0 622c.img -t floppy -fs none
imgmount 2 w95f.img -size 512,63,16,520 -t hdd -fs none
# imgmount c w95f.img
# imgmount 3 data.img -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none

It is not possible to access for the moment the data on .PC with this configuration.
Now we boot from dosbox to dos with the command
boot -l a (a for floppy)
He tell us something about tomatoes and an not important error, everything normal.
We go to the w95f.img disk.

CD WIN95F and here we run setup
setup /nm /is

Our installation should start and bring the need to restart a few times and sure with some errors...
For restart as windows is basic installed, every time you start dosbox,
boot -l c

When the conditions exist to access the drivers in the system from control panel, desactivate printer and serial ports. Also in safemode.
When the installation is stable, you can replace the S3 standart with the S3 display driver from the directory S3D.
Ther may exist other that work, a lot of job ahead. Directx and so on.
If a usable w95f.img exist, possible just to copy it in every game directory where it is needed.
That was it, good luck.

[voljega]

@dragu didn't understand much but I guess I'll have to try

copying the win95 in every game folder is fine, but ExO renounced it for his future win9x collection especially because it would take so much place even for just ten games

[Dragu]

@voljega
Not so difficult and sure need your help. Alternate S3 display driver that include all resolutions and not one at the time and so on. For the place, 256MB is not so hudge, because also for Dosbox alone, if you have a game that want to look for control on the CD, like the LBA's, this images are mostly bigger. But also necessary to check if it is gadget or can be used for games.
I started this for DN Manhattan Project. I will see if it works.

[voljega]

@dragu yeah but the exodos collection is 3600 games and has a total size of 380Go, imagine if you add 256mb to each game

And it's likely that a collection of every win95 and win98 game released would count twice as much games

[Dragu]

If the alternate is play or stay, I am ready to sweep my 256GB SSD for a 1Tetra SSD. Prices will fall.

[Dragu]

I managed to install working Trio display driver, so better to copy also this folder from the beginning on the w95f.img. They are here :
http://dosbox95.darktraveler.com/downloads/S3Trio64.exe
And they are compatible with directx. I just installed Directx8, and all tests with dxdiag (after install in /windows/system) are working, 3D and sound checks also. The cube

[Dragu]

Now also the rare bluescreen error at shutdown disappear. It is necessary to fix 2 more entries. First, after disabling all ports inclusive game port, it needs an automatic hardware scan to take the joystick out of the hardware profil.
We need here no joystick, as dosbox can map the full keyboard to the recalbox joysticks.
Second thing, this floppy version of W95 defines no harddisk in the devices. But it has the ISA drivers in the system devices. So just make new hardware scan and indicate by yourself that you want to add ISA harddisk. It works.

[MikaXII]

Hoo... Windows95 on recalbox, you break my heart ^^.
@Dragu congrat for your amazing works