Problems installing Windows 95 in QEMU 2.7

[ppgrainbow]

I have a problem here.

I got as far as the first half of the setup phase when attempting to install the retail upgrade release of Windows 95 (v4.00.950) on top of Windows 3.1 under the latest version of QEMU (v2.7).

When I restarted the virtual machine, Windows 95 throws this error message when attempting to continue Windows 95 setup:

Quote

While initializing device IOS

Windows protection error. You need to restart your computer.

Simply copying the IOS.VXD file into the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM32 sub-directly didn't help.

Here is the current configuration used to attempt to boot up Windows 95 under Qemu 2.7:

Quote

qemu-system-i386 -m 65536K -M pc -cpu pentium -L . -drive file=C:\Qemu\configs\Win95\ide0-hd0.img,bus=0,unit=0,media=disk,format=raw,cyls=8322,heads=16,secs=63,trans=lba -drive file=C:\Qemu\configs\Win95\ide0-hd1.img,bus=0,unit=1,media=disk,format=raw,cyls=8322,heads=16,secs=63,trans=lba -drive file=C:\Qemu\configs\Win95\setup.iso,if=ide,bus=1,unit=0,media=cdrom -drive file=C:\Qemu\configs\Win95\boot.img,if=floppy,index=0,format=raw -drive file=C:\Qemu\configs\Win95\floppy1.img,if=floppy,index=1,format=raw -boot c -soundhw sb16 -vga cirrus -k en-us -net nic,vlan=0,model=ne2k_isa -net user,vlan=0,smb=I:\TEMP

I'm wondering if this is a bug when attempting to install OS or not. Are there any workarounds on how to get the IOS.VXD error when attempting to start Windows 95 under Qemu?

Thanks.

(I'm sorry I had to find a way to use quotes and clean up the messy formatting. That's why I had to edit this thread.)

Edited October 18, 2016 by ppgrainbow

[pangoomis]

Try smaller amount of RAM. Try to set the machine as an ISA PC, not a regular PC. Also, try a different CPU mode, or leave out the -cpu switch altogether.

Also, try the 0.9.0 version of QEMU for Windows, newer versions are really suited for Linux anyways. I've had great success with the 0.9.0 version and Win95. But the SB16 emulation sucks so choosing another audio card is recommended...even in newest versions to be honest

Edited October 18, 2016 by MrMateczko

[ppgrainbow]

4 hours ago, MrMateczko said:

Try smaller amount of RAM. Try to set the machine as an ISA PC, not a regular PC. Also, try a different CPU mode, or leave out the -cpu switch altogether.

Also, try the 0.9.0 version of QEMU for Windows, newer versions are really suited for Linux anyways. I've had great success with the 0.9.0 version and Win95. But the SB16 emulation sucks so choosing another audio card is recommended...even in newest versions to be honest

The amount of RAM that I tried out was 65,536 KB (or -m 65536K) which is equivalent to 64 MB. I'll see if leaving out the -cpu switch helps.

If not, then I'll install QEMU 0.9.1 first and then see if I can get to work under QEMU 2.7 from there.

[ppgrainbow]

Okay, I managed to solve the "Windows Protection Error" while the IOS device is being initalised:

1. Start Windows 95 in Safe Mode.

2. Go to the Control Panel.

3. Click on the System Properties icon.

4. In Performance > Advanced Graphics Settings, disable hardware acceleration.

5. Go to Performance > File System > Troubleshooting and checkmark the following:

* Disable protect-mode hard disk interrupt handling.
* Disable all 32-bit protect-mode disk drives.
* Disable write-behind caching for all drives.

After Steps 4 and 5 are taken, restart the virtual machine. After the virtual machine is restarted, Windows 95 setup will continue and setup any plug-and-play devices that are installed in the VM.

After Windows 95 has been installed, the protect-mode hard disk interrupt handling, 32-bit protect-mode disk drives and write-behind caching can be re-enabled. Hardware acceleration can be re-enabled as well.

This was tested when running the original release of Windows 95 with the -vga isacirrus parameter using Neozeed's patched Qemu 0.15.1.

I've noticed that even if I manage to work around the Windows Protection error bug in Qemu 2.7, the Cirrus graphics drivers in Windows 95 will not work correctly.

[submix8c]

GUI Front-End v7.0 plus QEMU v0.11.1 (older, apparently from 2010) -

http://web.archive.org/web/20110513140959/http://www.davereyn.co.uk/

Also, unless you really want to Upgrade (to keep DOS/Win3.x), you're aware you can force your version (RTM) to act like a Full (to Clean Install) via an MSBATCH.INF, right? I guess I could dig around to see if I have an old Cirrus driver that may work for you.

Please note that I *do* have QEMU (0.9->0.11) but have never used it because I generally use MS-VPC/Windows-VPC. I'm also unaware if the above Manager will work with later versions of QEMU.

[cc333]

Windows will throw that error because of a bug that prevents it from booting properly on computers whose CPUs are faster than 1.7 GHz (I think).

Also, I think there's another bug that manifests itself on CPUs faster than 2.1 GHz (there's a fix for that).

c