I have a P3 with an Intel e1000 with both Windows 3.11 and Windows 98 installed. I’d like to be able switch between both versions without rebooting the machine. I’d also like network support for both operating systems. IO.SYS has been patched to allow 3.11 to run.

The problem is that each OS needs their specific version of IFSHLP.SYS. I’ve tried loading both of them at the same time, but the one that’s loaded last takes precedence. Using Windows 98‘s version and disabling 32-bit disk access in 3.11 will allow it to start, but the networking subsystem fails to initialize.

Does anyone have any ideas? Could there be some clever hack that would allow me to work around the IFSHLP.SYS conflict?

We are talking about Windows for workgroups right? And you installed win WFW native network driver? Also are both on same drive? You need atleast soft reboot (exit to dos mode) for it to load.

This could maybe solve your issue:

 

Create shortcut on Windows 98 for the win.com. Set custom config.sys file on it properties with following

DEVICE=<path to win3 folder>\IFSHLP.SYS

and add any other devices you need to load. Then it should exit dos mode and boot into windows 3.11 and when win3.11 closes it will exit back to windows 98

 

Second and easier way is to reboot machine between doing it.

For that creating boot menu would make stuff easier. I need to lookup exact syntax but you can have two or more custom driver and other config.

You do not need hit reset button once exit windows 3.11. CTRL+ALT+DEL will result reboot. If you want it autoreboot when exit (atleast make it prompt) you can use reboot.com file from windows recovery disk folder

 

Edited November 2, 20214 yr by Mr.Scienceman2000

3 hours ago, Mr.Scienceman2000 said:

This could maybe solve your issue:

 

Create shortcut on Windows 98 for the win.com. Set custom config.sys file on it properties with following

DEVICE=<path to win3 folder>\IFSHLP.SYS

and add any other devices you need to load. Then it should exit dos mode and boot into windows 3.11 and when win3.11 closes it will exit back to windows 98

I never considered running 3.11 from INSIDE win 98. Too bad it only works in per-release builds of Windows 95.

See here: https://blog.krnl386.com/index.php?post/2018/02/03/Switch-to-Windows-95

4 minutes ago, diovanti said:

I never considered running 3.11 from INSIDE win 98. Too bad it only works in per-release builds of Windows 95.

See here: https://blog.krnl386.com/index.php?post/2018/02/03/Switch-to-Windows-95

i think was bit unclear. Windows 9x and Windows 3x share same things under the hood. Both are programs in top of dos (even though got own drivers) and purpose was to exit windows 98 to dos mode using shortcut that loads custom config.sys and autoexec file then unloads those once close and reboots to windows 98

Hi @diovanti. Probably not what you want but it may meet the criteria. My 'Modern Web Browser Emulation' project (page 21 of the Vanilla Windows 98 thread) used old QEMU v0.8.2. Seems TinyUpload terminated, believe this old QEMU was salvaged from Damn Small Linux. Not sure this will work if Windows 3.11 used packet drivers (networking simultaneously with Windows 98).

I have to understand your current setup (and also what you want to achieve).

1. You now boot to a DOS, then either run (say) win.com and load 3.11 or (still say) win98.com and load Windows 98?

2. And you want to (once in one of the two windows) go back to the DOS prompt and from it load the one (or the other ) windows without rebooting?

How (exactly) are these two windows setups made (which volume partitions they are on, which paths do they use, etc. 

The traditional (generic) hack is to rename one of the two files to (say) IFSHLR.SYS and hexedit all the calls to it in the corresponding system. (this might either work brilliantly or fail miserably, no way to know in advance).

BUT if the requirement is to not go through the BIOS, you can use a DOS external program to switch between two separate installs, grub4dos contains grub.exe (which works as a pure DOS program) that allows to boot *whatever* and *any which way you can*.

jaclaz

 

yes, it is teoretically POSSIBLE.

0) you must have patched IO.SYS and/or IFSHLP (but i can not remember what exactly patch need here...);
1) you must dynamically load/unload properly version IFSHLP and/or network drivers by DEVLOAD.COM;
2) you must use my ACPIOFF patch for win98 and boot to Command Prompt mode only, not direct to GUI;
3) for solve 2) usb handoff issue after win98 exit, you must use true PS2 kbd and mouse.