Virtualizing Windows 98 for Emulation

Installing and Configuring Windows 98 Virtually

Requirements:

1. A Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux system
2. VirtualBox installed
3. Windows 98 disk image and license key

Preparation

• Install VirtualBox

In VirtualBox, the goal is to create a new virtual machine on the "Host" system, the computer on which you are reading this.

Then, the goal is to install an operating system on that virtual hardware, in this case, Windows 98.

• Open VirtualBox and select "New" or press the shortcut "CTRL + N" to create a new virtual machine.

• For name, enter "Windows 98" and press "Next".
• The "Machine Folder" indicates where the virtual machine will be stored on your computer; you can change this, but make sure there is at least 10GB of space.
• In the next screen, you can set the memory size (RAM) for the virtual machine. It's important for Windows 98 to select no more than 741MB. Click "Next". If the virtual machine proves to be unstable, reduce the virtual RAM memory to 512MB or less.
• On the next screen, leave the selection on "Create a virtual hard disk now", then click "Next".
• On the "Hard disk file type" screen, leave the selection on "VDI (Virtualbox Disk Image)", click "Next".
• The next menu "Storage on physical hard disk" allows you to choose the type of virtual disk; select "Dynamically allocated" and click "Next".
• The size of the virtual hard disk is important, select a size of 6.20GB, click "Create". Depending on the number of byte sectors on the physical hard disk of the "host" computer, it's possible that 6.20GB will give an error when starting the virtual machine. In that case, move the slider to 6GB or lower. In 1989, hard disks of about 15GB were the maximum; keep in mind that Windows 98 may not work with larger hard disks.
• The virtual computer is created; in the VirtualBox sidebar, "Windows 98 Powered Off" now appears. Select the newly created virtual machine and click "Settings".
• In the left menu, select "System" and under the "Acceleration" menu, disable the option "Enable Nested Paging".
• In the sidebar under "System", select "Display" and check "Enable 2D Video Acceleration".
• Still under "Display", select "Storage", click on the disk icon titled "Empty", then again on the disk icon next to the "drop down menu" where it says "IDE Secondary Master" (see image 02).

In that selection menu, select "Choose a virtual optical disk file". Navigate to where the Windows 98 disk image is stored on the host computer, select it, and click "Open".

• In the "Network" menu, make sure "Enable Network Adapter" is checked and the option next to "Attached to:" is set to "NAT".
• In the "USB" menu, check "Enable USB Controller" and select the "USB 1.1 (OHCI) Controller" option. Then click "OK". The settings menu should close, and normally only the main window of VirtualBox is visible.

Preparing Windows 98 Installation

Before starting the virtual machine, note that the mouse/cursor and keyboard of the "Host" computer will no longer be usable outside the virtual machine screen. Use the right CTRL key to release the mouse and keyboard from the screen where the virtual Windows 98 is running.

• Click the green arrow button, "Start", the virtual machine will now start in a new window.
• Use the arrow keys and select the option "Boot from CD-ROM" and press the ENTER key to confirm.

• In the "Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu", select the first option "Start Windows 98 Setup from CD-ROM." in the menu. Type "1" and press ENTER.

• Setup continues until a blue screen, simply press ENTER again here.
• The installation detects the (virtual) hard disk in the next screen, select "Configure unallocated disk space (recommended)." with the arrow keys and confirm with the ENTER key.
• The next screen confirms that the (virtual) hard disk is larger than 512MB, select "Yes, enable large disk support" and press ENTER, see image 05.

• The Windows 98 setup will state that the (virtual) computer will restart and that a boot disk should be in drive A. This is not necessary in this case.
• After rebooting, select "Boot from CD-ROM" again and press ENTER.
• In the next screen, choose option 2 or 3, use the arrow keys for selection and ENTER to confirm.
• DOS prompt starts with "A:\>" on the screen, type the command "fdisk" and press ENTER, the fdisk program should start.
• fdisk will ask to "enable large disk support", press the "y" key, followed by ENTER.
• Next, fdisk will warn at the bottom of the screen that there is no active partition selected, select "Set active partition" with the "2" key, confirm with ENTER.

• In the next menu, simply type "1", as only one partition needs to be activated, press ENTER, and then ESC to continue.
• Now press ESC twice to exit the FDISK menu.
• Back in the DOS prompt, you should now only see "A:\>" and a blinking cursor. It's time to restart the virtual machine.
• Go to the menu at the top of the screen and select "Input -> Keyboard -> Insert Ctrl-Alt-Del Host+Del" to initiate a restart.

Installing Windows 98

There is now an active primary partition that setup can format to install Windows 98.

• After rebooting, choose the option "Boot from CD-ROM" with the arrow keys and press ENTER to confirm.
• Again choose "Start Windows 98 Setup from CD-ROM" followed by ENTER.
• Setup will now format the primary partition.

• After formatting, setup will ask for confirmation, press ENTER to continue.
• Scandisk will run a routine check on the hard disk and start the graphical setup of Windows 98.
• The mouse is now usable, click "Continue" to proceed (image 08).

  

• In the "Select Directory" menu, leave the selection on "C:\WINDOWS" and click "Next"
• The next screen lets you choose the installation type. Select "Custom" and click "Next". In the list, select "System Tools" and click "Details". Then check all system tools and click "OK", then "Next" (see image 9).

• In the "Identification" menu, you can change the computer name under "Computer name:". The default name for "Workgroup" should be "WORKGROUP", only change this field if it does not say "WORKGROUP". Click "Next" to save and continue.
• In the next menu, the location of the computer must be chosen. Select the keyboard layout of the host, click "Next" and then select the location of the host computer. In this case, "Belgium (Dutch)".
• The next menu "Start Copying files" states it's ready, just click "Next" and the file copying will begin. This process will take some time, so grab a coffee.
• Once copying is done, there will be a message that the (virtual) computer will restart, let the timer run out or choose "Restart".
• Back in the startup menu, let the timer run out or choose to boot from the hard disk "Boot from Hard Disk" (From now on, always choose this option at every reboot or the whole setup will start over).
• After startup, more information will be requested; enter a name and optionally a company name. Then click "Next".
• Accept the license agreement, then "Next".
• In the next menu, a license key must be entered, usually found on the installation disk or in the documentation with the installation medium.
• Click "Finish", setup will continue detecting hardware, followed by another reboot of the (virtual) computer.
• If setup does not continue and gets stuck on a black screen with a blinking cursor, a reset may help. In the menu bar at the top, select "Machine -> Reset Host+R", in the startup selection menu choose the "Boot from Hard Disk" option.
• Setup continues and requires date and time settings; set the date, time, and time zone, and click "OK".
• Setup will continue, followed by a reboot; again choose "Boot from Hard Disk". Windows 98 will start, and for the first time will ask for a workgroup password, which is not needed, click "Cancel". Windows 98 should now be ready to use.
• This is the moment to remove the installation disk image from the virtual disk drive. In the menu bar at the top, select "Devices -> Optical Drives -> Remove disk from virtual drive".
• From now on, the virtual machine will immediately boot Windows 98 to the desktop.