Troubleshoot Virtual Machine Issues with Windows 98 and ME install

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snopdog666

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Thread author
Oct 5, 2015
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boise idaho
Information about the problem:
VMware and VirtualBox do not detect the Retail (Full) isos at startup, and go to network boot
After trying a Windows 98 Boot Floppy, It gives me this error message:
VM_Problems.png

After using FDISK to try to resolve the previous, it just crashes trying to open the Windows 98/ME Setup, same with /is at the end (Skip Scandisk)
If this matters, I store my virtual machines on an external hard drive.

Another thing is I recently tried to install Mac (Hack) OS X on VMware and VirtualBox, and that probably has something to do with it.
-----------------------------------
My Machine (If necessary)
OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601
Other OS Description Not Available
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard
System Model HP EliteBook 8440p
System Type x64-based PC
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU M 640 @ 2.80GHz, 2800 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
BIOS Version/Date Hewlett-Packard 68CCU Ver. F.60, 11/11/2015
SMBIOS Version 2.6
Windows Directory C:\Windows
System Directory C:\Windows\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7601.17514"
Time Zone Mountain Daylight Time
Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 3.86 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.48 GB
Total Virtual Memory 7.71 GB
Available Virtual Memory 5.02 GB
Page File Space 3.86 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys
 
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askmark said:
Have you checked out this guide?
virtualbox.org • View topic - Windows 98SE step by step
Looks like a lot of hoops to go through to get an ancient OS into a VM.
Click to expand...
I'll definitely try it, but a few things,
1. This seems to only be for 98 SE, while I have the problem on 98/ME, maybe the change works on both, I'll check
2. As you stated, this seems ultra complicated for this. Considering it's worked in the past without doing this, I'm definitely suspicious that I broke my VM programs or something trying to install Mac OS X
3. VMware? Totally not your fault that the fix is VirtualBox only, just I prefer VMware.
Thanks for the help though! :)
-Update- Read through the guide, seems weird. The setup is supposed to have a BSOD? That's never happened before. I don't think that sounds right, but whatever.
 
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askmark said:
Have you updated Vmware or virtual box since you successfully vm'd 98? Maybe 98 is no longer supported.
Click to expand...
VirtualBox, I installed recently (~1 month or so), so it was already pretty updated, but I haven't installed the latest update. And VMware, oh god VMware, I tried to update it, but it gave me an error and uninstalled itself. I reinstalled the version that worked (After going through a bunch of google searches on how to fix the error) and have not updated it since.
 
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snopdog666 said:
VirtualBox, I installed recently (~1 month or so), so it was already pretty updated, but I haven't installed the latest update. And VMware, oh god VMware, I tried to update it, but it gave me an error and uninstalled itself. I reinstalled the version that worked (After going through a bunch of google searches on how to fix the error) and have not updated it since.
Click to expand...
So both products are on the same version as worked before?
In that case something else must be different. Have you made any hardware changes?
When you create the VM are you using the same memory and disk sizes as before?

Update:
I forgot to ask, why do you think installing mac OSX in a VM could be to blame?
 
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askmark said:
So both products are on the same version as worked before?
In that case something else must be different. Have you made any hardware changes?
When you create the VM are you using the same memory and disk sizes as before?
Click to expand...
Yes, the same version. For hardware changes, none, except a new mouse. Yes, the same memory and disk sizes.
 
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askmark said:
So both products are on the same version as worked before?
In that case something else must be different. Have you made any hardware changes?
When you create the VM are you using the same memory and disk sizes as before?

Update:
I forgot to ask, why do you think installing mac OSX in a VM could be to blame?
Click to expand...
I think it would be to blame, because I messed with my virtual machine settings, AND that's when this started to happen
 
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askmark said:
Can you please elaborate on what you mean by messed with the settings. What settings specifically?
Click to expand...
I know I messed with my BIOS (which is why I mentioned I reset to factory settings), and for VM settings, only big thing is that I enabled Intel VT-X/EPT, and that's for 1 machine. And in VirtualBox, didn't mess with anything really. I remember having troubles installing it and gave up.
 
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snopdog666 said:
I know I messed with my BIOS (which is why I mentioned I reset to factory settings), and for VM settings, only big thing is that I enabled Intel VT-X/EPT, and that's for 1 machine. And in VirtualBox, didn't mess with anything really. I remember having troubles installing it and gave up.
Click to expand...
In that case what are the virtualization options in your bios and what are they set to?

The win98 vm. Is the cpu configured for binary translation or VT? Binary would be better for 98 as it compensates for your high clock speed.
 
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There are so many cases that users suffered troubles to execute Windows 98.

The thing here is check your boot priority in VM and disable hardware acceleration.
 
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jamescv7 said:
There are so many cases that users suffered troubles to execute Windows 98.

The thing here is check your boot priority in VM and disable hardware acceleration.
Click to expand...
Boot priority is fine, 'disabling acceleration for binary translation' had the surprising effect of making the Windows 98 floppy crash on selecting 'Start with CD-ROM support'
 
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Hello,
I also have Win7 64bit OS.
A month back I was able to install Win98SE in VMWare Player v3.1.2

I didn't set anything at all. Just let VMWare Player install the virtual WIn98 OS for me.
 
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I've come into this issue before and if I remember it was because I was giving the virtual machine for Windows 98 to much ram as 98 can only support a certain amount, not to sure but.
 
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