Virtual PC 2007

I'm trying to set up a virtual machine. To get to the gist of my current problems, start with gerryf19's post. To get the whole story, start below.

Since this is now what my main problems are with, I decided to start a new thread on it. Right now I'm trying to install DOS 6.22 onto a virtual machine under Virtual PC 2007. Following this guide I've created a virtual floppy drive and virtual floppy disk on my real Windows Vista, and have copied the files from my Real MS-DOS Floppy Disk One to the Virtual Floppy Disk on the Virtual Floppy Drive via a flash drive (new Inspirons don't have real floppy drives).

But Virtual PC 2007 still isn't starting up the OS installation. It goes through the diagnostics, then I get this screen for a short time:



and then it displays this:



I've selected "Control Physical Disk A:\" under the Floppy menu of my Windows 98 Virtual PC, so I'm not sure why it isn't working. The Help file, some of which is in the screenshot, always mentions using a CD to install the OS, which in the case of DOS does not apply (it does say DOS can be installed to the virtual machine). I can't seem to get it to boot off the copy of the original Real MS-DOS Floppy from the Physical Floppy Drive I created that is actually a Virtual Floppy Drive.

So...

1. Does MS-DOS not install when the diskette is inserted and computer started? In other words, are the DOS 6.22 diskettes non-system disks? If so, how am I going to get an OS installed?
**I've got this working now - I think.

2. Can someone show me how to use the Virtual Disk Wizard within Virtual PC 2007 to create a Virtual Floppy Disk that has files on it (right now I can only create blank Virtual Floppy Disks from the wizard, which doesn't help)
**Found another program that solved this.

3. Should the Physical Drive A: that is Virtual be working? It seems like it should work, but isn't working .
**Seems to work from both host and guest OS (or lack of OS in the guest case...)

I also get a few of these...



Anyone able to help setting up the Virtual Machine?

edit:

Made a bit more progress. From Windows Explorer I formatted A:\ (the Virtual Floppy Drive on my Inspiron) as an MS-DOS startup disk, and it's now recognized as a system disk. However, it's rather Spartan and I still can't get it to install DOS or Windows to its Virtual Hard Drive (3 GB). In fact, I can't even change to C:\. Here's what I've got now:



Don't know why ver is giving me Windows ME. If it really was Windows ME I'd be set!

 

Did you create a partition on the virtual disk?

Did you format the virtual disk?

After that, just run
sys c:
from the
a:\>

Reboot, and you will be sitting pretty at a c:\

You will need to create your own autoexec and config.sys files, tho

 

I don't believe I did create a partition on the virtual disk or format the virtual disk (hard disk that is). Right now the whole thing is in the .vhd (Virtual Hard Drive) format, but I'm guessing I need the FAT format?

How do I format it to FAT? The Virtual Disk Wizard only lets me change it between a fixed-sized and dynamically expanding disk (right now it is fixed-size). I also tried fdisk and format from my (still uninstalled) DOS disk one, but that gave me an "Incorrect MS-DOS version" error.

Typing sys c: isn't working, probably due to the lack of a FAT format (or maybe a partition).

I also haven't created autoexec.bat and config.sys files, though formatting A:\ as an MS-DOS statup disk created those on the disk.

So...when run setup.exe from the DOS disk, I get this:



Which is fine, except that it goes right back to A:\ after I hit Ctrl+Alt+Del.

I also tried copying my Windows 3.11 files to the virtual floppy, and though I had to leave off a couple files to get it to fit with a command.com file, thanks to that command.com I was able to start setup. However, it couldn't reach drive C:\



I'm suspecting this has something to do with the format/partition/sys c:, too. It seems like I'm in a bit of a Catch-22. Even using images of my OS/2 boot disks wouldn't help if it can't reach C:\.

Sorry I'm so clueless about all this, I've never tried to create a virtual machine before.

 

I am just not clear what is going on here....I cannot follow you

When it says hit CTRL-ALT-DEL, are you actually hitting CTRL-ALT-DEL on your keyboard, or are you sending the CTRL ALT DEL command to teh Virtual PC?

Go to ACTION > CTRL+ALT+DEL from the top menu

Let's back up....rather than doing what I menitioned earlier, which was with an old dos boot disk, I actually dug up some dos 6.22 install disks (who'd have guessed I still had them?) and made some images.

It is easiest and fasted to work with virtual disk images (At least it was for me)...I created some disk images and then setting up dos.622 in literally 2 minutes using the setup disks images. I'm sure you can achieve same results by capturing the physical device.

I created a virtual machine and called it DOS, and followed the wizard and accepted all default settings.

I started the machine and went to FLOPPY > CAPTURE FLOPPY IMAGE and navigated to my disk1 image...if you miss the part where the virtual machine starts from the floppy disk, just hit ACTION > RESET (to reboot the machine)

Now the pc will start from the virtual image and start the dos 6.22 setup...it will setup a partition and then ask to format. then install dos. (it will ask you to swap disks--if using physical drive, swap the disk, if using the vitual images, just go to FLOPPY > CAPTURE FLOPPY IMAGE)

 

I gave up on Virtual PC & 2007 sucks just as well ....... just use VMWare.

 

The real problem is, when I insert the MS-DOS Setup Floppy #1, I get a Non-System Disk or Disk Error message. I can get it to boot to an A:\ prompt with the MS-DOS boot disk that Vista creates, but I can't get it to install off of my MS-DOS Setup Disks - because it won't boot to them. This happened when I tried using disk images, as well.

If I could get it to boot up from the setup disks, I think everything would work OK, but it will not start up to Setup Disk One. Could I be missing a crucial file? I noticed that there's no command.com on Setup Disk One.

 

I love "cus it sucks" arguments.

Each has its uses. For example, Virtual PC 2007 is just fine and works better than the free version of VMware in some ways (sound support for old Dos games) but worse in others (big drawback, no snapshots)

 

Apollo

I have no idea what you are doing wrong. First, check your PMs, then come back here.

Start Virtual PC

Click NEW
Choose NEXT
Choose to CREATE A VIRTUAL MACHINE
Choose NEXT
Name it dos622
choose next
choose next
choose next
Choose A NEW VIRTUAL HARDDISK
Choose NEXT
Choose NEXT
Choose NEXT
Choose FINISH
Select the dos622 virtual machine in the console and choose START
Let it do its thing and select FLOPPY from the file menu and then choose CAPTURE FLOPPY DISK IMAGE, choose msd6221d1.ima
Choose ACTION from the file menu and select CTRL-ALT-DEL
The virtual machine will reboot
and you will find yourself at a setup screen
Hit the ENTER key
Choose CONFIGURE UNALLOCATED SPACE and hit ENTER
Press ENTER again, and the virtual machine will restart
the virtual machine will format a partition for you. When it asks you if the date time info is correct, hit ENTER KEY
Accept c:\dos as the default location
hit ENTER KEY
Let it do its thing until it asks for a new disk
Select FLOPPY from the file menu and then choose CAPTURE FLOPPY DISK IMAGE, choose msd6221d2.ima
hit the ENTER key
Let it do its thing until it asks for a new disk
Select FLOPPY from the file menu and then choose CAPTURE FLOPPY DISK IMAGE, choose msd6221d3.ima
hit the ENTER key
When it complete copying files, hit FLOPPY then choose RELEASE msd6221d3.ima image
Hit the enter key, then hit the enter key

You should be looking at a c:\> prompt