# Win3.1 Boot Floppy ????



## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

Is there such a thing as a Win3.1 boot floppy ???

I have checked several sites, and they seem to go from Win95 back to DOS.

Can anyone post a link where I can download a Win3.1 floppy ??


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## brushmaster1 (Jun 15, 2002)

Win 3.1 *is* DOS!

Seriously, *any* boot floppy should boot a machine with Win 3.1 on it. If you need CDROM support, use a Win 98 boot disk.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

brushmaster1,

Thanks for response.

My Win98SE boot floppy keeps bring up "wrong version" messages ???


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

What are you trying to do? You basically need a full version of DOS installed to run Win 3.1 ontop of it.


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## brushmaster1 (Jun 15, 2002)

If you are trying to transfer system files, you will need a disk with the files to match *your version* of DOS. If you don't know what version of DOS you have, boot with any boot disk (Win 98 should work for this}. At the *A:\>* prompt, type *C:* and hit "Enter". Then, at the *C:\>* prompt, type *VER* and hit enter.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

Thanks for responses.

I put my Compaq CDS 524 [66MHz CPU & 16 MB RAM] back in the closet, my Linux distros [Ubuntu & Knoppix] just won't load/run on it.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

Old Bob said:


> Thanks for responses.
> 
> my Linux distros [Ubuntu & Knoppix] just won't load/run on it.


What does this have to do with your thread title?

If you want to run linux on that machine, try finding an older version of Linux or try running DSL (Damn Small Linux) or Puppy Linux.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

Squashman,

I can't even get the Compaq to "look at" the CD drive on boot up. I have heard that this is a "problem" specific to "old" Compaq's CD drives.

But it's why I was looking for boot floppy.


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## brushmaster1 (Jun 15, 2002)

If you use a Win 98 boot disk and select "With CDROM Support", you should be able to access the CD...


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

Where did you get your boot floppy from? Did you get it from bootdisk.com?

Your other option, if you want to install linux on there, is to make a linux boot floppy to install linux on there. There is probably a utility on the Linux cd to do that. That is how I installed my first linux distro. My cd drive wasn't bootable so I had to create the boot floppy first from the cd first. Red Hat 5 back then on a Pentium 200. Those were the days.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

Squashman,

Dumb luck strikes AGAIN !!!

Lately I have been using a "customized" boot floppy.
I system formated a floppy then just copied the files I REALLY needed.
Fdisk - Format - Scandisk - Xcopy - "And a couple more I couldn't remember"

SO, I put the boot floppy in the drive, just to review the directory.
SURPRISE !!!! AntiVir popped up with the message -
"The boot sector of this drive contains the Monkey Virus" 

It looks like I have to make a "new" boot floppy and the "old" one becomes a coaster.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

yeah, I once had the Stoned Spirit virus get on a couple of my Boot Floppies. Reformatting them seemed to get rid of the virus.


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## Old Bob (Dec 18, 2004)

Squashman,

I suspect I picked up that Monkey virus from the Compaq machine, I seem to recall the Monkey virus many years ago when i was using the Compaq.
Meanwhile, the Compaq is back in the bottom of the closet. On the next "slow & snowy" day I may drag it out and try and clean it using my anti-vrus CDs.

I have about "half-a-dozen" boot floppies [some I made directly from Win98SE itself] and the thought occured to "check them". 
Guess what !! I found another with the Monkey virus.

FYI: I have heard that the WinME boot floppy is actually "better" than the Win98SE. Very "similar" but with more features.


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## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

Old Bob said:


> FYI: I have heard that the WinME boot floppy is actually "better" than the Win98SE. Very "similar" but with more features.


Just get your boot floppies from http://www.bootdisk.com


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