This is a newly developed FAQ for Windows 3.1 that is designed to focus on today's Windows 3.1 issues. Over the past few years, the landscape has changed significantly. Today, most Windows 3.1 machines are older "hand-me-downs", but they still have life left in them. If you have an older 3.1 machine that you are trying to get onto the Internet, this FAQ is for you!
This FAQ is sponsored by Logical Sky Corporation and Callisto Systems, Inc.
If you are running Windows 3.1, please take the time to download the free demo of the TaskTool. The TaskTool provides a Windows 95 style taskbar and start menu for Windows 3.1. TaskTool is an easy way to update older Windows 3.1 machines with a more modern user interface.
Please Note: We have recently reduced the price of TaskTool to just $9.95. Download the free trial and give it a try!
If you have a new submission or correction for the Windows 3.1 FAQ please send mail to: support@LogicalSky.com
The latest version of this FAQ can be obtained from http://www.LogicalSky.com
1.2. How do I change the display to show 256 or more colors?
1.3. My hard-drive seems to be running slowly. Can I defragment it?
1.4. Is it possible to have Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 installed on the same machine?
1.6. I have an IBM PS/2, and I am having problems configuring it to run Windows. Is help available?
1.7. Does Microsoft still offer technical support for Windows 3.1?
1.12. What's the difference between Windows 3.1 and Windows 3.11? What about Windows for Workgroups?
1.13. How can I connect two Win3x machines with a parallel or serial null modem cable?
2.2. Is it possible to run 32 bit programs on Windows 3.1?
2.3. Can I run Microsoft Office 95 or later on Windows 3.1?
2.4. Should I upgrade to Windows 95?
2.5. Can I run Win3x and Win9x on the same machine?
3.1. How can I connect a Windows 3.1 machine to the Internet?
3.2. Are there other ways to connect to the Internet besides Internet Explorer?
3.3. I'm having problems getting the modem to work...
3.4. Can I use a high-performance modem with my older machine?
5.1. I'm having problems starting Windows and I have no idea what's causing them. What can I do?
5.2. I'm having sound problems. What can I do?
5.3. How can I break out of a Windows 3.x boot into DOS?
6.1. Are there any restrictions on the number of files in a DOS/Win3.x directory?
6.2. Can you point me to some good miscellaneous KB articles?
6.4. How can I restore a Program Manager group (.grp) file?
6.5. How can I find out the UNC pathname for a mapped drive in WFWG?
7.1. Can you tell me everything I want to know about batch files?
7.2. I want to do some hacking using the DEBUG command. Can you help me?
1.1. Where can I get Windows 3.1 installation disks?
Windows 3.1 is still copyrighted by Microsoft. Some people believe that it might be freely available since it is so old. This is not true. It may be possible to find a copy that can be downloaded for free, but this is illegal software piracy.
If you need a set of installation disks, we recommend purchasing a used copy from a legitimate source. Windows 3.1 disks are generally available on www.eBay.com in the $10 to $20 range. Windows 3.1 can also be purchased from http://www.recycledsoftware.com
When shopping for Windows 3.1 installation disks, be careful to purchase the correct type of media for your machine: 3.5" floppy, 5.25" floppy or CD-ROM.
1.2. How do I change the display to show 256 or more colors?
Open the Main group, look for the setup icon and double click on it. Next select the change system setting from the dropdown list and set the display driver to Super VGA - 256 colors. Depending on what type of graphics card you own, you may be able to display more colors. Contact your graphics card vendor for the latest drivers.
DOS 6.0 and later comes with a DOS utility called DEFRAG. You can run it from the DOS command-line before starting Windows 3.1.
Yes, as long as they are in separate directories. Also, Windows 3.1 is not compatible with the FAT32 file system that is used on some Windows 95 OSR2 systems.
1.5. Is Windows 3.1 ready for the Year 2000 (Y2K)?
According to Microsoft, Windows 3.1 is "Compliant with minor issues". Problems exist with tracking file dates beyond the year 2000. An updated version of File Manager is available from: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q85/5/57.asp
Other Windows 3.1 Y2K information can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/user_view67784EN.htm
1.6. I have an IBM PS/2, and I am having problems configuring it to run Windows. Is help available?
The PS/2 FAQ is available from: http://members.tripod.com/~ps2page/
Help is also available from the Usenet news group: comp.sys.ibm.ps2.hardware
1.7. Does Microsoft still offer technical support for Windows 3.1?
Yes, a great deal of Windows 3.1 tech support information is available online from the Microsoft's tech support site: http://support.microsoft.com/support/search
A simple Peer to Peer network will do:
1) Install network cards in both machines
2) Link them together (a simple ethernet with BNC would probably be easiest)
3) Install a protocol via Windows setup (run "winsetup /z"). TCP/IP is most
popular nowadays, but for just two machines, you're probably better off with
Netbeui, as it's faster and needs less setting up.
4) Make sure you click on "sharing" in the above setup, and then check both
boxes.
5) To share a directory, go into File Manager, click on the directory, then
go to "Disk" and "Sharing"
6) To share a printer, go into Print Manager, click on the printer, then go
"Printer" and "Sharing".
Use a program called 'Interlnk' (comes with Windows) to connect your two machines with a parallel/serial cable, or use a Zip program that can span floppies. Move the entire contents of the Win3.x cd-rom onto the new machines' hard disk, and then install Windows from that directory. Once you are done, you can delete the directory.
1.10. How do I make an MS-DOS bootable floppy?
Place a blank formatted disk in the A: drive. Then from the DOS prompt of your boot hard drive type 'SYS A:\'. This will place the DOS system files and command file onto the floppy. Note that this will not copy any DOS system configuration or memory management programs. You will need to copy those over to the floppy as well if you need them (fdisk, format, etc.)
Sometimes this happens. Just try inserting other Windows install disks, usually near the disk number that was requested (so if Windows asks for disk 9, insert disk 8 and disk 10 as well). Keep trying and you will get it.
1.12. What's the difference between Windows 3.1 and Windows 3.11? What about Windows for Workgroups?
You can get more information on the Windows revision history here:
Windows Version History - Q32905
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q32/9/05.asp
Windows for Workgroups Version History - Q126746
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q126/7/46.asp
This is what it lists as changes for 3.11:
- Certificate of Authenticity
- More sophisticated hologram and an MS (3M) sticker on box
- An 800 number to call (in the United States & Canada) and check for product legitimacy
- Updated drivers
- Five updated core files
- NetWare support files (from Novell)
1.13. How can I connect two Win3x machines with a parallel or serial null modem cable?
You can do this using the DOS Interlnk/Intersvr programs. Look in the DOS help file, or refer to these links for more info:
http://kime.net/directcc/directcc31.htm
2.1. Is there a way to get the Windows 95 user interface?
This one is a shameless plug for the sponsors of the Windows 3.1 FAQ! Download the TaskTool from http://www.LogicalSky.com The TaskTool is a Windows 95 style Taskbar and Start menu for Windows 3.1
2.2. Is it possible to run 32 bit programs on Windows 3.1?
Microsoft created an add-on for called Win32S that allows some (but not all) 32 bit programs to run on Windows 3.1. You can download it from:
ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/softlib/mslfiles/pw1118.exe
2.3. Can I run Microsoft Office 95 or later on Windows 3.1?
No. The newer versions of Microsoft Office can only be used on Windows 95 or later. The last 16-bit version of Office is MS Office v4.2 or v4.3 (these are both exactly the same release, containing Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, etc.; but v4.3 is the so-called "Professional Edition" which also includes Access v2.0). Both are floating around on the used market for $20-35.
2.4. Should I upgrade to Windows 95?
Windows 95 has numerous advantages over 3.1. However, you should only consider upgrading if you meet the minimum practical hardware requirements:
486-33 MHz
16 MB of memory
400 MB of disk space
Lesser configurations will work with Windows 95, but the overall performance will be frustrating. If you have an older machine, it is probably wiser to stick with Windows 3.1.
2.5. Can I run Win3x and Win9x on the same machine?
Sure, but remember several things. First, install Win9x, don't upgrade your existing Win3x setup. Second, you need to install Win9x into a directory other than C:\Windows. If you do this, you should get a dual boot screen at startup so you can choose which OS to run.
3.1. How can I connect a Windows 3.1 machine to the Internet?
Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 3.1 includes software for connecting to a dialup Internet provider. You can download it from: TUCOWS
3.2. Are there other ways to connect to the Internet besides Internet Explorer?
Another possible option is Trumpet Winsock and Netscape. You can download the 16 bit version of Trumpet from: http://www.trumpet.com
Version 4.08 of the Netscape web browser is available from: http://www.netscape.com
Other light weight alternatives include:
Opera Web Browser: http://www.operasoftware.com
Eudora E-Mail Reader: http://www.eudora.com
Free Agent News Reader: http://www.forteinc.com/agent/freagent.htm
3.3. I'm having problems getting the modem to work...
Modemsite.com has a wide-range of tech support resources for modems.
3.4. Can I use a high-performance modem with my older machine?
Older machines may have problems connecting at baud rates higher than 9600. In order to use 14,400 and higher, you will need to have a serial port that uses a 16550 UART. Many machines were originally shipped with the high performance serial ports installed. If you do not have the newer chip, serial port upgrade cards are available. But, the easiest alternative is to use an internal modem instead. Internal modems bypass the serial ports.
You can use a tool called "MoZock", which is a winsock.dll replacement. Put this file in the Netscape install directory. Then, if you start Netscape while you are offline, Netscape will use this version of the winsock.dll and start correctly (allowing you to browse offline). When you want to go online, you can start Trumpet, etc. which will load the original winsock.dll from the Windows directory, and then you can browse online. Mozock.dll is available from Netscape's FTP site: ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/unsupported/windows/
4.1. Is shareware still available for Windows 3.1?
Yes, many older shareware packages are still available. A small number of products are still being developed for Windows 3.1.
The easiest way to find Windows 3.1 shareware is to search the popular file archives:
There are other Win3x specific sites:
http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/sw-updates/win31.html
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/
http://filedudes.siol.net/win3xx/index.html
http://www.completelyfreesoftware.com/index_all.html
5.1. I'm having problems starting Windows and I have no idea what's causing them. What can I do?
Try starting with a 'clean' boot. Follow the instructions in the following articles to clean the system:
What Is a Clean Boot for Windows 3.1? - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q87/2/90.asp
What Is a Clean Boot for Windows for Workgroups? - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q90/5/11.asp
Then edit your 'win.ini' file and remove or comment out (';') any 'Load=' or 'Run=' lines.
Finally, start Windows from the DOS prompt and hold down the Shift key during startup to disable loading any programs in the Windows Startup group.
This should result in a 'clean' boot. See if you still have the problem at this point.
You can also create a log file at boot by invoking Windows with the 'win /b' command.
5.2. I'm having sound problems. What can I do?
Check out the following MS Knowledge Base articles:
Troubleshooting Media Player MIDI Sound Problems - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q84/7/52.asp
Windows for Workgroups: Avoiding Hardware Conflicts - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q99/8/59.asp
How to Troubleshoot Hardware Conflicts - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q90/2/45.asp
Sound Continues After Exiting Windows with Sound Blaster - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q89/8/69.asp
Removing Unnecessary Sound Drivers in Windows 3.1 - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q85/6/59.asp
SYSTEM.INI Settings for Multimedia Windows - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q76/8/16.asp
5.3. How can I break out of a Windows 3.x boot into DOS?
If you press the F8 key during the message "MS-DOS is started..." is displayed, you are switched in the step-by-step boot process and are able to suppress the Windows start.
Program Manager has a limitation on the number of groups that you can create. You are also limited to 40 Program Items per group. Remove a group/item, and try again. The install should work successfully.
Look in the [windows] section of your 'win.ini' file. There are two places where the program could be invoked - the 'Load=' line or the 'Run=' line. Remove the offending program's name from the line and it will no longer start automatically. Be careful not to remove any other programs that may be on this line, or Windows may no longer function correctly.
6.1. Are there any restrictions on the number of files in a DOS/Win3.x directory?
The only restriction is the root directory of a drive. There can be at most 512 files in the root directory (see Q87273 in the MS KnowledgeBase). Also keep in mind that file access slows down progressively as you get more files in a directory.
6.2. Can you point me to some good miscellaneous KB articles?
Top Questions and Answers for Windows 3.1 - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q85/1/94.asp
List of Hardware Devices and Common I/O Base Address Conflicts - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q111/0/19.asp
Yes, a free viewer is available from Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q180/0/56.ASP
6.4. How can I restore a Program Manager group (.grp) file?
See the following MS KnowledgeBase article:
Windows Err Msg: Group File
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q81/2/14.asp
6.5. How can I find out the UNC pathname for a mapped drive in WFWG?
In a DOS box, use the 'truename [drive:]' command.
7.1. Can you tell me everything I want to know about batch files?
No. But check out these sites:
http://gearbox.maem.umr.edu/~batch/index.htm
http://gatsby.tafe.tas.edu.au/batch/
7.2. I want to do some hacking using the DEBUG command. Can you help me?
Check out:
http://www.datainstitute.com/debug1.htm
http://www.computerhope.com/debughlp.htm
The Windows 3.1 FAQ is sponsored by Logical Sky Corporation and Callisto Systems, Inc.
If you are running Windows 3.1, please take the time to download the free demo of the TaskTool. The TaskTool provides a Windows 95 style taskbar and start menu for Windows 3.1. TaskTool is an easy way to update older Windows 3.1 machines with a more modern user interface.
Please Note: We have recently reduced the price of TaskTool to just $9.95. Download the free trial and give it a try!
If you have a new submission or correction for the Windows 3.1 FAQ please send mail to: support@LogicalSky.com
The latest version of this FAQ can be obtained from http://www.LogicalSky.com
