Windows 3.1 specification ceiling?

Does anyone know what the highest CPU, RAM and hard drive sizes that Windows 3.1 can use without crashing/not booting/not installing?

 

Probably easier to post specs and ask if they would work.

Some pointers...

Windows 3.x is not an operating system as such it's an addon, look at issues booting DOS 3.x+ for the target computer.

As above Win 3.x is limited to the FAT 16 filesystem which may not appear to be a big issue until you try to install

CPU should not (I repeat should not) be an issue but I would stick to pentium or previous to avoid problems.

Memory? You're looking at perhaps 32Mb (maybe more) but resources will run out well before your memory does.

A virtual system can be used for test installs but if you post specs it'll give us a better idea.

 

I don't have specs, it's just a general enquiry as one thing I'm toying with is buying a smaller secondary drive for the Win98 computer I will be buying/constructing around August time to run a few alternate operating systems on/be the boot disk (ie something like a 10 GB 15k SCSI disk), such as XP (definitely going on) and 3.1 (if we can find the diskettes). The likelyhood will be that this computer will have 512 MB of RAM (98 ceiling, of course), 2-3 GHz Pentium 4 or Athlon equivalent (probably the P4), and at least a 40-160 GB hard disk. But then I might spend any left-over cash on a Pentium 1 unit anyway.

EDIT: I'm aware of the addon-nature of Win3.1x, but is it at all possible to install it without some kind of DOS underlay, or must I install that first?

 

You need an OS (MS-DOS, FreeDOS, DR-DOS Novell DOS etc). before you install 3.1, that is essential. However, your other listed specs are pointing toward a why bother situation.

I'll get back to you later but seriously Win pre 95 is dead win pre XP is dying fast, why bother? Giving the specs you've offered a virtual machine would be your best bet.

 

The reasons are twofold: I need a Win98 computer at the very least, as I have 3D games that no virtual machine can handle (and have me understand it), and we don't have a floppy drive in any computer in the house at present, nor have we got anywhere to put one, other than buying a USB one.

 

Fair enough, but you will need that DOS underlay

Your specs are way too high for Windows 3.1, you talk GB HD, Win 3.1 understans MB HD.

First step with your box is to install a DOS, then Win 3.1 on top, then Win 9x.

I really doubt if you can get drivers for Win 3.x for your graphics/sound though (Soundblaster (creative labs) may be OK).

Anyway, install the earlier OS's first following the latest. Are you intending to include a linux flavour into the mix?

 

Unlikely, I've got a Linux flavour on this computer Not going to rule one out, however. And I'm all too aware of installing older OSes first, after the disasters I've had with XP installs eating Vista partitions The soundcard, well, I don't know what it would have, but the likelyhood is I'd stick a Creative jobby in from somewhere or other anyway (only soundcards I'll ever buy, such is the solidarity of mine over the years)