will windows3.11 work

[proudfeeling]

will windows3.11 work on a 386 i am not shaw how much stuff it has but i have intalled it before but it starts and the exits to dos with some message not enough memory or something like that.could u tell me what are the system requirments for the os and what the os requires

[Limerick]

Hi Proud,

A lot of water has gone under the proverbial bridge since I last used a 386. You may find this to be of use to you.

Happy computing!

Limerick

[Vernon Frazee]

The minimum client installation of Windows for Workgroups requires:

• 80286 microprocessor or better for version 3.1
• 80386sx microprocessor or better for version 3.11
• 2048 kilobytes (K) total memory for version 3.1
• 3 megabytes (MB) total memory for version 3.1 (2 MB with no network installed)
• 3 megabytes (MB) total memory for version 3.11 (4 MB is recommended)
• 6.2 MB of hard drive space (14.5 MB recommended)

Source, Microsoft KB: Minimum System Requirements for Windows for Workgroups

[davidgsmith]

Hello there,
Tell us exactly what the error message is. Did the installation of DOS and Windows go OK?
How much RAM does the computer have?
What did you do to the hard disk before you installed?
Let us know....
Good Luck,
Dave

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Windows Tips *** Help others less fortunate.

[D EARL C]

Proudfeeling, Basically, forget running 3.11 on the 386 and if it ever loaded, it would take forver to do any work. Try to find a copy of 3.0 which was designed to work with a 386 for the most part. It is buggy and prone to gpf's up the wahzoo but it will run. Win 3.1 & 3.11 will load with 4 meg ram but the swap file will be used causing the hard drive to work endlessly, slowing down everything you want to do. Most of the new apps won't run on the 386 either and many 16 bit apps will not work on the Pentiums with W 95 and newer. I use a 486 DX2 66 with WWG 3.11 all the time with the old 16 bit apps. Mainly, I do not want to buy new apps for the Pentuium machines when the old machine and apps are quite serviceable.

Originally posted by proudfeeling:
will windows3.11 work on a 386 i am not shaw how much stuff it has but i have intalled it before but it starts and the exits to dos with some message not enough memory or something like that.could u tell me what are the system requirments for the os and what the os requires

[Eeyore]

D EARL C, I disagree with you. Provided there is enough memory, Windows 3.1 and 3.11 work fine on a 386 machine. Obviously, the more memory the better (which is true of most platforms). I started with a Packard Bell 386sx with 2mb of RAM. It got along ok. When I upped its memory to 16mb, it flew. I stuck with Windows 3.1 forquite a while after I moved up to a P6166 machine. I dual Booted between 95a and 3.1 until 95 finally won me over.

proudfeeling, I suspect that you have a problem in the CONFIG.SYS file. You must have:
device=c:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
device=c:\DOS\EMM386.exe noems
dos=high,umb
at the very least. You can also have:
device=c:\DOS\EMM386.exe ram
instead if you have programs that need EMS memory.

There is an Exclusion that can be added to that line which may be needed for your Windows. I never became familiar with that function. Hopefully one of these guys know how to use it.

Go to Windows 3.1/3.11 for more information and troubleshooting. You of course have to have DOS working properly. See DOS Menu for more about that and Optimize for setting the memory.

Let us know if this helps.

(386 not 385)
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My

Dennis
Politalk

[This message has been edited by Eeyore (edited 12-30-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Eeyore (edited 12-30-2000).]

[Cliffh]

I'd recommend just one little change to the above Config.sys settings:

Instead of:

device=c:\DOS\EMM385.exe noems

Use:

device=c:\DOS\EMM386.exe noems

It's the little things that'll trip you up

[D EARL C]

Eeyore, the experience I had was with 3.1 and 3.11 was on the old Tandy (Radio Shack) 386sx machines. (I should have clarified that in the last post.) They were the pits and it is a blessing they are gone. They had 2 meg and the hard drive thrashed all the time. I know what MS says about system requirements but they tend to stretch things a bit. The P-166 I have is an example. It has 32 meg, has to use the swap file for anything it does, runs 98SE and is slooooow! Makes me think it is a Tandy. Parked it and now have a intel 733, 128 meg, and fast. Good to hear your experience was better than mine was with a 386. Computers are like women. They are all different and behave in strange ways.

[Eeyore]

Thanks Cliff! I was trying to practice conservation. I have a lot of trouble with 5 & 6 and n & m. It must be the keyboard. Maybe my glasses. Sure couldn't be me. On the second line of my post I did that. Went back to edit it and added more text and did it again.

D EARL C, I inheritied a Tandy 486x25. Radio Shack won't tell me a thing about it or the Monitor. Took the cover off the monitor and found it is a Goldstar. But haven't been able to identify what drivers to use with it to get 800x600 res.

Have a Packard Bell 486x75 with 8mb Ram. The 386 with 16mb RAM can beat it in many functions of both Windows 95 and Windows 3.1. Memory does make a difference.

------------------
My

Dennis
Politalk

[D EARL C]

Eeyore, memory makes a big difference. Actually, RS won't help you with much of anything. They sell stuff and that is about it. Your best bet on the drivers is to find some Tandy set up disks. I had access to some a while back but do not know whether I can get them now. Send me your e address to [email protected] and if I can locate the disks, I will notify you. It will take a week or two to find out if they are available.
Tandy used several different mobo's and several companies furnished their monitors. I had to maintain 9 of the monsters. Three of them had different configurations each and they were a nightmare to maintain. Had to have a different set of disks for each one. The remaining 6 used the same set up configs. All were 386sx25's.

[D EARL C]

Eeyore, I am gone for the night. Will check in tomorrow. Have a good one.