Homebrew Windows on the New 3DS

Pandaxclone2

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Okay, so I've managed to obtain a proper .img for this but now I'm stuck here on the loader here:

Launching Windows 98
Could not extract drive geometry from image.
Use parameter -size bys,spc,hpc,cyl to specify the geometry.
Opening Image file c:\W98.IMG
Booting from drive A...
_

And it's been hanging like that for awhile now. I gave it a quick search and it's unclear what this means. Anybody know?
 

Biovirulent

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Okay, so I've managed to obtain a proper .img for this but now I'm stuck here on the loader here:

Launching Windows 98
Could not extract drive geometry from image.
Use parameter -size bys,spc,hpc,cyl to specify the geometry.
Opening Image file c:\W98.IMG
Booting from drive A...
_

And it's been hanging like that for awhile now. I gave it a quick search and it's unclear what this means. Anybody know?

If it said "could not extract drive geometry from image" it's probably not a good image file or even the right image file at all.
 

Biovirulent

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Okay, some actual help and troubleshooting would be nice for this. I think I got the right disk img for 98, but I cannot choose to startup without CDROM support. I can only press enter for CDROM support.
 

Pandaxclone2

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If it said "could not extract drive geometry from image" it's probably not a good image file or even the right image file at all.

I figured out the problem in regards to that. I'm not quite sure as to how the .bat file works for each default windows .img but I do know that if you're using a custom-built image you created yourself through DOSBOX or similar then it gives off that message. It's asking for the size of the image being used.

To fix, first open ld9x.bat (x being either 5 or 8) with a text editor and replace the line "imgmount d c:\W9x.img" with "imgmount 2 c:\W9x.img -size bps,spc,hpc,cyl -t hdd -fs none", and then replace "bps,spc,hpc,cyl" with a string of numbers indicating bytes per sector, sectors, heads and cylinders. Don't forget to replace the x in "W9x.img" with either 5 or 8 depending on which bat file you're editing.

The 2 after imgmount is what directory you installed your Windows 9x at, so if it's not on C:\ directory by default then change accordingly. (0 is A:\, 1 is B:\, ect.) Once that's all finished save the .bat and insert where the original ld9x.bat was.

Here's what the end result should look like with a 1GB size image for the Windows 95 bat file:
Code:
cls
@echo off
echo -------------------------------------------------
echo Windows 95 Loader by LarBob Doomer
echo -------------------------------------------------

goto win98

:win98
echo.
echo.
echo Launching Windows 95
z:
imgmount 2 c:\W95.img -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none
boot c:\W95.img
goto end


:end
@echo on

And here is a list of some default image sizes you can input for your .bat:
Code:
256MB image:    512,63,16,520
512MB image:    512,63,32,520
1GB image:        512,63,64,520
2GB image:        512,63,128,520


Okay, some actual help and troubleshooting would be nice for this. I think I got the right disk img for 98, but I cannot choose to startup without CDROM support. I can only press enter for CDROM support.

This should be fixable. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same for Windows 98, but you should be able to select OK or enter and when it asks to browse for the file select cancel. (Again, that works in Windows 95 but I'm unsure if it's the same for your situation. Just thought I'd put that out.)
 
Last edited by Pandaxclone2,
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I assume this is normal on a N3DS? Its been like this for a good 20min

ARTPCQT.png


--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I figured out the problem in regards to that. I'm not quite sure as to how the .bat file works for each default windows .img but I do know that if you're using a custom-built image you created yourself through DOSBOX or similar then it gives off that message. It's asking for the size of the image being used.

To fix, first open ld9x.bat (x being either 5 or 8) with a text editor and replace the line "imgmount d c:\W9x.img" with "imgmount 2 c:\W9x.img -size bps,spc,hpc,cyl -t hdd -fs none", and then replace "bps,spc,hpc,cyl" with a string of numbers indicating bytes per sector, sectors, heads and cylinders. Don't forget to replace the x in "W9x.img" with either 5 or 8 depending on which bat file you're editing.

The 2 after imgmount is what directory you installed your Windows 9x at, so if it's not on C:\ directory by default then change accordingly. (0 is A:\, 1 is B:\, ect.) Once that's all finished save the .bat and insert where the original ld9x.bat was.

Here's what the end result should look like with a 1GB size image for the Windows 95 bat file:
Code:
cls
@echo off
echo -------------------------------------------------
echo Windows 95 Loader by LarBob Doomer
echo -------------------------------------------------

goto win98

:win98
echo.
echo.
echo Launching Windows 95
z:
imgmount 2 c:\W95.img -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none
boot c:\W95.img
goto end


:end
@echo on

And here is a list of some default image sizes you can input for your .bat:
Code:
256MB image:    512,63,16,520
512MB image:    512,63,32,520
1GB image:        512,63,64,520
2GB image:        512,63,128,520




This should be fixable. I'm not sure if it's exactly the same for Windows 98, but you should be able to select OK or enter and when it asks to browse for the file select cancel. (Again, that works in Windows 95 but I'm unsure if it's the same for your situation. Just thought I'd put that out.)
Just did this with W98. If its in the retroarc folder like the OP says does it need to say imgmount 2? Or can we leave the bat to its default and just add the variable -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none ?
 

LarBob

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I assume this is normal on a N3DS? Its been like this for a good 20min

ARTPCQT.png


--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


Just did this with W98. If its in the retroarc folder like the OP says does it need to say imgmount 2? Or can we leave the bat to its default and just add the variable -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none ?
Nope, you had a drive geometry error. You'll have to get a different image or manually tell it the drive geometry.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Is there any plans for mouse support? :P
There is mouse support built into the official RetroArch version, but in my experience, the emulation is also much slower.
 
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If anyone is curious on how long this takes to boot or how it looks running on a 3DS I recorded it with my capture card. If you want to skip all of the "filler" go to the 55 second mark.

 

Pandaxclone2

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I assume this is normal on a N3DS? Its been like this for a good 20min

ARTPCQT.png


--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


Just did this with W98. If its in the retroarc folder like the OP says does it need to say imgmount 2? Or can we leave the bat to its default and just add the variable -size 512,63,64,520 -t hdd -fs none ?

Depends on what size you're attempting to use. Is it a 1GB size image? If so then use that -size string, otherwise check the others I listed. If yours isn't there then you should be able to find something online about what size represents what with a little googling. (Hopefully anyway)

the number after imgmount is the directory that the os in the image is installed on afaik. So if the windows os is on a default c:\ directory then yes, else use another number (0=a, 1=b, 2=c, 3=d, ect.)

Does this even have mouse support?

This does not support mouse controls. However, the retroarch DOSBox on the other hand does and you can load the .bat files from this with that installed. They don't even need to be moved or anything, just keep them where they are. Only recommendations I suggest are that you use the .3dsx version atm since the .cia is just loading a black screen at this time and after loading the .bat, quickly enter the quick menu in retroarch and in options give CPU 1000 a 1. It helps speed things up a little.

Also keep in mind that at this time the mouse controls are inverted, which is a hassle but better than no mouse support at all.
 
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Pandaxclone2

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I find it amazing that project.
I just want to see Windows 7 on 3DS would be amazing.

Unlikely to happen like this. The only reason these versions of Windows work is because they're DOS-based operating systems. Windows XP onwards uses an NT base OS instead. So while it may be probable if anybody had source code and the time and patience to do so, it definitely wouldn't be done via this method.
 
Last edited by Pandaxclone2,

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