Does anyone have experience with either of these products? I’ve installed both Virtual PC, and Virtualbox, and I always get hung up on trying to load an .ISO file or pre-made .VHD file.
I DO NOT have any original disks for Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, and that is what I need to install an old Genealogy database I am trying to get my hands on. Any thoughts?
Host PC: Windows XP
OS Needed: Win3.1 or Win95
EDIT: My real problem is I’m trying to install an old Win3.1/Win95 version of a Family Tree program, and it installs fine on WinXP. But gives me strange errors once I try running it, so I’m trying to run it on its native OS to see if that fixes the problem.
Where do you get hung up? I’ve used VirtualBox and VMWare Player.
Edit: Did you try running your old app using Compatibility Mode? (Right click on .exe → Properties → “Compatibility tab” → select the Winblows version you want to be compatible with).
I get hung up when I try running/starting the VM. I have tried pre-made .vhd files (downloaded from various websites), these are usually .vhd files in a ZIP file. I see STarting Windows 95, and the blue Windows 95 splash screen…but it just sits there forever.
I also tried a raw .ISO file (virtualbox claims they can startup directly from a .ISO file without having to burn it to a CD first), but I get error messages saying incompatible drive, unavailable drive, etc.
I have tried compatibility mode in Windows XP, and I get the same error message with or without it.
My entire DB is in Ultimate Family Tree Deluxe (Win 3.1/95 version). I lost the disk and thought it was gone forever, but recently found it, so I’m trying to reincarnate it. Scrapping the DB is n ot an option for me, since my DB is modest in size (about 3000 ancestors/names), but important to me since I have traced my lineage to as far back as 1710 (in the USA believe it or not) and I won’t allow myself to lose all of that work.
Plan A: Install UFT, open my DB, and export into GEDCOM. UFT installs on my current WinXP PC’s, but gets overflow errors when I try to actually run it. Forums claim this is known issue (due to my processor speed), provide a patch…but I can’t seem the find the patch anywhere at all.
Plan B: Install UFT into a virtual machine, and hope that works. Now I’m spending all my time trying to get the damn Virtual PC/Virtualbox software to work…argh!!!
Plan C: The Master Genealogist (TMG) forums at Whollygenes.com claim that TMG can import old UFT database files. So…I tried that, and get error messages. Apparently there are some files missing from BOTH backups I created from my UFT files. But those files appear to be UFT library files, not UFT project files.
So, I’m stuck…can’t install the old software to load my DB. Can’t convert my DB to new software. But I have the DB…two copies on a CD (one zipped, one not), and a second copy on an old 3.5 floppy.
Plan D would be to spend money, buy an old 386, buy an old copy of Window 95 somwhere, install it, and hope that works…but I don’t want to spend that kind of money. Yet.
I got it, thanks…but great news…CRISIS AVERTED! Plan C worked - a few patched files, and a very helpful moderator from the TMG forums, and my DB is loaded and working.