Virtual PC 2004

I am trying to install Windows 98se on a virtual PC. The virtual Pc and
virtual hard drive have been created. The virtual PC which I want to use to
install Windows 98se is started. When the I boot Windows 98 from a floppy I
get a message that drive C doesn't have a valid fat or fat32 table (not
true). Later when the Setup program is run I get a message telling me a temp
file for the registry can't be created. The problem has to be with the
virtual hard drive. It is physically a .vhd file. I wouldn't expect it to
contain a fat table of any kind. Can someone tell me what's going on and what
the solution is?

"Rich" (mulder) wrote in message
...

I am trying to install Windows 98se on a virtual PC. The virtual Pc and
virtual hard drive have been created. The virtual PC which I want to use
to
install Windows 98se is started. When the I boot Windows 98 from a floppy
I
get a message that drive C doesn't have a valid fat or fat32 table (not
true).

This sounds as if:
1. You are creating a virtual Win98 PC inside another PC with
another OS. (We cannot suppose why anyone would
create a virtual Win98 PC inside a Win98 PC.)
2. Your real Win98 PC needs a valid C: to run.
3. Your virtual PC also needs a valid C: to run, but may obviously
not be permitted to use the real C: -- and cannot find any other
drive C:

Is this right? If so the problem looks insoluble.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

Rich wrote:
I am trying to install Windows 98se on a virtual PC. The virtual Pc and
virtual hard drive have been created. The virtual PC which I want to use to
install Windows 98se is started. When the I boot Windows 98 from a floppy I
get a message that drive C doesn't have a valid fat or fat32 table (not
true). Later when the Setup program is run I get a message telling me a temp
file for the registry can't be created. The problem has to be with the
virtual hard drive. It is physically a .vhd file. I wouldn't expect it to
contain a fat table of any kind. Can someone tell me what's going on and what
the solution is?

The Virtrual PC software package creates a virtrual PC within your PC,
in case that wasn't clear. This means that the C drive in the virtrual
PC isn't your actual C drive, but a virtrual drive created in a file and
interfaced to using the Virtrual PC software package. The same goes for
all the other hardware. Of course for that ".vhd" file of yours to be
able to act like a virtrual harddrive, it has to contain all the
information an actual harddrive would, FAT included.

You might want to format the virtrual C drive *inside* Virtrual PC to a
FAT or FAT32 table (run "Format C:" *inside* Virtrual PC, this should
format the ".vhd" file not your harddrive), then install Windows 98.

Also make sure your actual harddrive has enough space to host the entire
virtrual harddrive needed to support Windows 98.

If anything else is unclear, ask away.

Good luck!

Don Phillipson wrote:

"Rich" (mulder) wrote in message
...

I am trying to install Windows 98se on a virtual PC. The virtual Pc and
virtual hard drive have been created. The virtual PC which I want to use
to
install Windows 98se is started. When the I boot Windows 98 from a floppy
I
get a message that drive C doesn't have a valid fat or fat32 table (not
true).

This sounds as if:
1. You are creating a virtual Win98 PC inside another PC with
another OS. (We cannot suppose why anyone would
create a virtual Win98 PC inside a Win98 PC.)
2. Your real Win98 PC needs a valid C: to run.
3. Your virtual PC also needs a valid C: to run, but may obviously
not be permitted to use the real C: -- and cannot find any other
drive C:

Is this right? If so the problem looks insoluble.

Isn't that exactly what Virtual PC 2004 is supposed to address?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

Hi Rich,

Think of the virtual hard drive (VHD) as a new hard drive.
The new VHD will have to be partitioned using Fdisk and formatted
just like any other new hard drive. Use a Win98 startup disk to perform
these tasks. Start the new VHD with the Win98 startup disk in the A:\
drive and run Fdisk. If the A:\ is not detected reboot the VHD and hold
down whatever key you normally us to access the BIOS and set the
floppy drive to boot first.

There are newsgroups on the MS servers dedicated to VIC. The folks
there would be more than glad to help you out.

--
Regards,
Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
http://dts-l.org/
How to Configure Outlook Express for Internet News:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=171164

"Rich" (mulder) wrote in message
...
I am trying to install Windows 98se on a virtual PC. The virtual Pc and
virtual hard drive have been created. The virtual PC which I want to use
to
install Windows 98se is started. When the I boot Windows 98 from a floppy
I
get a message that drive C doesn't have a valid fat or fat32 table (not
true). Later when the Setup program is run I get a message telling me a
temp
file for the registry can't be created. The problem has to be with the
virtual hard drive. It is physically a .vhd file. I wouldn't expect it to
contain a fat table of any kind. Can someone tell me what's going on and
what
the solution is?