Installing Windows 98 in VirtualBox with Sci-Tech Display Doctor and VirtualBox Guest Additions

Are you looking to run Windows 98 on a modern operating system like Windows 10? You're not alone, as many people still want to use this classic OS for various reasons. However, running it natively can be challenging due to hardware compatibility issues. One solution is to install Windows 98 in a virtual machine using VirtualBox.

To get started, you'll need to download the VirtualBox program and create a new virtual machine for Windows 98. Once you've done that, follow these steps to install Windows 98:

1. Run the Oracle VM VirtualBox program and click the New button to create a new virtual machine for Windows 98.

2. Choose the operating system as 'Windows 98' and allocate enough memory (at least 256 MB) and disk space (about 4 GB).

3. Install Windows 98 in the virtual machine by inserting the installation CD or DVD and following the on-screen instructions.

After installing Windows 98, you'll notice that the VirtualBox guest additions don't work out of the box. This is because VirtualBox hasn't officially supported Windows 98 since version 2.x. However, there are some workarounds to get the guest additions working.

One solution is to use the Sci-Tech Display Doctor version 7 beta. This software allows you to install a Hi-Color driver for your graphics card, which will enable you to use resolutions up to 1024x768. To install the Display Doctor, follow these steps:

1. Reboot again and open up the Sci-tech control panel.

2. Use the standard pci graphics adapter (VGA) to install the Sci-Tech one in the list that appears when you choose to install a different driver.

Another solution is to use the product keys for older versions of Windows 98, which can be found on the Sci-Tech website under their discontinued downloads section. You may also find that the same key for the last version 6 works successfully with the 7 beta.

Despite these workarounds, it's clear that VirtualBox has a long way to go in terms of supporting Windows 98. The lack of stable graphics drivers, mouse integration, and clipboard integration makes it difficult to use Windows 98 as a practical solution for everyday tasks. VMware was able to develop guest additions for Windows 98, so it's unclear why VirtualBox hasn't followed suit.

In the meantime, if you're looking for an alternative, you can consider using an older machine with Windows 98 installed or searching for other virtualization software that supports this operating system.

Windows 98 virtualbox guest additions