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- Windows 3.1 For Workgroups Download
- What Is My Workgroup Password
- Windows 3.1 For Workgroups
- Windows 3.11 Workgroups Disk Images
The setup program does the installation for you, but you will need to provide a full set of Windows 3.1x or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 installation files, disks, or disk images, or a Windows 3.1x or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 installation CD (or CD image file), or an MSDN download of Windows for Workgroups 3.11. Microsoft Windows for Workgroups (WfW) 3.11, released back in 1993, was the first operating system I ever used. As the name suggests, WfW was designed for networking in workgroups of a few people and workstations. This included centralized authentication, file and printer sharing based on Microsoft NetBEUI or NetBIOS (transported for example over Novell’s IPX/SPX Continue reading. Windows 3.1 for Workgroups - Windows 3.1 packaged with real mode networking software and some extra utilities. Made available as a patch to Windows 3.1 and on disks. In order for Windows 3.1 to use networking, a DOS NIC driver, protocol, and client software had to be provided.
- Windows 3.0, 3.1, and Windows for Workgroups
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Windows 3.0
The third time was a charm. Windows 3.0, released in 1990, was the first commercially successful version of the operating system, selling 10 million copies in the two years before the 3.1 upgrade. This was the first version of the operating system to incorporate true multitasking, thus providing a real alternative to the dominant DOS operating system of the time. After the success of Apple's Macintosh, the PC world was ready for a multitasking OS with a graphical user interface.
Figure 4 Windows 3.0—the version that put Windows on the map
It helped, of course, that Windows 3.0 was a big improvement over the previous version. The interface was a lot nicer looking with 3D buttons and such, and users could, for the first time, change the color of the underlying desktop. (No wallpaper yet, however.) Programs were launched via the new icon-based Program Manager, and a new File Manager replaced the old MS-DOS Executive for basic file management. This was also the first version of Windows to come with Solitaire built in, contributing to an incredible amount of wasted time worldwide. Equally important, Windows 3.0 included a Protected/Enhanced mode that enabled native Windows applications to make use of more memory than their DOS counterparts.
After the release of Windows 3.0, applications written for Windows thrived while non-Windows apps eventually died on the vine. It was Windows 3.0 that made Word and Excel the dominant apps in their spaces, beating out WordPerfect, 1-2-3, and other entrenched DOS-compatible competitors.
Windows 3.1
Windows 3.1, released in 1992, was more than a simple point upgrade. Version 3.1 not only included the requisite bug fixes, it was the first version of Windows to display TrueType scalable fonts—which turned Windows into a serious platform for desktop publishing. Also new to Windows 3.1 were screensavers and drag-and-drop operation.
Windows for Workgroups
Also released in 1992 was Windows for Workgroups (WFW), the first networkable version for Windows. Originally developed as an add-on for Windows 3.0, WFW added the necessary drivers and protocols (including TCP/IP) for peer-to-peer networking. This made WFW the first version of Windows suitable for a corporate environment.
Figure 6 Windows for Workgroups—the first networkable version of Windows
With WFW, Windows releases split into two paths: The consumer path, designed for use on single PCs, represented by Windows 3.1 and the upcoming Windows 95, and the corporate path, designed for use on multiple networked PCs, represented by WFW and the upcoming Windows NT.
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32 Bit Disk Access in Windows 3.1x
Windows 3.1x (3.1, 3.11, Windows for Workgroups 3.11) can use a special driver to enable it to access hard drives in '32-bit mode'. This is selected with a checkbox on the Virtual Memory screen through the 386Enhanced icon in the Control Panel. It can also be turned on and off by editing a line in SYSTEM.INI.
32BitDiskAccess is not a very accurate name for this driver. Many people are confused by the name and are led to believe that this driver will allow hard drives to be accessed with a 32-bit-wide data path. This is not true - the IDE interface remains a 16-bit interface. A more accurate name might be 'Protected Mode Disk Access Driver'. Windows (assuming it is running in '386 Enhanced' mode) is running in what is called protected mode. This is a special mode that Intel CPUs (286 and higher) can use to allow access to memory beyond 1MB and to allow more than one program to run at the same time. DOS only uses 'real mode'. Normally Windows has to switch back and forth between protected mode and real mode anytime it accesses a hard drive, since Windows uses DOS services to handle drive access. The 32BitDiskAccess driver allows Windows to remain in protected mode when accessing hard drives.
The 32BitDiskAccess driver that is supplied with Windows 3.1x, WDCTRL, is limited to hard drives with 1024 cylinders or less (504MB or less). If a larger hard drive is installed and 32BitDiskAccess is enabled, Windows may lock up when started or it may return an error message such as 'Insufficient memory to start Windows...' or 'WDCTRL validation failed at phase XX,XX'.
32BitDiskAccess should then be disabled by editing SYSTEM.INI. This is a text file in the WINDOWS directory. The DOS EDIT command can be used to edit this file. SYSTEM.INI is divided into sections with headers in square brackets. Under the [386Enh] header, you should find the entry '32BitDiskAccess=ON'. To disable 32BitDiskAccess, just change the ON to OFF.
It is still possible to use 32BitDiskAccess with large drives under Windows 3.1x, using replacement drivers supplied by hard drive manufacturers.
For Western Digital drives, the replacement driver is called WDCDRV.386. The current version is 2.6. This driver is available from Micro Firmware's BBS, FTP site, and web site as a self-extracting ZIP file - WDCDRV.EXE - which contains WDCDRV.386 and WDCDRV.DOC, which explains how to install the driver. This can also be obtained from Western Digital's FTP site, BBS, and web site. This driver is also sometimes distributed as part of a collection of files in a ZIP file called WIN31.EXE. This driver can also be found on the Disk Manager diskettes that are sometimes bundled with Western Digital hard drives.
For Maxtor drives, the file WIN32BIT.EXE is available on Maxtor's FTP site at this URL: ftp://ftp.maxtor.com/pub/main/win32bit.exe This contains a version of Ontrack's 32Bit Disk Access driver, ONTRACKW.386 along with an install program and a text file, WIN32BIT.TXT, which explains installation procedure.
For Seagate drives, the file SEG32176.EXE is available on Seagate's FTP site at this URL: ftp://ftp.seagate.com/techsuppt/windows/seg32176.exe This file contains Seagate's 32BitDiskAccess driver, SEG32BIT.386 along with a text file, SEG32BIT.TXT, and an installation program.
Windows 3.1 For Workgroups Download
Other drive manufacturers may have their own WIN31 32BDA drivers. Some of these may work with drives of other brands or may allow mixing of brands, or they may work only with certain brands or require that at least one drive is of a certain brand. Any questions on the use of the replacement 32BDA drivers should be directed to the drive manufacturers who supply these drivers.
Note that Windows 95 does not have the same limitations with its 32BitDiskAccess driver. WIN95 will automatically enable 32BitDiskAccess on any drive unless there is some reason it needs to limit that drive to 16-bit 'DOS compatibility mode'. If WIN95 has been installed over WIN3.x, it may be advisable to remove any previous 32BDA drivers that have been installed.
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What Is My Workgroup Password
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Windows 3.1 For Workgroups
Windows 3.11 Workgroups Disk Images
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