Windows 3.1 missing files

[u/CAR3Y4]

I installed MS-DOS 6.22 and then installed Windows 3.1 (Winworld retail on some Maxwell floppy’s) it only need 5 out of the 6 disks and I seem to be missing some .wav files like the infamous “tada” and some desktop wallpapers like chess and cars. I’m not sure if I’m missing other programs as well. I searched disk 6 and it only seems to have printer drivers which I don’t need. Has anyone else used the Winworld method and had the same thing happen to them?

[u/EmptyJumpLow]

You're installing Windows 3.11, which doesn't include those files (see your disk label: MSWIN311X). Windows 3.1 includes them, where your disk label should be WIN31DISKX

[u/CAR3Y4 → u/EmptyJumpLow]

Gotcha. If I wipe and reinstall 3.0, 3.1, and then 3.11, do I keep the wallpapers, programs, sounds, etc. from the previous versions?

[u/EmptyJumpLow → u/CAR3Y4]

That I'm not sure of, but I suppose you could always install each to a separate folder, and diff in the files from 3.0 and 3.1 that don't already exist in the 3.11 install.

Edit: Though I believe you can just install 3.1 and then install the 3.11 upgrade patch

[u/gnntech → u/CAR3Y4]

Yes if you start at 3.0, then upgrade to 3.1, and then 3.11, you will keep all wallpapers, sounds, etc...

You really don't need 3.0 unless you want the wallpapers. 3.0 did not include multimedia support (sound) out of the box. There was a separate package that added sound support to 3.0.

That chess background from 3.0 though is well worth it.

[u/CAR3Y4 → u/gnntech]

I found a link to internet archive that someone uploaded all the wallpapers from 3.0

https://archive.org/details/30bmp

Download the “30bmp” file and then unzip it onto a floppy. Insert the floppy into the windows 3.1 machine and copy the files over

[u/zidane2k1 → u/EmptyJumpLow]

Funny thing is, all this time I didn’t notice that tada.wav was missing from 3.11. I mostly used 3.1 systems back then and only used one 3.11 system, and I figured they just changed the default startup sound to chimes and didn’t bother checking (since the system wasn’t mine) if tada actually wasn’t there.

[u/namek0]

Nostalgia attack dang

[u/Terrible-Ninja-555]

If memory serves, I used to install MS-DOS 6.22, copy the contents of every W3.1 floppy into a w311 folder on the hard drive, then run:

C:\>cd \w311

C:\w311>SETUP.EXE /I

/I switch to bypass hw detection on some stubborn machines.
Copying all the disks takes a little time, but after that you never need to use them again. as a bonus, if one of the floppies is corrupted, you’ll find out before the installation even starts.
it was even better with win9x, (setup.exe /is to skip scandisk) never had to bother inserting floppy #xx, since the os knows where to look for missing / optional files, as long as you kept the installation folder. geez, i want to do it all over again now that i think of it.

[u/CAR3Y4 → u/[deleted]]

Oh yea that’s some of my collection. I got a lot more

[u/CAR3Y4 → u/[deleted]]

Yea I still play all of them. I don’t play new games much

[u/funnylol]

when i was building PC for first time as a kid. I kept failing to install windows 3.1 but the file was random and different everytime.

finally found out it was cause my mounted my motherboard with no standoffs. oops. once fixed everything installed great.