How to Run Windows 98 Today: DOSBox-X, 86Box, and VMware Compared

Introduction

Windows 98 is a notoriously difficult system to run reliably through modern emulation or virtualization. Below is a list of methods and configurations currently available to get it running. If you would rather install it on real hardware instead, see Restoring My Old Computer: AMD Sempron 2500+ for a Windows 98 install on period hardware.

If you prefer real hardware instead of emulation, see Restoring an Old AMD Sempron 2500+ PC for a full Socket A Windows 98 build log.

DosBox-X

Windows 98 can be installed inside DosBox-X by following the official DosBox-X Installation Guide. Running Windows 98 within DosBox-X provides the unique advantage of supporting save states, a feature often missing from other virtualization solutions.

86Box

86Box focuses on emulating precise machine hardware execution. By configuring the correct hardware components and mounting your Windows 98 installation media, you can install the operating system directly. A comprehensive deployment walkthrough can be found on this GitHub Gist Guide.

For quick deployment, a list of pre-made system environments is available on the Internet Archive. These systems are built following the technical baseline documented in the BetaWiki Recommended VM Configurations for Windows.

VMware Workstation 17.x

Windows 98 can also be virtualized using VMware Workstation. A step-by-step setup guide for configuring a Windows 98SE guest environment is hosted on GitHub.

Downloads

  • My Old Computer — installing Windows 98 on real hardware instead of a VM
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