I need a new Windows 3.1 machine. The person requesting this from me has a music program that only works on 3.1. She has 400 music compositions and refuses to purchse the newer version of the program. What kind of current hardware can I use? This box only needs to run one application. Sound is imperative.

Look in your yellow pages to computers stores that deal in new or used PC's. A Pentium I with a sound card should be just fine for the job.There are probably some new ones too.If you happen to have flea markets in your area, those PC retailers have many working machines that they would be glad to install the programs on.I don't think that a recent PC is a good choice unless the seller can install the Windows 3.1 and your music programs and that you hear for yourself that the sound card works.

Good on her for not upgrading for upgrading sake.

She's obviously very happy with win 3.x.

Her current sound setup is obviously fine and suite her needs.

So I'd suggest getting an older system that has a slot that matches the card and transfer it..

Hi Gary Rose:
If you friend has the music program she should try to find friend with a Win 98 PC with a CPU (Pentium 2 350MH or faster, so that it can run a CD-RW drive). The reason I suggest this is because of storing to backup copies of CD-R or CD-RW disk(s) will be better for copies in the long run & protect those important data files. You should be able to install the Win 3.1 sound program on a Win 98 PC, then burn data to a CD. Remember if you buy an old PC the hard drive could go bad from old age & your friend could be going through same problems. To copy her data to a Win 98 PC you can try to copy the data files using msbackup or mwbackup (3.1 version of msbackup) to floppies & copy the msbackup files from DOS directory of her current PC to a floppy disk. Copy the msbackup files to a created directory like Backup or DOS, then exit 98 to DOS to run msbackup to restore files. Another way you could try using a zip program to copy & un-zip to Win 98. Hope this helps, but if she wants a Win 3.1 PC be sure to have install disks for DOS & Win 3.1 should a re-install be needed.

Good luck.
Z

About store data and use windows 3.1
well
you could ask for some people to make backup
of your windows 3.1 files and dos in a cd
recorded in two speed up to eight
I heard but do not believe 24 speed velocity
can not read by two speed cd rom driver
About machine you could take some older pentium 75 upgraded from dx4 100 or dx2 66
that has some ide hd with less than 500 mb
most programs like coredraw 3 only could installed in small hd or you need to config
regedit like a master or wizard
Remember to ask for cd rom to be bootable
and first floppy disk data to be in root
dir of cd rom and others in folder named
simple like disk1 and with the name file
disk1 in folder to be executable properly
But the truth is you need floppy disks too
because in older machine there would not be
a cd rom drive or it can not boot
you could spent much less than a complete
pc for windows 3.1
some recomended config
hd up to 500 mb
a floppy disk
a new cd rom drive
a fax modem
a used monitor with reasonable quality
some sound blaster compatible card
twelve floppy disks to backup and make one
boot disk
all about windows 3.1 book
that could be find in big book stores or
some used book store

Gary you don't go by the nickmame Spike by any chance?

Drop me an e-mail I can get you older systems here in town that work for as little as $10 with sound cards they are older 386 and 486 though. May possilbly run acroos one with a pentium 1 processor if she needs that to make it work. But would be glad to pick one up for you and send it out postage due. There are enough 3.1's around here to make a heck of an old pc store lol. Actually I have thought of that cause some places you cant find parts. Here they still work fine. OF course the town i live in is about 20 years behind the times but you wont catch me complaining about that.