Alrite, after alot of searching and trying things, I'm coming back here. I have the MS-DOS 6.22 disks, the Windows 3.1 disks, and VPC 2004. I have a pretty sucky Laptop, and like older OS's, this being my favorite. Now, I dont need the printer (as the only 3.1 printer I have has been in the garage for 2-3 years), but I need the sound. The last time I asked, I just got told to use "SET BLASTER= (all that)". HOWEVER! None of my programs/games (DOS or Windows) have sound...and also, I dont get the turn on sound, the turn off sound, or anything. Now, I have gotten sound before, but it added about a minute to my startup time (it would sit for about 75 seconds at the splash). and kept stuttering. I have given it 64 megs ram, and I cant set a fixed hard drive in '04, it seems...but my main question is this: How do I get sound in the Windows Shell (and DOS if possible)? I've tried a DOS SBPCI installer, but it just wrecked my system. >< Just a bit too reto

I'm not familiar with VPC 2004, but the virtual PC emulator software I've used has always needed to have a "virtual sound card" defined. That is, your running an OS (XP Pro) on a computer (Dell Inspiron B130) which has a real hardware soundcard built in (SBPCI?) and XP is controlling that hardware soundcard. You get sound from XP, right? Other programs running on XP, like WinAmp or MediaPlayer use the soundcard okay, right? So, VPC 2004 is just another program which makes request to XP for access to the soundcard, but VPC is VIRTUALIZING another PC for another HOST system. This virtualized PC has different specs then the Dell Inspiron and a different "virtual soundcard". So, what is the type of soundcard that VPC is emulating? That is the type of driver you need for Windows 3.1 to be able to access that virtual soundcard. As for DOS, unless VPC 2004 provides Soundblaster emulation, then you probably won't get any sound in DOS. Remember, DOS doesn't have "sound drivers", indivual progams (like windows 3.1) running in DOS have to provide divers for the soundcard. If you do have working Soundblaster emulation, the the SET BLASTER=A(hex address) I(irq) D(dma) T(model) statement in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file should allow DOS games to access that "virtual soundblaster". The "generic" blaster string is: SET BLASTER=A220 I5(or 7) D1 T3 If your provided any kind of "authentic" Soundblaster emulation then that statement should work.

Well...I'm gonna say right now that that has been the answer to that question far and wide, but it doesn't work! Mostly because I'm trying to work DooM, and it doesn't like SET BLASTER. And I got a sound card that actually had to use the alternate drivers to work. VPC emulates a SB16, and actually, I just want the sound in Windows 3.1 to work (SET BLASTER does NOTHING to windows...). Also, I have (for those familiar with VPC) the DOS Adds in there, and I dont use autoexec to start windows, I type in WIN at the C:\ prompt Just a bit too reto

Yeah, a lot of those old, classic DOS games like the original DOOM don't work in these "emulated" Soundblasters. They only work with the REAL thing. I believe that is because they use the actual Creative Labs drivers and Creative put code in there to check for authentic Soundblasters since the competition was making Soundblaster clones. But Windows 3.1 is not so particular. The "SET BLASTER" is just for DOS games and such, you have to set a driver up for windows. Windows 3.1 has a built in Soundblaster driver (well, I know Windows 3.11 does, because I have a old computer behind me using it). In windows, open the Control Panel, then open Drivers. There is a list of installed drivers and buttons to add and configure the drivers. Click on Add and you should see "Creative Labs Sound Blaster 1.0" and "Creative Labs Sound Blaster 1.5". I'd try the 1.5 version. After it installs, you go back to the Drivers windows and select the now installed driver(s) and then click the Setup button to provide the address, irq, and dma that VPC says the virtual SB16 is "using". Then restart Windows and see what happens.

Ah. Okay...I shall try that soon. Also, if I remember correctly, I think that last time I did it, it kept bugging me with wrong version things...oh well, cant hurt to try! And also, does my midi get fixed with soundblaster? (I cant get a midi sound goin either) Just a bit too reto

Not having any experience with VPC, I took a little time looking around and came across this: http://www.pcguru.plus.com/virtualp... which is about using DOS and Win3 on VPC. According to this guy, the Soundblaster 1.5 driver is supposed to work. I can only wish you luck with the effort. On the old 486 I have set up with DOS and WfW I'm using SoundBlaster 2.0 drivers from a old disk I have. The Windows media player will play MIDI files just great. But, that is through a real Soundblaster card and not through an emulated one.

Okay, after a bit of trial and error, I got sound...but it made a mess of the system (most of the programs had no memory left (even with 64mb ram). And 128 ram would just wreck the whole thing. So...yeah. I decided to just pop it up to 95, and the sound works, and it has DOS/3.1/95 compatibility...so is all good! Plus, if you DO have the 2.0 disks, anyway to get them to me? (the built in SB drivers kept complaining it was designed for SB Pro) Just a bit too reto