Integrate Windows 3.1/98 games into Retrobat

Hello!

I am in the process of switching from Launchbox to Retrobat. Among other things, I have integrated various Windows 98 games via Retroarch (dosbox pure) - Windows 98 installed in dosboxpure and then the respective game, works great. Now I'm wondering if I can somehow import them into Retrobat (in the Launchbox setup the respective Windows image files are in the Retroarch system folder which is empty in the Retrobat setup) so that I don't have to do all the work again. If this is not possible, or in general is there some kind of best practice to install Windows 3.1 games and Windows 95/98 games in Retrobat and is it possible to create a separate category ‘Windows 98’ or similar? Because everything that runs via Dosbox pure ends up in the MS-DOS category where the Windows 9x games don't belong...

I would be very happy about tips and experiences, thank you very much!

Regards!
Mike

Hello
Firstly, what does look like your games actually ?

Then, you can create some collections, or even es-systems_custom that allow you to do the organisation you want.

getupor wrote:Hello
Firstly, what does look like your games actually ?

Then, you can create some collections, or even es-systems_custom that allow you to do the organisation you want.

Thanks for the quick reply... for the first part I just found the solution - I copied the img files where Windows 98 & the respective game is installed into the Retrobat\bios directory and then I get the installed Windows 98 offered to start!
Is there a HowTo how I can create collections or es-systems_custom?

You can look at the FAQ for the es_systems_customs, and also use batgui (where you can also create collection).
For both, you then have to add some medias in the theme folder. When you will be at this step, we will see how to do

getupor wrote:You can look at the FAQ for the es_systems_customs, and also use batgui (where you can also create collection).
For both, you then have to add some medias in the theme folder. When you will be at this step, we will see how to do

Thanks a lot, this helps!

MikeDeltaHH wrote:Hello!

I am in the process of switching from Launchbox to Retrobat. Among other things, I have integrated various Windows 98 games via Retroarch (dosbox pure) - Windows 98 installed in dosboxpure and then the respective game, works great. Now I'm wondering if I can somehow import them into Retrobat (in the Launchbox setup the respective Windows image files are in the Retroarch system folder which is empty in the Retrobat setup) so that I don't have to do all the work again. If this is not possible, or in general is there some kind of best practice to install Windows 3.1 games and Windows 95/98 games in Retrobat and is it possible to create a separate category ‘Windows 98’ or similar? Because everything that runs via Dosbox pure ends up in the MS-DOS category where the Windows 9x games don't belong...

I would be very happy about tips and experiences, thank you very much!

Regards!
Mike

Sorry for the meddling, but...
how can I integrate a Windows 98 game into Retroarch, since Windows 11 compatibility mode doesn't work for me to run a game I have.
Best regards

GaboHanzo wrote:

Sorry for the meddling, but...
how can I integrate a Windows 98 game into Retroarch, since Windows 11 compatibility mode doesn't work for me to run a game I have.
Best regards

You can install Windows 98 via DosBox pure, see e.g. here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xynDgexf5Y

The ISO of the game is mounted in it and you can then install the game in the virtual Windows 98 instance - this is how I got various games that don't work natively under Windows 10 to run!

MikeDeltaHH wrote:

GaboHanzo wrote:

Sorry for the meddling, but...
how can I integrate a Windows 98 game into Retroarch, since Windows 11 compatibility mode doesn't work for me to run a game I have.
Best regards

You can install pure Windows 98 via DosBox, see e.g. here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xynDgexf5Y

The ISO of the game is mounted in it and you can then install the game in the virtual Windows 98 instance - this is how I got various games that don't work natively under Windows 10 to run!

Maybe once you succeed you can write a detailed guide in this forum, to help the community, and then we could officially implement it...

tartifless wrote:

Maybe once you succeed you can write a detailed guide in this forum, to help the community, and then we could officially implement it...

I need some time for this, my English is not so good and I translate everything with Deepl but I will try it then!

What is your mother tongue ?

getupor wrote:What is your mother tongue ?

German.

getupor wrote:You can look at the FAQ for the es_systems_customs, and also use batgui (where you can also create collection).
For both, you then have to add some medias in the theme folder. When you will be at this step, we will see how to do

I have created my own cfg for Windows 98 according to the FAQ entry - everything works so far, I have found a few suitable media and copied them into the respective themes folders, created the corresponding ROM folder and tested it with a game - the only two problems i have is that the scraper does not offer me Windows 98 as a system and therefore nothing is found, so the scraper immediately ends the search... how do I get the custom system into the scraper list? And second I am not offered any decorations at the start of the game, even if I select any fixed one, e.g. default_unglazed...

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can add decorations and customise the scraper?