Windows 98 — Qcow2
Since I cannot browse the live web to retrieve a specific PDF file and send it to you directly, I have compiled a technical white paper below. This document details the process, challenges, and best practices for running Windows 98 inside a QCOW2 virtualization environment (typically QEMU/KVM).
Enable DMA (Critical): By default, Windows 98 often has DMA (Direct Memory Access) disabled for the "QEMU Hard Disk," which causes extreme instability. Once installed, go to Control Panel > System > Device Manager > Disk Drives, double-click the QEMU Hard Disk, and check DMA in the Settings tab. windows 98 qcow2
- Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) ISO. Avoid Windows 98 FE (First Edition); USB support and stability are abysmal.
- Service Pack: "Unofficial Windows 98 SE Service Pack" (by MDGx).
- Graphics Drivers: SciTech Display Doctor (legacy) or the built-in QXL/VESA drivers.
- Malware risk: Old Windows versions have no UAC. A malicious image can contain a MBR rootkit that escapes QEMU (rare but possible via virtualization escape bugs).
- Serial keys: Many pre-built images use leaked Volume License keys. If you connect this VM to the internet, Windows Update (still accessible via the unofficial update server) may flag it.
Performance and compatibility notes
- Windows 98 expects legacy BIOS and IDE disks; configure the virtual disk as an IDE drive (if=ide) for best compatibility.
- Avoid virtio or SCSI unless you have appropriate legacy drivers—IDE and emulated NICs (rtl8139) offer best out-of-the-box support.
- CPU: Use qemu-system-i386 or qemu-system-x86_64 with -cpu and -smp limited to 1–2 cores; Windows 98 has poor SMP support—stick to 1 CPU for stability.
- Sound and video: Emulated SB16 and Cirrus commonly provide the best compatibility with legacy applications and games.
- Snapshot overhead: QCOW2 snapshots are convenient but can slow disk I/O; merge or commit snapshots when finalizing an image.