I tried Virtual PC with 7022. That truly "sux ass" I don't know if any of the other VM products are any better....that's the last time I will do that. Dual boot is the only way to go. An old computer with ReadyBoost is good too.
My Computer
At a glance
Windows 7 Professional x64Intel Core i7 8604GB DDR3 Mushkin 1600Mhz @ 7-8-7-20MSI GTS250 1GB DDR3 Twin Frozr
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Keeps changing - (Custom)
OS
Windows 7 Professional x64
CPU
Intel Core i7 860
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P
Memory
4GB DDR3 Mushkin 1600Mhz @ 7-8-7-20
Graphics Card(s)
MSI GTS250 1GB DDR3 Twin Frozr
Sound Card
Onboard realtek
Monitor(s) Displays
Samsung SyncMaster 24" P2450 + Samsung 20" 2033
Screen Resolution
1920 X 1080 and 1600 X 900 (#2 system 1440 X 900)
Hard Drives
Patriot Inferno 120GB SSD + 3 WD Blue 640GB drives
PSU
Corsair 750 HX Modular
Case
Lancool PC-K62
Cooling
Cooler Master TX3 CPU cooler and 4-140mm and 1-120mm case
Keyboard
Gigabyte USB keyboard
Mouse
Microsoft wireless laser mouse 5000
Internet Speed
7 Mb down 1.5 up
Other Info
System #2: AMD Phenom II X6 1055T (Freezer 7 Pro cooler) - Gigabyte 880GMA-UD2H - WD 500GB Black - 9500GT (1GB) 500W OCZ modular PSU - Antec 200 case. System #3 (LapTop) Core 2 Duo T6670 - 320GB 7200RPM HD - 4GB DDR3 RAM.
I tried Virtual Box for Windows 3.1 and later 95 to get nowhere since the 95 disk was only an upgrade version I still had onhand. The 98 retail full version wasn't bootable either making that a lost cause as well.
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Bo...AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd r...Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper ...MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 o...
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom builds = 2
OS
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd remote pc
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4-Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H remote pc
Memory
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper X Fury 8gb 2nd
Graphics Card(s)
MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 on mini tower
Sound Card
Creative Labs X-Fi Xtreme Audio P - Realtek onooard 2nd case
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VW199T-P 19" HP 2082a Main-HP 2082a 20" remote pc
Screen Resolution
Asus 1440x900 - HP 1600x900
Hard Drives
WD Black 1TB HD per OS W7, W10, and pending W11 presently on 500gb OS Drive - Pending Triple 1TB HDs for Spanned Storage/backup volume
Single 2TB external USB enclosure, single 1TB System 7 Host/Boot drive, Pending 8TB external HD for system image b
PSU
Corsair 750TX - primary / Corsair CX600 - second
Case
Antec 900-2 - SSD compatible / NZXT Vulcan mini tower
Actually, for the 95 Upgrade, all you really need is a previous version (3.1 will work, or even better - just create a win.com file on the HD in C:\Windows). IIRC even plain old DOS is allowed to be upgraded, but that may have been limited to DOS 6.x....
As for Win 98 bootable, easy enough - go to Bootdisk.Com - Free Windows Bootdisks, Free DOS boot disk and grab a boot disk and use the virtual floppy to boot, while having he Win98 CD mounted in the virtual CD ROM / real CD drive....
I cannot remember how many times I fooled Win9X by having the right file in place....without actually having the entire OS as it called for....
For 98 that's where another problem would have to be dealt with regarding the 512mb limitation while anything earlier wasn't effected. The first boot would see 98 stall right off until that's corrected by a work around.
For actually running one of the oldies I would first setup one or two up on the ide and then see those run in a virtual window. I still keep a floppy drive and the original startup floppies onhand in surprizingly good shape too!
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Bo...AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd r...Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper ...MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 o...
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom builds = 2
OS
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd remote pc
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4-Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H remote pc
Memory
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper X Fury 8gb 2nd
Graphics Card(s)
MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 on mini tower
Sound Card
Creative Labs X-Fi Xtreme Audio P - Realtek onooard 2nd case
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VW199T-P 19" HP 2082a Main-HP 2082a 20" remote pc
Screen Resolution
Asus 1440x900 - HP 1600x900
Hard Drives
WD Black 1TB HD per OS W7, W10, and pending W11 presently on 500gb OS Drive - Pending Triple 1TB HDs for Spanned Storage/backup volume
Single 2TB external USB enclosure, single 1TB System 7 Host/Boot drive, Pending 8TB external HD for system image b
PSU
Corsair 750TX - primary / Corsair CX600 - second
Case
Antec 900-2 - SSD compatible / NZXT Vulcan mini tower
id say about 20 or 30 reinstalls in total....
almost 7 of those was from b 7000 as install bug made reinstall it a few times...
(not counting any of the Vbox/Vmware installs)
3 from 6801
2 from 6956
1 from 6936
7 from 7000
2 from 7022
4 from 7048
3 from 7057
and
2 currently from 7068
so a grand total of 25 reinstalls
more than one a week (about 1 and 1/2 every week...)
My Computer
At a glance
Windows 7 Ult x64(x2), HomePrem x32(x4), Serv...Turion X2 ultra (oh well came with laptop)/P4...OCZ Dual Channel 4GB kit/ 1gb Dual ChannelHD 3200 graphics /GMA x3100 (yay for intergra...
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Tx2500z Tablet Pc/Homemade Server
OS
Windows 7 Ult x64(x2), HomePrem x32(x4), Server 08 (+VM), 08 R2 (VM) , SuSe 11.2 (VM), XP 32 (VM)
CPU
Turion X2 ultra (oh well came with laptop)/P4 @3.2 (yes P4)
Motherboard
IDK HP Motherboard / Intel DG965SS
Memory
OCZ Dual Channel 4GB kit/ 1gb Dual Channel
Graphics Card(s)
HD 3200 graphics /GMA x3100 (yay for intergrated!!)
Sound Card
Realtek HD Audio(mic working, well sort of)/Siig IC-70012
You must be having some fun! I just added another on but not one to count in here for sure. Someone else pointed out the 3/14 time stamp on what was supposedly? newer then the 7077?! Scratch the count there.
(now what to do with that extra primary just created? hhmmm...? )
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Bo...AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd r...Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper ...MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 o...
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Custom builds = 2
OS
W7 Ultimate x64/W10 Pro x64/W11 Pro Triple Boot - Main PC W7 Remote PC Micro ATX W7 Pro x64/W11 Pro
CPU
AMD Phenom II X4 975 Deneb 3.6ghz - 965 2nd remote pc
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4-Gigabyte GA-880GM-D2H remote pc
Memory
Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1600 1.5v 16gb - Hyper X Fury 8gb 2nd
Graphics Card(s)
MSI HD Radeon 5750 1gb - MSI HD Radeon 6450 on mini tower
Sound Card
Creative Labs X-Fi Xtreme Audio P - Realtek onooard 2nd case
Monitor(s) Displays
ASUS VW199T-P 19" HP 2082a Main-HP 2082a 20" remote pc
Screen Resolution
Asus 1440x900 - HP 1600x900
Hard Drives
WD Black 1TB HD per OS W7, W10, and pending W11 presently on 500gb OS Drive - Pending Triple 1TB HDs for Spanned Storage/backup volume
Single 2TB external USB enclosure, single 1TB System 7 Host/Boot drive, Pending 8TB external HD for system image b
PSU
Corsair 750TX - primary / Corsair CX600 - second
Case
Antec 900-2 - SSD compatible / NZXT Vulcan mini tower
)
I just added another on but not one to count in here for sure. Someone else pointed out the 3/14 time stamp on what was supposedly? newer then the 7077?! Scratch the count there. 
