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I am fairly new to using VirtualBox and how it is used. I recently installed Windows 98 SE on it using an ISO file. It has been working fine until I try to shut it down from itself (like pressing the shutdown button in the start menu in Windows 98). When I try to do that, it always freezes on the Microsoft Windows98 "windows is shutting down" screen.

I have tried many ways to solve this, including disabling fast shutdown/startup, all to no avail. Some websites say I should install a "fix" but all their links are broken.

I currently have given the Windows 98 Machine a generous 1GB (1024MB) of ram, so I highly doubt that it is anything to do with too little memory. The only other app I have installed on it other than all the apps that come with Windows 98 is the SciTech Display Doctor, which has worked perfectly. Windows has shown no errors when starting up and nothing when using the operating system as usual.

Windows Shutting down screen which it always gets stuck on:

enter image description here

System Specs:

Host OS (so the physical computer)

Core i5 Intel 5th Gen

  • 8GB Memory

  • Lenovo IdeaPad S145 with hyper-v enabled

Guest OS:

  • 1024MB RAM

  • 12MB Video Mem

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    Did you use an original ISO image? Have you tried giving it less RAM (e.g. 64 to 256 MB seems more apropriate)? Is Windows using ACPI or APM for power management, according to "Device Manager"? Does the system still react to e.g. hitting the Esc key at the shutdown screen, or does it completely freeze at some point? Apr 7, 2020 at 8:12
  • @user1686 Yes, I have used an original iso (I think, as I don't know how to confirm this, I just got it off a trustworthy website). Also giving it less RAM yields the same results. And also, the system doesn't do anything if I press the ESC key on the shutdown screen.
    – Compositr
    Apr 8, 2020 at 7:28

1 Answer 1

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That is not uncommon for Windows 98 on a physical machine and I see it quite a bit in Virtual Machines. Newest VMware Workstation seems best for shutting down Windows 98 (better that Virtual Box, I think). You cannot do much about it except to force Windows 98 off. Keep a backup of the VM file just in case. My Windows 98 machine always starts back up so you should be OK.

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  • I have tried to simply force turn the VM off, but every startup, it complains with a blue screen saying "Microsoft Scandisk... don't shut down abruptly..." before checking the disk. I am quite worried about the problem of corruption.
    – Compositr
    Apr 8, 2020 at 7:37
  • I get that once in a while with Windows 98 running in VMware - once every 3 starts thereabouts. There is not much you can do about it so far as I know.
    – John
    Apr 8, 2020 at 10:56
  • OK found the culprit - it was actually the SciTech Doctor software which corrupted some weird drivers and removing the software fixed the issue!
    – Compositr
    Aug 23, 2020 at 1:24

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