One way of running SH3

[Fader_Berg]

I've been away from SH3 for a while but got some cravings for it lately. My preferred operating system has been Linux for the last 20 years. But I've sometimes kept a Windows-box to play games on. Not this time.
While Wine (Crossover Office) can run SH3, it comes with some graphical glitches. So that's ruled out. I will go for a virtualization instead. This makes it easier for me to play other old games too. I'm using Fedora but we're using VirtualBox, so this solution applies for Windows as well.


(This guide is also available at my homepage, http://cjw.tuxxor.net)

1. Install VirtualBox. I got version 5.2.18 installed. Later versions may or may not work. (Head off to the VirtualBox archive for older versions)
2. Download WindowsXP-Mode package from Microsoft.
3. Extract the XP-Mode VHD-image
   1. Linux, using cabextract
      1. $ cabextract WindowsXPMode_en-us.exe
      2. $ cd sources
      3. $ cabextract xpm
      4. $ mv VirtualXPVHD VirtualXP.vhd
   2. Windows, using 7-zip
      1. Open WindowsXPMode_en-us.exe with 7-zip
      2. Browse into sources and xpm
      3. Extract the file VirtualXPVHD and rename it to VirtualXP.vhd
4. Create a virtual computer in VirtualBox and remember its name. While doing it, choose to connect a existing virtual hard disk and connect the one just extracted. But don't start the machine just yet. Don't forget to enable 3D- & 2D acceleration.
5. Download a hacked bios-image to be used with this machine, and place it where VirtualBox stores the virtual computer. This so that it doesn't accidentally get removed in the future. This makes the XP-Mode think it's running in Microsoft VirtualPC.
6. Configure VirtualBox to use the altered bios image file for this computer.
   1. Linux terminal
      $ VBoxManage setextradata [Virtual computer name] "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcbios/0/Config/BiosRom" [path to bios image file]
   2. Windows Command Prompt
      $ "C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VBoxManage.exe" setextradata [Virtual computer name] "VBoxInternal/Devices/pcbios/0/Config/BiosRom" "path to bios image file"
7. You're good to go. Start the virtual computer and finish off the Windows XP installation.
8. Install VirtualBox Guest Additions.
   

I installed Internet Explorer 8 to be able to run Windows Update. Download it from Microsoft. Install it and run Windows Update.

IE8 won't take you far though, since it can't handle many pages on the net. So I downloaded the last XP compatible version of Firefox, 52.9esr.

Steam will drop support for XP at Januari 1 2019, so it still works in XP.

Resolution Fix - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1092
JSGME & SH3 Commander - ftp://hartmuthaas.no-ip.org/Public/Sharing/SH3COMMUNITYMODS/JAESEN%20JONES/

Have a nice day.

OBS!
Windows XP is unsecure. It has known security issues that has not been fixed since Microsoft dropped its support. The same goes for Firefox version 52.9esr.
Don't use it for other things than playing games.