Windows 98 Qcow2 -

Sadly, QEMU Guest Agent doesn't exist for Win98. However, install the SciTech Display Doctor for high-resolution VESA modes, and the Crystal Audio driver for Sound Blaster emulation.

Use the following command to start the QEMU emulator and install Windows 98 into the QCOW2 image:

qemu-system-i386 -hda windows98.qcow2 -cdrom /path/to/windows98.iso -m 256

Replace /path/to/windows98.iso with the actual path to your Windows 98 ISO image. windows 98 qcow2

Before installing that sketchy screensaver from 1999:

qemu-img snapshot -c "Before Screensaver" win98se.qcow2

To roll back:

qemu-img snapshot -a "Before Screensaver" win98se.qcow2

For gaming, also consider PCem or 86Box – they offer more accurate cycle-by-cycle emulation. But for lightweight, scriptable, and snapshot-friendly usage, Windows 98 on qcow2 + QEMU is unbeatable.

Open your terminal. Do not use a raw disk; embrace qcow2. Sadly, QEMU Guest Agent doesn't exist for Win98

qemu-img create -f qcow2 windows98_se.qcow2 8G

Why 8GB? Windows 98 cannot natively see partitions larger than 127GB without FAT32 hacks, and 8GB keeps the allocation table small and fast.

Modern CPUs are too fast, and hardware emulation must be tuned carefully (CPU speed limiting, correct chipset, sound, and graphics). Replace /path/to/windows98