Since QCOW2 is native to QEMU, this offers the best compatibility. On Linux or macOS (via Terminal), you can launch the machine with a simple command:
qemu-system-i386 -m 256 -drive file=windows98.qcow2,format=qcow2 -soundhw sb16 -vga cirrus
Date: April 12, 2026
Subject: Emulation, Virtualization, Legacy OS Integration
Hypervisor: QEMU/KVM (Linux host)
Disk Format: QCOW2 (QEMU Copy-On-Write v2) windows 98 qcow2 full
| Component | QEMU Emulated Device | Driver Source | |-----------|----------------------|----------------| | Graphics | Cirrus Logic GD5446 | Included in Win98 CD (optional update) | | Network | NE2000 PCI | Realtek RTL8029 driver | | Sound | SoundBlaster 16 | Use SB16 DOS/Win9x driver | | Storage | Intel PIIX4 IDE | Native | | Mouse | PS/2 (emulated) | Native | Since QCOW2 is native to QEMU, this offers