Windows95 install question

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:21 pm

Why do I always get the really strange ones? I've got an old copy of Windows95 on floppies. On one machine, it will enter setup just fine. On another, when I type setup at the "A:\", it just runs the disk for a moment, then goes back to the prompt. Any ideas?

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:04 pm

I don't know, but I haven't used floppies more than once in my life to install Whenhowed95. I use either a CDROM, either internal or external, or some sort of transfer cable to transfer all the setup files from the \win95 folder on the CD, to a similar folder on the hdd

I'd suspect that either the drive in one computer is flakey, or the same for your setup floppy disk.

Post by **wavetar** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:29 am

Floppies...wow. I'd say to try the known working floppy drive in the problem machine. The next crappiest thing on earth to a floppy disk, is the floppy drive.

I'm amazed your disks still seem good. I'd quickly transfer every floppy into a folder on your hard drive, if you haven't already. This would at least keep the data safer than on the floppies so you can make copies if you needed to at some point.

Even better, you could burn the contents of the folder onto a CD, make it bootable & install from the CD. It would cut your install time dramatically.

Todd

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:31 am

Even better, you could burn the contents of the folder onto a CD

Actually, that's one of the last things I'd do. Why would you use the questionable media as your root source?

Just find yourself a '95 CD, and use one of the methods I mentioned. There are several ways---

find a used backpack/ external CDROM, or leave one lying around for these instances, or just INSTALL one in the old machine,

Use the hdd as a slave into a second machine, partition/format the drive, "format /s" copy all the install files, then pop the hdd back into the original machine, boot it up, and run setup.

If this is a laptop, you can get a "drive adaptor" that will allow you to slave the hdd into a second machine.

Filemaven, laplink3, and (barf, gargle) interlink will all run off floppies, which will allow you to transfer files over a parrallel/serial null modem cable.

Post by **wavetar** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:42 pm

440roadrunner wrote: Actually, that's one of the last things I'd do. Why would you use the questionable media as your root source?.

Number one, he states it works fine on one computer, just not another. Number two, you cannot purchase a legit Win95 CD upgrade anymore, so he more or less has to try & use his licensed floppies, to remain in the law-abiding spirit we encourage on the board.

Todd

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:57 pm

Number one, he states it works fine on one computer, just not another. Number two, you cannot purchase a legit Win95 CD upgrade anymore, so he more or less has to try & use his licensed floppies, to remain in the law-abiding spirit we encourage on the board.

The fact that one/some/all of the floppies seem to read OK on one or another computer does not make the floppy DISKS good or bad, but it would leave a question in my mind.

Of course the drive in the "non working" unit could be flakey

However, the license key IS NOT TIED to the media in particular. You can use ANY CD and ANY key, as long as the version "type" matches, the key/license is "legit" and still meet Microshaftings requirements---after all, you could once order replacement media from them, and you could ALSO, once upon a time, order floppies from a coupon, when you had bought the CD version. The license/ key is not directly tied to the media.

One last thing. You can still find a brand new version of Winehozed95 here and there---unopened and with the license---on eFray and other places. Frankly, I can't IMAGINE not having a few copies lying about. I've still got MS and IBM DOS 2xxx somewhere.........

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:59 pm

OK, here's an update on the problem. Aparently, this copy of '95 doesn't like DOS. As stated in my first post, the setup file will 'work' on my WinXP machine, so that started my thinking. I installed a copy of Win3.11 onto the computer, and ran setup from there. Presto! It fired right up and started running. I've installed '95 from DOS several times before, and never had any problem at all.

Of course, once I got setup to actually run, I ran into yet another problem. This isn't an upgrade copy, and it's complaining about DOS already existing on the system. I can't just wipe the HDD and start fresh, as I'm trying to set up a dual boot with DOS and '95. Is there any way to "hide" DOS from the '95 setup file so that it will continue with the installation, then "unhide" DOS? If not, I guess I'll have to call in the county's SAR team to mount a search for my '95 CD, as I have no idea where it is

.

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:38 am

Did you read the "dual boot" thread about 4 posts down?

http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewforum.php?f=14

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:43 am

No, I didn't. I'm using System Commander. Install DOS, install '95 over it, then install System Commander. It will detect the DOS install, and restore it. When the computer boots, it boots to System Commander, and you choose which OS you want to boot to.

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:00 pm

Problem solved! I had some files on the HDD copied over from another HDD. One of the files was a directory labeled "Win95", which contained a copy of Win95 'archived' to the HDD. Windows setup was seeing this directory, and thinking that '95 was already installed. I renamed the directory, and my problem went away.

thebigphish · Post by **thebigphish** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 4:05 pm

sounds kind of like the old "win.com" file trick of yesteryear, heck i think that thread is still on here...

it's amazing to see how far they have come in terms of having installers check for files before they install...especially upgrades