Windows 95 December 1995 Shell Update?

[DiskingRound]

While searching through cd.textfiles.com to see if there was any beta applications made by major companies I came across this page:
http://cd.textfiles.com/superozsw/ONLINE/DSC/SOS4/DIR39
It contains this interesting reference to a file that is supposedly a shell update to Windows 95:

Code: Select all

SHELLUP.ZIP    385224  03-15-96  MICROSOFT WINDOWS 95
                               | SHELL  UPDATE DEC95
                               | update your existing ver.
                               | just run it in win95

Unfortunately, I couldn't find anywhere the "SOS4" CD. Even cd.textfiles.com doesn't have it.
Does anyone have an idea what this is?

[thechief55]

If I am not mistaken this is Windows Desktop Update for Win 95 & NT 4.0
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Desktop_Update
Its somewhere on the FTP.

[sagem]

you might find it in one of these dir's I got into this part via getright web browser

http://cd.textfiles.com/superozsw/FILES/

[mallard]

The Windows Desktop Update was released in Oct '97, along with IE4.0. This file is dated March '96 and is described as being from December 1995. That's far too early for even a beta version of the Desktop Update. It's likely some sort of minor update to the Windows 95 shell and was probably included in the later OEM releases.

[southeastsa]

I think this was one component of Windows 95 Service Pack 1, which was released around this time.

Source: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/lits/network/w95/win95.html

[DiskingRound]

Well, none of the above can be confirmed until this zip file shows up (if ever). Hopefully we'll be able to find this someday.

[Battler]

- DiskingRound: Considering that site specifically mentions "Windows 95 Shell Update", how can we not confirm what it is?

[buricco]

I actually do remember a beta version of the shell update but December 1995 sounds way too early for it.

There was a beta CD of IE 4 - I don't have it anymore, I was in high school then and I graduated in 2000 - used the old "magnifying glass over a globe" logo. It came with the new shell. I remember it taking an aeon to install on my old 486.