Windows 95, original release, without Internet Explorer?

[RentedMule]

Hello all,

I am working on an application at the moment which specifically targets Windows 95 (not the focus of this discussion). Due to this, I downloaded all of the separate releases (initial release, OSR1, OSR2, 2.1, and 2.5) from the FTP, so that I could test. I ran into something peculiar I wish to gather some feedback on.

The image that I downloaded and installed for the initial release was

/(Abandonware) Operating Systems/PC/Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950) [English] [OEM].rar

. However, it isn't without Internet Explorer. As a matter of fact, the version of Internet Explorer that it has installed claims to be 4.40.308. I'm not sure how or why it is there, but I am pretty sure it shouldn't be. In the properties window, the Windows version is indeed 4.00.950, so this isn't a service release nor does it have a service pack installed. It does NOT look like IE4 either.



So why is IE in this installation? What version is it really? Is there an image on the FTP that is Windows 95 before Internet Explorer?

Thanks

[Win95Fan]

As the image name suggests, it's an OEM release.

[3155ffGd]

That looks like IE1. Since it's labeled OEM that one OEM probably included IE1 with their version of Windows 95.

I recommend you check out the MSDN files if you want Windows 95 without Internet Explorer, since they're bound to have that somewhere.

[The Distractor]

win95 rtm on CD included IE1, iirc.

[WinPC]

As far as I know, the floppy disk version did not include Internet Explorer. You could try installing that, just to see if it is what you're looking for.

[James]

The reason it's called 4.40 is because of Mosaic, I think.

[WinPC]

The reason it's called 4.40 is because of Mosaic, I think.

No, actually, as far as I know, Internet Explorer 1.0 was originally released as part of Microsoft Plus!. As such, it shared the same version number as Microsoft Plus! itself, and if I remember correctly, even the build number was the same, simply because it was planned to be simply a component of the entire Microsoft Plus! package, though as far as I know, it was also made available for download from The Microsoft Network.

Still, I am not sure whether there are retail copies of the original CD-ROM version of Windows 95 without Internet Explorer included, but Internet Explorer 1.0 was infact included with Microsoft Plus!, and the version number was labeled as such to reflect that.

[RentedMule]

According to the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95, both the retail and the OEM version of the initial Windows 95 release should be without IE. It lists Internet Explorer 1.0 as part of the Plus! package, as WinPC has pointed out. So I did some digging to see if this image possibly included Plus! somehow. Per wikipedia, some files should have a timestamp of 1995-07-14 04:40:00 and a version number of 4.40.310. However, I did a search and all files had a timestamp of 1995-07-11 09:50:00, and all files with a version were 4.00.950. That pretty much brought me to the conclusion that Plus! was not present. There is mention that DriveSpace 3.0 was included in Plus! (vs. 2.0 that apparently came with windows), so as one last thing to check, I checked it. While the executable lists its version as 4.00.950, opening up and going to Help->About lists "32 bit driver version 2". So Plus! definitely is not installed.

So either A) The retail version and/or floppy version is the version of Windows 95, initial release that does not contain Internet Explorer while the OEM release did, or B) Windows 95, initial release shipped with Internet Explorer in every type.

Either way, Wikipedia will need updated. I am downloading the floppy version to install it and see what it holds. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem the FTP has a retail version for me to check out

[WinPC]

Even though Microsoft Plus! is not installed by default in this version, Internet Explorer 1.0 would still have the Microsoft Plus! version and build number, since it was officially made available as part of the Microsoft Plus! package, and as such is still considered to be part of its official feature set.

[RentedMule]

Well, the Plus! version of IE1, following the Plus! version number would be 4.40.310. However, this is 4.40.308. Would this be IE<1 then?

Edit: So, I checked the Internet Explorer page of Wikipedia and came across this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_E ... y_versions

The first version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Internet Explorer (later referred to as Internet Explorer 1) made its debut on 16 August 1995. It was a reworked version of Spyglass Mosaic, which Microsoft licensed from Spyglass Inc., like many other companies initiating browser development.[9][10] It came with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 and the OEM release of Windows 95

So there is confirmation that this should be in the OEM image of Windows 95. I'm installing the floppy set now to check, since that is labeled OEM also. It would be nice to have a retail copy of Windows 95, however I will check the one labeled 'Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950) [English] (Upgrade).rar'. Do we know what the upgrade looks for when installing so I don't have to install, say, Windows 3.11?

[WinPC]

Well, the Plus! version of IE1, following the Plus! version number would be 4.40.310. However, this is 4.40.308. Would this be IE<1 then?

Edit: So, I checked the Internet Explorer page of Wikipedia and came across this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_E ... y_versions

The first version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Internet Explorer (later referred to as Internet Explorer 1) made its debut on 16 August 1995. It was a reworked version of Spyglass Mosaic, which Microsoft licensed from Spyglass Inc., like many other companies initiating browser development.[9][10] It came with Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 and the OEM release of Windows 95

So there is confirmation that this should be in the OEM image of Windows 95. I'm installing the floppy set now to check, since that is labeled OEM also. It would be nice to have a retail copy of Windows 95, however I will check the one labeled 'Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950) [English] (Upgrade).rar'. Do we know what the upgrade looks for when installing so I don't have to install, say, Windows 3.11?

The Internet Explorer 1.0 version number most likely refers to a pre-release version of Microsoft Plus!, albeit a very late one at that, which would explain the slight difference in build number. Most likely, it was at around the same time that that particular Build 308 of Microsoft Plus! was compiled that Internet Explorer 1.0 was finalized.

As for the Windows 95 Upgrade, as far as I know, it searches for files such as WIN.COM, and possibly WIN.CNF. I would first create a WINDOWS directory, then extract the contents of the MINI.CAB, PRECOPY1.CAB, and PRECOPY2.CAB (also PRECOPY3.CAB for versions that have one) into the WINDOWS directory, and then do the same for the SYSTEM subdirectory. Then, in the Windows directory, I would create a dummy file masquerading as WIN.COM, and I would do the same for WIN.CNF. That at least worked in one case over a year ago, and if I remember correctly, it was using the exact same procedure that I mentioned above.

Alternatively, it should be possible to edit out one of the .INF files to state a different "ProductType=" setting (the setting can be anything from 0 to 9 if I remember correctly), but you would have to first copy over the contents of the Setup files to the hard disk, since you would need to extract the .INF file to accomplish this (the extracted .INF file would need to be in the same directory with the Setup files also, which is why you would need to copy everything to the hard disk).

[louisw3]

windows 95 upgrade searches for

c:\XXX\win.com
c:\XXX\system\win386.exe

I used to just copy any file into those locations, and I'd be good to go to 'upgrade' . having the in a different directory is key, as this version of windows isn't complete, and it will give you an option to fresh install windows 95 into the c:\windows directory.

[The Distractor]

windows 95 upgrade searches for

c:\XXX\win.com
c:\XXX\system\win386.exe

I used to just copy any file into those locations, and I'd be good to go to 'upgrade' . having the in a different directory is key, as this version of windows isn't complete, and it will give you an option to fresh install windows 95 into the c:\windows directory.

yeah, there's a better way.

echo.>c:\ntldr

[WinPC]

Except of course that Windows 95 is not an upgrade from Windows NT 3.x; it's an upgrade from Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and earlier. Because of that, I highly doubt that Windows NT would qualify, so I don't think that it would search for NTLDR.

Still, it might be interesting to try it out, but I don't think that it will work that way.

[3155ffGd]

I think I read somewhere that a floppy with os2ldr is enough to satisfy the upgrade requirement of Windows 95.

[RentedMule]

Ok, just got finished installing the floppy OEM set, the retail upgrade, and I went ahead and tried the checked/debug image.

The floppy version and the checked build (which is OEM, not retail, apparently) contain IE 4.00.308. The retail upgrade, however, does not! So, apparently, it was only the retail version that was sans Internet Explorer.

I will likely make the Wikipedia edit tomorrow. A little more information for everyone. Cheers.

[ExplicitNuM5]

You could "uninstall" (read: disable) the Internet Explorer on you install Windows 95.

[RentedMule]

Installing/uninstalling Internet Explorer has nothing to do with this thread. I was simply trying to determine proper information on Windows 95

[Win95Fan]

Only retail editions of Windows 95 shipped without Internet Explorer.
However, it can be installed with the Plus! pack.

[os2fan2]

You can install the retail upgrade onto a new machine, with simply the Windows 3.11 on the same cdrom as Win95. That suffices.

[TheOtherGuy]

Hello all,

I am working on an application at the moment which specifically targets Windows 95 (not the focus of this discussion). Due to this, I downloaded all of the separate releases (initial release, OSR1, OSR2, 2.1, and 2.5) from the FTP, so that I could test. I ran into something peculiar I wish to gather some feedback on.

The image that I downloaded and installed for the initial release was

/(Abandonware) Operating Systems/PC/Microsoft Windows 95 (4.00.950) [English] [OEM].rar

. However, it isn't without Internet Explorer. As a matter of fact, the version of Internet Explorer that it has installed claims to be 4.40.308. I'm not sure how or why it is there, but I am pretty sure it shouldn't be. In the properties window, the Windows version is indeed 4.00.950, so this isn't a service release nor does it have a service pack installed. It does NOT look like IE4 either.

So why is IE in this installation? What version is it really? Is there an image on the FTP that is Windows 95 before Internet Explorer?

Thanks

Been a fair while since iv'e used windows 95, though i was of the opinion that the only build that never had an IE incorporated, was the 13 floppy disk set of the initial build 950.

[WD2014]

Floppy version of Windows 95 (11-07-1995) haven't Internet Explorer.

CD version of Windows 95 (11-07-1995) includes Internet Explorer 1.0. 4.40.308.

[Big Monstro]

Winworlpc.com contains numerous versions of Windows 95
http://wdl2.winworldpc.com/Abandonware Operating Systems/PC/Microsoft Windows/Windows 95/

[os2fan2]

Unlike OS/R2 and later, OS/R1 did not have IE code comingled with Win95. You could delete it, for example. It's only later that microsoft comingled the code, and passed all of the Help calls through HH and trident, rather than winhelp.exe.

OS/2 Connect had a browser in it too, but it was a separate application of similar power (mosaic). But in IBM's time, netscrape was the preferred browser. The latest version ecs still ships with netscrape because some proggies decided to use html help through netscrape.

[zenakrua]

I remember my Packard Bell coming with Netscape for some reason. Either way, I had to use that Plus! cd to get IE on.