Microsoft KB Archive/135897

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Windows 95 CD-ROM Faq.txt File (1 of 2)

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Q135897

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 95

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SUMMARY
This article contains a copy of the information in the Faq.txt file from the Windows 95 CD-ROM. Setup copies this file to the Windows folder. This article is the first of two articles.

MORE INFORMATION
 Microsoft Windows 95 README for Frequently Asked Questions August 1995

(c) Copyright Microsoft Corporation, 1995

This document provides complementary or late-breaking information to supplement the Microsoft Windows 95 documentation.

How to Use This Document

To view FAQ.txt on screen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window.

To print FAQ.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then use the Print command on the File menu.

- CONTENTS - Windows 95 Setup MS-DOS Disk Compression Using CD-ROMs and Windows Networking Accessing the Internet with Windows 95 Desktop PCMCIA Cards Modems Miscellaneous

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==== Windows 95 Setup

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[Q: What are some things I can do to make it easier to install Windows 95?]

Some of steps to follow to ensure a trouble-free installation are: - Run a virus scan before running Setup. - Run ScanDisk or Chkdsk before running Setup. - Make sure you have at least 40-45 MB free disk space (50-55 MB to back up your previous MS-DOS and Windows system files so you can  uninstall Windows 95 if needed). - If you have had any problems with your hardware or software, fix them before installing Windows 95. - Turn off any screen savers or utilities that are running. - Backup your Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files to a floppy disk. - Remove any unnecessary programs from Config.sys and Autoexec.bat. These may include Undelete programs, anti-virus software, boot configuration programs, or any disk utilities. - Remark the load= and run= lines in Win.ini by placing a semicolon in front of the load and run lines (for example, ;load=C:\Msoffice\Msoffice.exe). - Shut down any anti-virus software you are running. If you install Windows 95 on a computer that has a CMOS or system BIOS based anti- virus setting, you will receive an error message and Setup will stop. Consult the hardware documentation for information on system BIOS or CMOS enabled settings such as virus detection. - Run Setup from Windows or Windows for Workgroups. - Shut down any running programs. - Remove programs from the Startup group before installation.

[Q: How do I uninstall Windows 95?]

To return to a previously installed version of Windows 3.1, run the Uninstall program. To uninstall Windows 95, "Save System Files" must be chosen during Setup.

To run the uninstall program:

1. Click the Start menu, point to Settings, and then choose Control Panel. 2. Double Click Add-Remove Programs. 3. In the Add-Remove Programs properties dialog box, click the Install/Uninstall tab. 4. In the list of software that can be removed by Windows, click Windows 95. 5. Click Add/Remove, and then follow the directions on your screen. The Uninstall program will remove all long filename entries from your hard disk, and then run an MS-DOS-based program to remove Windows 95 and restore your previous MS-DOS and Windows 3.x files.
 * If Windows 95 is running:

1. Boot from the Windows 95 Emergency Repair Disk if you created one during setup. 2. Type UNINSTAL at the A prompt.
 * If Windows 95 is not running:

OR

1. Boot from an MS-DOS boot disk. 2. Type the following at the A prompt

X:\Windows\Command\Uninstall.exe

Where x is the drive letter where Windows 95 is installed, and \windows is the name of your Windows 95 directory.

NOTE: It is recommended that you run Uninstall from within Windows 95, otherwise all long filename information may not be completely removed from your hard disk.

[Q: How do I install Windows 95 from a CD-ROM drive?]

Windows 95 can be installed from a CD-ROM drive from within MS-DOS or from within an existing version of Windows. The preferred and most reliable method is to install from an existing version of Windows.

To install Windows 95 from MS-DOS: 1. Boot to a C:\ prompt, and then insert the Windows 95 CD in the CD- ROM drive. 2. Type the drive letter followed by a colon and a backslash (\), and the word setup. For example:

D:\Setup

3. Press ENTER, and then follow the instructions on your screen. 4. Click Next to continue Setup, and then follow the instructions on  your screen.

To install from your current version of Windows: 1. Start Windows, and then insert the Windows 95 CD in the appropriate drive. 2. In File Manager or Program Manager, click the File menu, and then click Run. 3. Type:

x:\Setup

where x is the drive letter of your CD-ROM. 4. Follow the instructions on your screen. 5. Click Next to continue Setup.

[Q: How do I install Windows 95 from a remote CD-ROM drive?]

If the computer with the CD-ROM drive is running Windows for Workgroups or Windows 95, share the CD-ROM drive, and then follow these steps:

1. Connect to the shared CD-ROM by connecting to a network drive in  File Manager or by using the "net use" syntax at the command prompt. For example:

net use * \\machine\cdshare

2. Double-click Setup.exe, or at the command prompt type setup.

[Q: How do I prepare my computer for a clean installation of Windows 95?]

Windows 95 will install over MS-DOS, as well as over existing versions of Windows and Windows for Workgroups.

>From File Manager in Windows or Windows for Workgroups:

1. Click the drive letter for the drive that Windows 95 will be  installed from. Examples: a:\ (floppy disk users) d:\ (CD-ROM users) 2. Double-click Setup.exe to start the installation process.

During installation, Windows 95 checks for available disk space. If the required hard disk space is not available, Windows 95 displays how much free is space available and how much is required. To free up space on the hard disk, remove unnecessary files.

[Q: Do I need to reinstall my programs when I install Windows 95?]

Windows 95 will pick up program settings when you upgrade an existing version of Windows or Windows for Workgroups. If Windows 95 is installed in a separate directory, all Windows-based programs need to be reinstalled.

[Q: How do I set up Windows 95 on a computer running Windows NT?]

The Windows NT computer must be configured as multi-boot between Windows NT and MS-DOS.

1. Start up the Windows NT computer in MS-DOS mode. 2. Run Windows 3.x, and then in Program Manager, select the File menu, and then choose the Run command. 3. Type:

x:\Setup.exe

where x is the drive letter containing your Windows 95 Setup disk or CD-ROM. 4. Install Windows 95 in a new directory.

NOTE: Windows 95 cannot be installed into the same directory as Windows NT or a shared Windows NT/Windows 3.x directory.

A FAT partition is required for the Windows 95 / Windows NT dual boot configuration to work. Windows 95 must be installed into a separate directory on the FAT partition. The Windows NT OS Loader automatically provides a choice for Windows 95 or MS-DOS on the menu.

[Q: I have 25 MB free on my hard disk, and when I try to upgrade to Windows 95 it tells me I do not have enough disk space. How much do I need for Windows 95 if I am upgrading?]

When you upgrade over Windows 95, you need 35-40 MB of free disk space, as opposed to 50-55 MB for a full installation.

NOTE: Actual numbers vary depending on options and accessories selected during Setup. If you use disk compression (MS-DOS DoubleSpace or DriveSpace, or Stacker), Setup may require more than 35-40 MB because of the way disk compression estimates available space. Setup will adjust the required free space to ensure that you do not run out of disk space during Setup.

[Q: Can I install Windows 95 on a computer that has OS/2 \MS- DOS\Windows? Can I still dual boot?]

Windows 95 Setup.exe will not run on OS/2. To install Windows 95, boot the computer to MS-DOS, and then run Setup.exe from the MS-DOS prompt.

NOTE: If you are upgrading over OS/2 on an HPFS partition, you will need your OS/2 disk 1 during Setup.

If you are using OS/2 Boot Manager to choose operating systems at startup, Setup will disable Boot Manager to insure that Windows 95 can reboot the system and complete its installation. Boot Manager can be reactivated by running the FDISK utility that comes with OS/2 (see procedure at the end of this section).

If you are not using Boot Manager, configure your computer to use Boot Manager, and then follow the instructions above. Consult your OS/2 documentation for information on Boot Manager.

If you start MS-DOS from a floppy disk and then run Setup, you will not be able to start OS/2 after Windows 95 is installed. You need to delete the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files that OS/2 uses before running Setup.

To remove OS/2 from your computer after you install Windows 95: 1. Back up the files you want to keep onto a floppy disk or network drive. 2. Delete the files in each of your OS/2 directories and subdirectories, and then delete the OS/2 directories. 3. In the root directory, you need to delete the following hidden files:

EA DATA.SF  OS2LDR.MSG OS2KRNL OS2BOOT WP DATA.SF

In My Computer or Windows Explorer, make sure hidden files are visible. To do this, click the View menu and then click Options. Then click "Show All Files". Then delete the OS/2 files listed above.

Note: If you have a version of OS/2 other than version 2.0, the names of your OS/2 files may differ from those in this procedure. Also, depending on which version of OS/2 you have, you may see the following files in your root directory which you can delete:

OS2DUMP OS2LDR OS2LOGO OS2VER

4. Empty the Recycle Bin to permanently remove the files from your computer. 5. If you had Boot Manager installed and want to remove it, restart your computer and then complete the following steps. (It is  recommended that you print this file before restarting your   computer.) 6. When you see the Boot Manager menu, choose to boot to MS-DOS and run FDisk. 7. Make the MS-DOS partition (C) your active partition. 8. Quit FDisk and then restart your computer.

To reinstall Boot Manager after you install Windows 95: 1. From the Windows 95 Start menu, click Run and then type FDISK. 2. Choose the option, Set Active Partition. 3. Enter the number of the Boot Manager Partition. This partition is  the 1MB Non-DOS partition usually placed at the top or bottom. 4. Quit FDISK, and restart your computer as instructed. You can now start OS/2 at any time and change labels of partitions in Boot Manager through the OS/2 FDISK program.

[Q: How do I make copies of my original disks to install from?]

The DMF disk format is not compatible with the Diskcopy or Copy commands and increases the amount of data stored on a standard 1.44/3.5 in. diskette. There is no way to make a direct copy of these diskettes.

[Q: Can I make floppy disk images from the CD?]

The CD-ROM contains cabinet files (*.cab) files that are 2 MB each and will not copy onto floppy disks.

[Q: Setup keeps hanging during the information-gathering section, how do I bypass the problem?]

Occasionally Setup can stop while detecting a device on the computer. 1. Turn the computer off for 10 seconds, and then turn it back on. 2. Rerun Setup to bypass the problem by choosing Safe Recovery. 3. Setup will continue bypassing the detection problem it encountered on the previous attempt. 4. Continue to power off the computer, and rerun Setup as needed until the Windows 95 setup process is compete.

NOTE: If you have already run safe recovery several times, you can manually select the hardware in your system to minimize the chance of stopping, since Setup will detect only the hardware you select.

[Q: Should I set up a separate partition to install Windows 95?]

As with any software package, it is always a good idea to have a backup before installing it. Windows 95 has been tested on thousands of computers on many system configurations with a very high success rate, so we are confident that you will have few problems, if any, installing Windows 95.

An uninstall feature can be enabled during Setup. Uninstall copies your previous MS-DOS and Windows 3.x versions and keeps a log, so that Windows 95 can be removed and the previous files returned to where they were before Windows 95 was installed.

Windows 95 does not require its own partition, however, it can be installed if you want to dual boot between your current Windows 3.x and Windows 95.

[Q: Should I install into my existing Windows directory or a different directory?]

Preserving your existing installation of Windows and upgrading on top of it is highly recommended as Setup is using your existing configuration files (Config.sys, Autoexec.bat, System.ini, Win.ini, Protocol.ini) for more accurate detection and installation. The advantage to installing in your existing Windows directory is that the previous settings and applications are used in the new installation.

The advantage to installing Windows 95 into a different directory is that it preserves your previous DOS/Windows configuration, allowing you to dual boot between versions. The disadvantage is that all Windows applications and possibly drivers for hardware peripherals (sound cards, tape drives, etc.) must be re-installed to put the proper support files in place as well as the application settings in the .ini files and/or the registry.

[Q: How do I set up Windows 95 into a separate subdirectory?]

During Setup, Windows 95 you are prompted to provide a directory to install Windows 95 into.

To install Windows 95 into a new directory: 1. Click the Other Directory option, and then click Next. 2. Enter the new directory. For example, C:\Win95.

[Q: What files do I backup to preserve Windows 95 settings?]

You can use the Windows 95 Backup utility to backup your system and all user and software specific preferences. In order to do this, use the Full System Backup File set which is described on the second screen that comes up when you run Backup.

NOTE: After installing Windows 95 into another directory, all programs (and possibly all hardware-peripheral drivers) must be re-installed.

[Q: I have installed Windows 95 into different directory than Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups 3.1x. How do I set up to dual boot between them?]

When installing Windows 95 into a different directory, dual booting is enabled by default. Dual boot is only available if the existing version of MS-DOS is version 5.0 or greater. If this criteria is met, dual booting to a previous version of MS-DOS is accomplished by: 1. Pressing the F8 key when you see the prompt, "Starting Windows 95" at startup. 2. From the menu select the option, Previous Version of MS-DOS.

[Q: What files does Windows 95 modify during Setup?]

Windows 95 is a new operating system, and affects many files on the system.

[Q: Can I run the Windows 95 Setup program from MS-DOS? Do I lose any functionality?]

If you have a running installation of Windows 3.x or Windows for Workgroups 3.x1, it is strongly recommended that you run Setup from your existing version of Windows. This provides the safest and smoothest installation. If you do run Setup from MS-DOS, and it detects Windows on the computer, it will recommend quitting Setup and rerunning it from Windows. If you do run Setup from MS-DOS, Setup may run slower (especially if installing from floppy disks).

[Q: Can I set up Windows 95 from a network?]

Yes. There are two ways to set up Windows 95 from a network location: -- Create a Windows 95 flat directory by either using the COPY command for a CD-ROM, or by using the Extract command for floppy disks. Connect to the shared directory, run Setup, and then choose a directory on your computer to set up to. -- Go to Nettools directory (CD-ROM only) to use the Netsetup Utility.

[Q: Setup stops after the first reboot, why won't it restart?]

There are several reasons, ranging from video problems to disk-access issues. Here are some steps to troubleshoot a no-start situation:

1. Restart Windows 95, and then press F8 when you see the message "Starting Windows 95...". 2. Choose Safe Mode from the Startup menu. If Windows 95 starts, change the video driver to the standard VGA driver by following these steps:

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. 2. Double-click the Display icon. 3. Click the Settings tab, and then click Change Display Type. 4. Click Change in the Adapter Type section, and then click Show Compatible Devices. 5. Click Standard Display Types, and then double-click Standard Display Adapter (VGA). Click OK. 6. Restart Windows 95.

If Windows 95 still stops during startup:

1. Rename Config.sys and Autoexec.bat and/or 2. Go to Control Panel, and then double-click the System icon. 3. Click the Performance tab, and then click the File System button. 4. Select the Troubleshooting tab. 5. Check all of the available boxes, and then click OK in all dialog boxes and reboot.

[Q: I was running Setup for the first time and it stopped during hardware detection. What do I do now?]

If your computer stops during the hardware-detection phase of Setup, turn off the power on your system, wait 10 seconds, and then turn the power back on. Do not press CTRL-ALT-DEL. When your system restarts, restart Windows using Safe Recovery, which will skip the portion of detection that caused the problem. If your system stops again, it will be in a different detection module. Perform these steps as many times as necessary to allow your system to complete detection.

[Q: Setup didn't detect my network card, how do I set up my network card?]

To add a network adapter: >From Control Panel, double click Add New Hardware, and let Windows try to detect the network card. If it does not, you can manually select it as follows:

1. From Control Panel, double click the Network icon. 2. Click Add, and then click Adapter. 3. Find your make and model from the list of manufacturers. 4. Change the displayed settings to match your card's configuration. --If it is not a listed network adapter, check the diskette that came with your adapter. If the driver came with Windows or Lanman (NDIS compatible) diskettes, then select "Have Disk" and point it    to the path of the Oemsetup.inf file. --If there are only Novell ODI drivers available, install the driver in Autoexec.bat using the LSL.com and the .com (provided by Novell and the NetWare card manufacturer) and then select "Existing ODI Driver" from "(detected net drivers)." For more information on how to install the ODI driver, consult your network card manufacturer. Keywords : win95

Issue type :

Technology : kbWin95search kbWin95