Microsoft KB Archive/132733

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Upgrading to Windows 95 Setup Questions and Answers

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Q132733

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows 95

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 Q. What versions of MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows can I upgrade to Windows 95?

A. You can upgrade Windows version 3.0 or later, Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or later, or MS-DOS or OEM-DOS version 3.2 or later. Q. Should I run the Windows 95 Setup program from MS-DOS or from an existing version of Windows?

A. Windows 95 Setup runs from MS-DOS, Windows version 3.1 or later, or Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or later. If you are running Windows version 3.1 or later or Windows for Workgroups version 3.1 or later, we recommend that you run Windows 95 Setup from within Windows. Q. When I run Windows 95 Setup in Windows 3.0, Setup tells me that it requires a newer version of Windows. How do I upgrade Windows 3.0?

A. To upgrade Windows 3.0 to Windows 95, run Setup from MS-DOS and choose to install Windows 95 in the same directory as Windows 3.0. Q. Can I install Windows 95 on a computer that dual-boots Windows NT(TM) and MS-DOS?

A. Yes. To install Windows 95 on a computer that dual-boots Windows NT and MS-DOS, start the computer in MS-DOS and run Setup either in Windows 3.1 or at an MS-DOS prompt. You cannot install Windows 95 in a directory with a shared Windows 3.1 and Windows NT configuration. In this situation, you must install Windows 95 in a different directory.

If your computer boots Windows NT, you must configure the computer to dual-boot MS-DOS and Windows NT and follow the instructions in the paragraph above. If you start the computer from an MS-DOS disk and then run Setup, you will no longer be able to boot Windows NT. However, you can restore Windows NT by starting the computer from the Windows NT Boot/Repair disk and then selecting the Repair option. Q. Can I install Windows 95 and still boot MS-DOS and Windows 3.1?

A. Windows 95 supports booting the earlier version of the operating system if you are using MS-DOS version 5.0 or later or IBM(R) PC-DOS version 5.0 or later. You cannot boot any version of DR DOS(R). When you install Windows 95 in a new directory, Setup automatically makes the required adjustments so the computer can dual-boot Windows 95 and MS-DOS. To boot MS- DOS on a Windows 95 computer with dual-boot enabled, press F4 or F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message.

If you install Windows 95 in a new directory, you must reinstall all your Windows-based programs for them to run properly in Windows 95. If you upgrade your earlier version of Windows to Windows 95, you do not need to reinstall your Windows-based programs because Windows 95 retains your settings. Q. I upgraded my installed versions of MS-DOS and Windows to Windows 95. How can I boot my earlier version of MS-DOS?

A. Although you cannot run the earlier version of Windows, you can boot the earlier version of MS-DOS. To do so, use the following three steps:

  Type the following command at an MS-DOS prompt to remove the system, hidden, and read-only attributes of the Msdos.sys file: "attrib c:\msdos.sys -s -h -r"  Use a text editor (such as Notepad) to edit the Msdos.sys file and add the following line to the [Options] section of the file: "BootMulti=1"</li> Restart your computer and press F4 or F8 when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message.

NOTE: When you boot an earlier version of MS-DOS, some of the MS-DOS commands may not work. This behavior occurs because Windows 95 removes some MS-DOS utilities.</li></ol> </li> Q. Can I install Windows 95 on a computer running IBM OS/2(R)?

A. Setup does not run in OS/2. However, you can install Windows 95 on a computer running OS/2 if you boot MS-DOS and run Setup from the MS-DOS prompt.

If you use OS/2 Boot Manager to choose operating systems at startup, note that Windows 95 Setup disables Boot Manager to ensure that it can restart the computer and complete the installation. You can reactivate Boot Manager by running the FDISK tool that is shipped with Windows 95.

If you do not use OS/2 Boot Manager, you must configure your computer to use Boot Manager and then follow the instructions above.</li> Q. Does Windows 95 Setup work on a hard disk compressed with Stacker(R)?

A. Yes. Windows 95 is compatible with Stacker version 2.0 or later, and with all versions of SuperStor(tm). Before you start Setup, make sure there is at least 1.5 megabytes (MB) of free hard disk space on the host drive, or 8 MB if you use a permanent swap file. If there is not enough free space on the host drive, you must run a utility from the compression software's manufacturer to increase the amount of free hard disk space on the host drive.</li> Q. Can I install Windows 95 on a hard disk partitioned with OnTrack Disk Manager?

A. Yes. Windows 95 is compatible with Disk Manager and even provides a protected-mode driver for Disk Manager version 6.03 or later. If you use Disk Manager version 6.03 or later, Windows 95 automatically uses its protected-mode driver.</li> Q. After I set up Windows 95, I cannot access my CD-ROM drive. What do I do?

A. If your CD-ROM drive is not recognized by Windows 95, use the following steps:

<ol> Make sure the correct real-mode driver for the CD-ROM drive is installed on the hard disk. This driver is normally shipped with the CD-ROM drive kit. If you do not have this driver, please contact the CD-ROM drive manufacturer.</li> Verify that the correct driver statement is in the Config.sys file, and that the driver statement specifies the correct path for the driver. For details about the specific driver statement for your CD-ROM drive, please consult the CD-ROM drive documentation or manufacturer.</li> Verify that Mscdex.exe is being loaded in the Autoexec.bat file, and that the Mscdex statement loads the Mscdex.exe file from the Windows\Command folder. For information about the Mscdex statement settings, please consult the CD-ROM drive documentation or manufacturer.</li> Restart Windows 95.</li></ol> </li></ol>

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Additional query words: 95 drdos dr-dos dr dos novell msnwin95misc

Keywords : kbfile win95 kbgraphxlinkcritical

Issue type : kbinfo

Technology : kbWin95search kbWin95