How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk?
Monday, 27 July, 2009
REALLY OLD QUESTION
I'm unable to start my computer as there seem to be a number of corrupted files/folders. I've lost my startup disk but have my full version of Windows 95 on disk and the original driver disks from when I purchased the system. In DOS the CD-ROM is not being recognised. How can I get the system back up and running? Am I able to do this without losing all the work on my hard drive?
(Originally posted May 2002)
Trent Broederlow, Edithvale, VIC
 To reinstall Windows 95 from CD, you'll have to get yourself a start up disk containing DOS-mode CD drivers. A friend can do this for you (they click Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, click the Startup Disk tab, click Create Disk and follow the instructions). You should then be able to run Windows Setup from the CD and reinstall Windows without losing your data (although there are no guarantees when you do a complete reinstall, I'm afraid). Rose Vines
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MikePPosted: 29/07/2009 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? Please look at this site:
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
you can download bootdiscs for everything from DOS5 upwards.
The site includes instructions on how to use
The site also has the fdisk for W98SE extended logical block addressing.
You will need access to a PC with a floppy drive. andrew peter collinsPosted: 28/07/2009 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? With XP being made redundant at the end of this year from what i've heard, why would you want to install such an old Operating System in the first place? Andy.
(Nostalgia? Neuralgia? -PZ) Jim KennedyPosted: 27/07/2009 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? I do this about once every 6 months since I find old pc's left out for the garbage or else by them for very little at the Goodwill or Salvation army. I search for windows95 and windows95 format disks on google and sometimes on msn. I just keep downloading onto floppies until I find one that will recognize the particular hardrive on the pc I am trying to format. That usually is what hangs me up, as most cd-rom drivers in the "generic boot disks" offered for free work for most cd=rom drives out there. So keep trial and error open as a possibility. It works but takes a lot of time before you find the right download to get all the way to through a fdisk and format. angaelaPosted: 06/07/2008 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? i have a hitachi laptop with setup disk or floppy for windows 95 how can i fix it
(Sorry but I don't understand your question. If it's that old you could donate it to a museum. -PZ) amranPosted: 30/04/2007 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? my labtop can not bot cd room plz solve my problim labtob model is mn776o
(Can you hold it up to the screen please Amran. I can't quite see it from here. Or you could take it to a technician who CAN see it. -PZ) AACPosted: 19/11/2003 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? Ha try to create a startup disk ... and tell me if it worked? After your done "playing" around with that. Try to set your Bios to start CD, HDD,Floppy.
or
Any Windows 95, 98, 98se startup disk will work. If setup don't run, try..... on the CD..... Tool/Sysrec/PCrestore.bat
PCrestore.bat work everytime, even if none of the files match. It will recover your computer. i promise.
Mick AmadioPosted: 08/06/2002 Or if you don't want to do that... You can create a bootable Win 95 floppy from the web (I virus scanned it and tested it) complete with all the cd-rom drivers you should need.Where? Dr D's Windows 95 Page: http:\\www.drd.dyndns.org/index2.html Gregory PeekPosted: 23/05/2002 re: How do I reinstall Windows 95 with no start up disk? A lot of computers would allow you to boot from the CD ROM rather than from the floppy disk. Win 95 is a bootable CD-ROM, as far as I recall. Just go to the BIOS pressing DEL (usually) after the PC is on and choose a boot (or load) device.
If you boot from the CD-ROM, you'll be offered a choice of going to setup or going to command prompt. I would suggest to do the latter as you can use FDISK in that mode. The generic CD-ROM drivers would automatically be loaded too. Zoran TubakovicPosted: 23/05/2002 Or you could ... If you can get in DOS. Install your drivers of your CD-ROM and than you'll be able to type D:\setup.exe and start up Win 95. Ian NicholsonPosted: 23/05/2002 Maybe this is more helpful... Basically, you need to be able to create a startup floppy disk so that when you boot your PC with it, you can access your CD drive (usually as the D: drive)
A Windows 95 Rescue Disk will NOT help you with booting with your CD, but make one anyway.
You need to format a floppy drive including the system files, then copy the appropriate driver for your CD drive to the floppy along with HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.EXE, MOUSE.SYS and MSCDEX.EXE
Your files should then look like this:-
CONFIG.SYS
DEVICE=A:\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=A:\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
DEVICEHIGH=A:\(YourCDDriver).SYS /D:MSCD0001
AUTOEXEC.BAT
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
LH A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD0001 /M:20 /S
replace the (YourCDDriver).SYS with the actual name of your CD driver.
Only when you can successfully boot from this floppy should you attempt to reinstall Windows 95.
Tip:- If your Windows is an OEM version, you'll need to perform an
FDISK /mbr
then
FDISK
to wipe the current contents of your drive first!
I hope this helps!
Good luck!
Ian Nicholson |