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Windows 95 > Getting Started with Windows 95


How do I install Windows 95 on a computer with nothing else on it?

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First you will need to use Fdisk to create a File Allocation TABLE (FAT) partition on your hard drive to install Windows 95 to. If you bought the Windows 95 package designed for a computer without Windows (not the upgrade) it will come with a start-up disk for this purpose. The start-up disk will create a partition and format it for you. It will then ask for Setup Disk 1 or the CD-ROM, which will install Windows 95.

If you want to install the Windows 95 Upgrade version on to an empty system, you will need a boot disk with the DOS utilities Fdisk, Format, Sys. First you will need to use Fdisk to create a File Allocation TABLE (FAT) partition on your hard drive. Here is how:

  1. In the Fdisk Options screen, press Enter. The Create DOS Partition or Logical DOS Drive screen appears
  2. Press Enter. The Create Primary DOS Partition screen appears
  3. If you want the partition to be the maximum size, press Enter. Then insert your startup disk in drive A, and press a key If you don't want the partition to be the maximum size, press n, and then press Enter. Another Create Primary DOS Partition screen appears
  4. Follow the instructions on-screen to specify the partition size you want, and then press Enter

    You can specify the partition size as a percentage of disk space or in megabytes of disk space. If you specify a percentage of disk space, include a percent (%) sign after the number

  5. Press Esc to return to the Fdisk Options screen, then follow the instructions on-screen to make the primary DOS partition active, and then return to the Fdisk Options screen

    If you have not allocated all the space on a disk drive to the primary DOS partition, you can create an extended DOS partition and logical drives by choosing the Create Extended DOS Partition in Fdisk. You specify the partition size you want as a percentage or number of megabytes of disk space. If you don't want to create an extended partition, press Esc to quit Fdisk. Insert a startup disk in drive A, and press any key

For more information on using Fdisk read Microsoft's Knowledge Base Article No 106423

Second you will have to format your hard drive with the option /s (Format c:/s). Now you can start with the Setup Disk 1 or the CD-ROM, to install Windows 95. You will also need your Windows 3.1 Disk 1, as proof that you're eligible for the upgrade.
If you have the CD-ROM version of Windows 95, you would need to have the drivers for your CD-ROM drive, and the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files with the correct settings for your CD-ROM drive. If you have a driver disk with your CD-ROM drive, you first install the drivers after formatting. If you don't have a driver disk, try to find someone with a similar drive and copy their drivers and Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files, using only the settings related to the CD-ROM drive.

If you encounter difficulties installing Win95, try Microsoft's Windows 95 Support Center.

June 23, 2003