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Q142096: How to Reinstall Windows 95 to a New Folder

Article: Q142096
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): 
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsetup win95
Last Modified: 06-AUG-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to reinstall Windows 95 to a new folder.

MORE INFORMATION
================

NOTE: Be sure to disable any anti-virus software or "dirty" TSRs before you run
Windows 95 Setup. For additional information about "dirty" TSRs, click the
article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q139052 "Dirty" and "Deadly" TSRs Detected by Windows 95

To install Windows 95 to a new folder, you must run Setup from a real-mode
command prompt. If you run Setup from within Windows 95, you can reinstall
Windows 95 over the existing installation, but not to a new folder. To install
Windows 95 to a new folder, use the appropriate method:

Installing from Your Hard Disk
------------------------------

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.

2. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you
  type each line:

  cd\
  md w95flat

3. Insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.

4. At the command prompt, type the following line, and then press ENTER

  copy <drive>:\win95\*.* c:\w95flat

  where <drive> is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive.

5. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press
  the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only.

6. Make a backup copy and rename the system files in case you decide to return
  to your original installation of Windows 95. To do so, type the following
  lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

  attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys
  copy msdos.sys *.xxx
  copy autoexec.bat *.xxx
  copy config.sys *.xxx
  attrib -s -h -r system.1st
  ren system.1st *.xxx
  ren <windows> winold
  ren progra~1 progold

  where <windows> is the current windows directory.

  To return to your original Windows 95 installation, copy and rename the files
  listed above to their original names, and then restart your computer.

  NOTE: You cannot restore the Progra~1 folder from the command prompt. To
  restore the Progra~1 folder, restart the computer in Safe mode, start Windows
  Explorer, and then rename the Progold folder to Program Files.

7. Type "cd w95flat" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.

8. Run Setup. Specify a new folder for the Windows 95 installation. Make sure
  not to use the folder for your current installation of Windows 95.

  NOTE: During some installations, you are not offered an option to change the
  folder in which to install Windows unless you first rename the current
  Windows folder.

Installing from Windows 95 CD-ROM or Floppy Disks
-------------------------------------------------

1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press
  the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only.

2. Make a backup copy of the system files in case you decide to return to your
  original installation of Windows 95. To do so, follow these steps:

  a. Type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

  attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys
  copy msdos.sys *.xxx
  copy autoexec.bat *.xxx
  copy config.sys *.xxx

  b. To return to your original Windows 95 installation, copy the files listed
     above to their original names, and then restart your computer.

3. To install Windows 95 from disks, proceed to step 9.

4. To install Windows 95 from a CD-ROM, the real-mode CD-ROM drivers must be
  loaded in the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files. If they are not, continue
  with these steps. If they are, proceed to step 9.

5. View the Autoexec.dos file and note the line referring to the Mscdex.exe
  file.

6. View the Config.dos file and note the line referring to the CD-ROM driver.

7. Edit the Autoexec.bat file and add the MSCDEX statement you noted in step 5.
  Edit the Config.sys file and add the CD-ROM driver line you noted in step 6.

8. After you edit and save the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files, restart the
  computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key,
  and then choose Command Prompt Only.

9. Run Setup from the original Windows 95 disks or CD-ROM. Specify a new folder
  for the Windows 95 installation. Make sure not to use the folder for your
  current installation of Windows 95.

NOTE: When you install Windows 95 to a new folder, you must reinstall all
Windows-based programs in the new Windows 95 installation.

Additional query words: clean

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Keywords          : kbsetup win95 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : :
Issue type        : kbhowto

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