KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q149584: Cannot Access Compressed Drives After Removing Windows 95

Article: Q149584
Product(s): Microsoft Windows 95.x Retail Product
Version(s): MS-DOS:6.0,6.2,6.22; WINDOWS:95
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): msdos win95
Last Modified: 18-DEC-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 6.0, 6.2, 6.22 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This information applies to both Microsoft DoubleSpace and Microsoft
DriveSpace. For MS-DOS 6.22, use DRVSPACE in place of DBLSPACE for
commands and file names.

SYMPTOMS
========

If you upgrade to Windows 95 on a computer with a compressed drive C, and then
uncompress drive C in Windows 95, you may lose access to all other compressed
drives if you later remove (uninstall) Windows 95.

CAUSE
=====

When the uninstall information was saved, the real-mode compression driver and
other MS-DOS system files were located on the host drive for compress- ed drive
C. Because drive C is no longer compressed when you remove Windows 95, the host
drive is no longer available and the real-mode compression driver cannot be
restored. Therefore, any remaining compressed drives are not mounted and cannot
be accessed.

RESOLUTION
==========

To work around this problem, create a small new DoubleSpace drive and then
delete it. This creates a Dblspace.ini file and loads Dblspace.bin into memory
so that you can mount the remaining compressed drives. For information about how
to do so, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q100763 Using Compressed Floppy Disks without a Compressed Hard Disk

After the new compressed drive is created, you can use DoubleSpace to mount any
other compressed drives on your computer.

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

Even if you choose to save your existing system files during Windows 95 Setup,
you may be unable to successfully remove Windows 95 if your system configuration
has changed significantly since the uninstall information was saved.

Additional query words: 6.00 6.20 6.22

======================================================================
Keywords          : msdos win95 
Technology        : kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3 kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600
Version           : MS-DOS:6.0,6.2,6.22; WINDOWS:95

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.