General Windows 95 Setup Questions and Answers (132732)

This article was previously published under Q132732

1. Q. How do I make backup copies of my original Windows 95 disks before I install Windows 95?
   
   A. Windows 95 disks are Distribution Media Format (DMF) disks and are not compatible with the MS-DOS COPY and DISKCOPY commands. You cannot create backup copies of the Windows 95 disks.
2. Q. What happens if the power fails or if my computer restarts during Setup?
   
   A. Windows 95 Setup has a feature called Safe Recovery. Depending on where Setup was interrupted, you may be able to simply turn your computer off and back on, run Setup again, and choose Safe Recovery when you are prompted.
3. Q. What do I do if Setup stops responding (hangs) while it is detecting the hardware in my computer?
   
   A. If Setup hangs while it is detecting the hardware in your computer, turn your computer off and back on, run Setup again, and choose Safe Recovery when you are prompted.
4. Q. Why does Setup tell me I am running virus-protection software when I cannot find any on my computer?
   
   A. Some computers have built-in virus protection. If virus protection is enabled in your computer's CMOS settings, Setup cannot continue. Please contact your hardware vendor for information about temporarily disabling this feature.
5. Q. How do I install a feature of Windows 95 that I did not install originally?
   
   A. If you want to add or remove a Windows 95 component, use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel. On the Windows Setup tab, click the items you want to add or remove.
6. Q. What is Setup doing when I see the "Getting ready to run Windows 95 for the first time" screen?
   
   A. After Setup restarts your computer, it must complete the installation process. Setup accomplishes the following tasks while the "Getting ready to run Windows 95 for the first time" screen is displayed:
   
   
   • Setup processes the Wininit.ini file and combines all the virtual device drivers listed in the [CombineVxDs] section of the file into one file called Vmm32.vxd. Combining these drivers provides faster startup times.
   • Setup renames all the files that were in use during the first portion of Setup. For example, Setup renames the User32.tmp file to User32.exe and renames the Command.new file to Command.com.
   • Setup makes a backup copy of the registry for troubleshooting purposes.
   After these tasks are accomplished, Setup starts the Windows 95 graphical user interface (GUI) and completes the installation process by converting program groups, setting up the Help system, and setting your location and time zone.
7. Q. If I run Setup over an existing Windows 95 installation, I receive the following two options:
   
   
   • Restore Windows files that are changed
   • Copy all Windows files again
   Setup seems to take just as long no matter which option I choose. Why?
   
   A. Both of these options verify the validity of Windows 95 files. Verifying the Windows 95 files takes as long as an original installation because Setup must open each cabinet file to verify the Windows 95 files. Setup uses the Setuplog.txt file to determine which files to check and marks each good file with an "S." This mode also rebuilds the Vmm32.vxd file and recopies any file with a lost long filename.
8. Q. Is there a way to remove Windows 95?
   
   A. Yes. To do so, you must choose to save your computer's system files on the hard disk during Setup. You cannot store the "uninstall" file on a network drive or floppy disk. To remove Windows 95, use these three steps:
   
   
   1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
   3. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click Windows 95, and then click Remove.
   You can also remove Windows 95 by starting your computer with the Windows 95 Startup Disk and then typing uninstal at the command prompt.
   
   NOTE: You are not prompted to save the system files during Setup if any of the following conditions apply:
   
   
   • You are installing Windows 95 in an empty directory.
   • You are not running MS-DOS version 5.0 or later.
   • You are reinstalling Windows 95 over itself.
9. Q. I am not having any problems with Windows 95. How do I delete the "uninstall" files created by Setup?
   
   A. To delete the "uninstall" files and free disk space, use these three steps:
   
   
   1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
   3. On the Install/Uninstall tab, click Old Windows 3.x/MS-DOS System Files, and then click Remove.
   Once you delete these files, you cannot use the Uninstall tool to remove Windows 95.
10. Q. Is there an Administrative Setup for network installations?
    
    A. The /A and /N Setup switches have been replaced by the Netsetup tool. This tool is available in the CD-ROM version of Windows 95. Network administrators can use this tool to set up a shared copy of Windows 95 that others can use to set up local or shared Windows 95 installations. Users can also create custom scripts to automate the Setup process from the shared copy of Windows 95.

The following file is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:
For additional information about how to download Microsoft Support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help to prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.