"Installing Win95 with Insurance" by Graeme E. B. Gibson, C.D.P.

Installing Win95 with Insurance

By

Graeme E. B. Gibson, C.D.P.

Enough hype has come out about the new Windows 95 that many clients want to try it despite the risks of installing a new version 1.0 software package. Naturally I have told all my clients to make backups of their machine before installing, but some have ignored this time-honored advise and found that uninstalling Windows 95 does not put their machine back in the old state again.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could load and try Windows 95 without having to sacrifice our old Win 3.1x installation? After all, we finally have everything working with the old windows. So I went out to discover a procedure that would solve the problem. Microsoft gives you a procedure to install Win95 in the \windows subdirectory or to install it in its own subdirectory. But the problem with the second option is that you have to reinstall all your applications.

Frankly the Windows 95 Registry, which generally replaces the old win.ini and system.ini files, does a pretty good job of picking up the old settings of your old installation only if it over installs in the \windows subdirectory.

Now the procedure that follows is somewhat complicated and you may want to read carefully and proceed slowly. First make a full backup of your machine. Do not fail to follow this step! Backups before proceeding are absolutely required. Your original distribution disks are not a backup! If you don't know how to make a backup, read your Dos manual and find out how or call me and I'll walk you through it for a small fee. I have to assume some technical ability for a tory like this, so if you don't know how to edit files with DOS edit, find someone to help you.

Ok here we go. Get to a C:> prompt. Hit Alt F4 to exit windows if it is running. Run CHKDSK to see how much room you have on your drive. You must have at least 60 Megabytes free to try this. If you get an error message do not proceed. Correct the error using CHKDSK /f and have a backup first!

I am assuming your windows program is in the \windows subdirectory, if not modify this procedure using your \winXXXX subdirectory name.Enter these commands each line followed by an :

CD\
XCOPY C:\WINDOWS\*.* C:\WIN95\*.* /e
XCOPY C:\DOS\*.* \DOSALT\*.* /e

Next edit the config.sys, autoexec.bat and *.ini files in the \win95 subdirectory to change all references to \windows to \win95. The config.sys and autoexec.bat are in the root directory and the ini files are in the \win95 directory or below it. Please go back and carefully check your edits so you don't miss a subdirectory change from \windows to \win95. You can use the file search feature of windows to find any ini files below the \win95 subdirectory. DO NOT CHANGE THE INI's in the \windows subdirectory.

Next you will have to check your preference files on your icons to the /win95 directory. Note many of these just count on the Windows entry in the autoexec and are not hard coded. Next in the win95 subdirectory launch windows and start from program manager Run... REGEDIT /V and click OK. Change all references from \windows to \WIN95. Then Exit.

Next install Windows by typing A:setup from floppy or X:setup where that is your CD-ROM drive. I recommend the CD version!

Windows should install itself into the WIN95 subdirectory as it will find the entries in your autoexec.bat file and believe windows is normally found there. Now all this work will have given Windows 95 all your apps and preferences, but the old Windows will still be there.

After you are up in Windows 95 (reboot) use the explorer to delete the old files in the DOS subdirectory and copy back to it the files from \DOSALT. Try to use the new apps whenever possible, but the old ones will be there for compatibility. Delete (DEL) from the Dos subdirectory the following files: format.exe, chkdsk.exe, diskcopy.exe, fdisk.exe, and restore.exe, you will now use the newer equivalents.

Now using the notepad, edit config.dos and autoexec.dos and change the references in these two files back from \win95 to \windows for all subdirectory references.

Next we have to enable dual booting. Open a DOS session and type ATTRIB -r -h -s C:\msdos.sys then EDIT MSDOS.SYS In a section called "options" you will add the following line: BOOTMULTI=1 When the system reboots it will be dual boot and the attrib statement will be reversed automatically.

After you shutdown windows 95, remember this is now a requirement, don't just turn off your computer mid-session, when you reboot and see: Starting Windows 95... if you quickly press the F8 key you will see a text menu that will list: Select Previous Version of MS DOS...if you choose this your machine will boot up to your old way of doing things. If something goes wrong, reload your backup and try again, you probably missed a step.

For those of you to whom editing is a real challenge, please consider getting some help. Having a professional make these changes for you will cost between $50 and $100. Considering the insurance that having the dual boot option could bring it might be money well spent...

If you would like to have computer questions answered, please send them to me by e-mail at Kansas City Mail Online or by the Internet: graeme@kcmo.metrobbs.com. The e-mail impaired can reach me by fax at 816-252-5545 or phone at 816-252-4080.

Graeme Gibson, C.D.P. is the Service Director of Computer Training Corporation and author of ``How to Build a Clone Computer'' and``The Computer Repair Handbook.'' A former NASA programmer, he has worked in the computer field since 1972. His weekly TV show Computers Today is distributed locally by American Cablevision and Tele-Cable.

Home Page of Graeme Gibson

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Added to the Web 1996
Updated 03-08-98