windows 95 reinstallation bellyup!

I foolishly tried to improve the performance of my in-laws PC by reinstalling their windows 95 on top of there present copy as I had noticed that this seemed to iron out some problems when i re-installed windows 98 on my windows 98 system.
However, the re-installation did not go smoothly, numerous dialog boxes poped up stating that a file on the CD is older than the present file on the PC and it is recommended that you keep the present file. I went along with this, but it seemed that I was leaving more files than I was writing over!
The 'Preparing to run Windows for the first time screen' appeared and I thought all was going to be OK but then a message (white text on a black screen) came up informing me that windows was unable to produce a monolith file - or something like that, and a windows system file was unable to be updated, this file ended in .dxy (or something like that, sorry this all happened 3 days ago and I can't remember the exact details) - I think this is a driver extension isn't it?
I was advised to re-run the setup program but when I rebooted with the start-up disc in the PC, unlike windows 98, there was no option to start with CD - ROM support! I was at the A:\> prompt and typing C: [enter] successfully changed the drive to the C drive but typing D: only produced an error message that stated 'Invalid drive letter'. I panicked at this point as I couldn't think of any way of running the Windows 95 CD unless I can get at the D: drive.
I have just thought, perhaps my father- in-laws CD rom has been assigned a different drive letter? My other thought is typing
C:\>scandisk /restore
might allow me to restore the registry to a version that was stored prior to all the mess that I have caused. Will this work? and is it best to press 'No to all' when your asked do you want to keep your more recent copy during the re-installation process.
Thanks indeed if you have read all this, an a very big thanks if you can help.
David

 

Hello David,

Use your windows 98 startup disk. Choose start computer with CDRom support. When you get to the A:\> prompt, type D: and press enter. (Be sure that you have the Win95 CD in the CDRom). type setup.exe and press enter. Let the install replace all the files. Hope this helps. KW1

 

Hi
Thanks for the reply. Can I just restate your suggestion to see if I have fully understood it. You are stating that I can insert my win 98 startup disc into my father-in-laws 95 machine and this will work? - this would be great as the 98 startup disc gives access to the cd rom - correct!
BTW - why doesn't the 95 startup disc give the option of starting with CD rom support - its kind of essential isn't it. I don't see the point of a start-up disc that doesn't do this!
Thanks again
David

 

Yes it will work.

Microsoft didn't incorporate the cdrom support in setup disks until win98

 

I didn't know a 98 startup disc would boot up a 95 machine - thanks for the help
David

 

I would like to know if it is possible to put win 98 onto the 95 machine. Is this more tricky than just reinstalling 95 on top of 95. Do I first have to format the C drive to wipe off the 95 before installing the 98. I can't afford to run into any snags as my credibility rating is already in tatters!!
I am not sure which version of 95 my in-laws have got but the win 98 is the original one i.e. not second edition.
Thanks
David

 

hi david.......you can install 98 over 95..(dirty install).....buti,its not recomended.my advice would be to do a clean install of 98.but this means you will have to format the drive.......and will lose all files that are on the drive unless you can back them up to cdrom.

good luck to you and a happy 2001