WINDOW 95

A major release of the Microsoft Windows operating system released in 1995. Windows 95 represents a
significant advance over its precursor, Windows 3.1. In addition to sporting a new user interface,
Windows 95 also includes a number of important internal improvements. Perhaps most important, it
supports 32-bit applications, which means that applications written specifically for this operating system
should run much faster. And although Windows 95 can run older Windows and DOS applications, it has
essentially removed DOS as the underlying platform. This has meant removal of many of the old DOS
limitations, such as 640K of main memory and 8-character filenames.
Version information:
There are four versions to Windows 95, the original release, versions A, B, and C. The way to tell which
version you are using is displayed in your Control Panel System's, General Tab. It will have the version
number under "System:"
System: Microsoft Windows 95 4.00.950 *
The * will either be a letter A (the original version of Win95 with Service Pack 1 installed), a B (The OEM
release 2) or nothing (the original version of Win95). There are subtle differences between the versions.
Service Pack 1 or A fixed several holes in Security while Version B added some functionality. Version C
closely resembles Windows 98 and attempts to add a Web Browser "type" interface.
Windows 95: 1895 Edition
Microsoft devoted years developing Windows 95, hoping to show people of the 1890's that computers
were the wave of the future, and to convert them to the new digital age. It devoted much time, energy, and
money into the development. In fact, at the time Microsoft alone owned the license to color, which in
itself caused so much excitement it was almost a drug. Bill Gates is famously quoted as saying,
"Computers are the future - in a matter of years all your social interaction, grocery shopping, and even
medical care will be provided with the help of computers. Convert or die."
[2]

Unfortunately Windows 95 did not catch on with the wider public because it was incompatible with most
home typewriters of the time and was expensive. Windows 95 was fast replaced by Windows 98 in 1898,
the first OS to feature typewriter compatibility which could rival the Macintosh.

Window ME-How to Troubleshoot Windows Millennium Edition Startup Problems
To troubleshoot problems with your computer if it stops responding (hangs) or if you receive either a
"fatal exception" or "invalid VxD" error message, use the System Information Utility tool (Msconfig.exe).
After you restart your computer several times, this tool can help you isolate a specific file or registry key
that is causing the problem. After you determine the specific file or registry key that is causing the
problem, edit the appropriate file or registry key to remove the entry, and then return the System
Configuration Utility tool to Normal Startup mode.

For additional information about how to perform a clean-start procedure in Windows Me by using the
System Configuration Utility tool, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition
The following topics are included in this article:
How to start Windows Me in Safe mode
Windows Me does not start in Safe mode
Windows Me starts in Safe mode
How to Start Windows Me in Safe Mode
If Windows Me does not start normally, try to start your computer in Safe mode. When you start
Windows Me in Safe mode, many Windows Me device drivers are disabled and the standard VGA display
driver is used.

To start Windows Me in Safe mode, press and hold down the CTRL key while you restart your computer,
and then choose Safe Mode on the Windows Me Startup menu.

If your computer does not start in Safe mode, view the "Windows Me Does Not Start in Safe Mode"
section of this article.

If Windows Me does start in Safe mode, view the "Windows Me Starts in Safe Mode" section of this
article.
Windows Me Does Not Start in Safe Mode
Any of the following conditions can prevent Windows Me from starting in Safe mode:
Your computer may be infected with a virus.For additional information about computer viruses, click the
article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Description of Computer Viruses
The complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings for your computer may be incorrect.

Verify that your CMOS settings are correct. Note that you may need to contact the computer
manufacturer to verify these settings.
There may be a hardware conflict on your computer. Hardware conflicts can include Peripheral
Component Interconnect (PCI) basic input/output system (BIOS) settings, Interrupt Request (IRQ)
conflicts, redundant communications (COM) ports (for example, two COM1 ports, or an internal modem
that is set to the same COM port as an existing serial port), or a damaged memory module or chip.
You may need to change a setting in the Msdos.sys file. For example, the Logo setting should be zero (0).
For additional information about the Msdos.sys file, click the article number below to view the article in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
118579 Contents of the Windows Msdos.sys File
If Windows Me still does not start in Safe mode, there may be a registry problem. To diagnose a registry
problem, run the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe).
Restart your computer with the Startup disk in your floppy disk drive, and then choose the Minimal boot
option.
Type scanreg /restore, and then press ENTER.
The Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe) is not included on the Startup disk. When you start
your computer with the Startup disk, the folder where the Windows Registry Checker tool is located
(C:\Windows\Command) is added to the path. For additional information about the Windows Registry
Checker tool, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
183887 Description of the Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe)
For additional information about receiving an error message that your registry is damaged after you run
the Windows Registry Checker tool, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
186909 Registry Checker Continues to Detect Registry Damage
If Windows Me still does not start in Safe mode after you use the Windows Registry Checker tool,
reinstall Windows Me in the same folder in which you originally installed it.

If you still cannot start Windows Me in Safe mode, install Windows Me in a new, empty folder. This is a
troubleshooting step to help you determine if the problem is related to a remnant of the previous
operating system, such as a configuration setting, or if the problem is a hardware problem.
Windows Me Starts in Safe Mode
When you start your computer in Safe Mode, the "Safe Mode Troubleshooter" Help topic is displayed.
For additional information about how to use the Safe Mode Troubleshooter, click the article number
below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
274155 Description of the Safe Mode Troubleshooter
If Windows Me does start in Safe mode, use the following procedure to see if any devices do not load
correctly:
Click Start, click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK.
Click Selective Startup.NOTE: The System Configuration Utility tool (Msconfig.exe) cannot disable a file
that has the read-only attribute, although it behaves as though it can. To determine if the System
Configuration Utility tool has replaced the file that you are trying to disable, open the file. If you see text
similar to the following text at the beginning of the file, the System Configuration Utility tool did replace
the file:
rem
rem *** DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE! ***
rem
rem This file was created by the System Configuration Utility as
rem a placeholder for your SYSTEM.INI file. Your actual
rem SYSTEM.INI file has been saved under the name SYSTEM.TSH.
rem
The System Configuration Utility tool (Msconfig.exe) cannot disable a file that has the read-only
attribute, although it behaves as though it can. To determine if the System Configuration Utility tool has
replaced the file that you are trying to disable, open the file. If you see text similar to the following text
at the beginning of the file, the System Configuration Utility tool did replace the file: The following chart
describes four different boot options and which items each boot option verifies. To use a boot option,
click to clear or select the appropriate check boxes for the specific boot options that are described in the
following sections.