In 1995, Microsoft introduced Windows 95, which represented the "next step" towards a comprehensive consumer-oriented graphical operating system for PCs (Windows NT had already been created at the time, but was geared towards businesses and servers.) Windows 95 is the great "compromise" operating system. In some respects, it has its own way of handling access to the hard disk, but in other ways it resembles, and even uses, standard DOS. This is how Windows 95 strives for performance while retaining compatibility with older software. Windows 95 in fact includes a version of DOS, that is designed to work with it and its file structures.

When Windows 95 was released, it came with a new and updated version of the traditional FAT file system: VFAT. At the same time, Windows 95 was compatible with older FAT12 and FAT16 partitions and disks The initial version of Windows 95 is now sometimes called "Windows 95A" to distinguish it from later editions, or "Windows 95 Retail" in recognition of the fact that it was the only revision of Windows 95 officially sold to the public. It's important to remember that this version of Windows 95 does not support the FAT32 nor the NTFS file system.