Re: Windows 95 Boot Disk Download

The .exe file you downloaded is a Windows® program. You need to have downloaded it or to copy it to your hard drive in a WORKING computer. You then need to put a good (preferably new) 3½" diskette into the floppy drive (A: drive). Execute the .exe file and it will make the floppy disk bootable. The floppy disk drive light should light up while this is processing. Wait for the program to tell you it is finished, if you have to click "ok" or "finish", do so. Wait for the light on the floppy drive to turn off before ejecting the diskette. Then take the diskette to the computer on which you want to re-install Windows 95. Insert your Windows 95 CD into the CD drive and the diskette into the floppy disk drive. Make sure the clean (No Operating System) computer is set to boot from the floppy disk drive (assuming you can't boot from the CD drive). You may need to press the [F12] button on the keyboard, or you may have to go into the BIOS (or CMOS, or System) Setup menu to configure the boot order. Look through the manual for the computer (if you don't have it in print, you may be able to download it from the manufacturer's web site).

The procedure varies from one brand of computer to the other, sometimes from one model to another. Some common ways to get into the BIOS Setup are to press the [DEL] button while the memory test is running just after you turn on the computer (your computer may display a logo or the actual test progress). If that doesn't work, other common buttons are [F2], or [F10], or [Alt]+[S], or [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Esc], and these are typically effective only at about the time the memory test is running (or thereabouts). Note, when I say [Alt]+[S], I mean hold down the [Alt] button and press the [S] button while continuing to hold down the [Alt] button. Your computer may display on the screen how to enter the BIOS Setup (may be called something similar, such as System Setup, or CMOS Setup) briefly, either under the memory test, or at the top right corner of the screen, or at the bottom edge of the screen. Look for "Boot Order", "Boot Sequence", or just "Boot" and you should then be able to configure the computer to boot from the floppy disk drive or CD drive first, then the HDD (hard disk drive) second.

You need to tell the computer to boot either from the floppy disk or the CD (if 1. your Windows CD is bootable, which legitimate discs typically are, AND 2. your computer can boot from the CD drive). You can then insert your diskette (if necessary) and your Windows installation CD, and reboot your computer. If the Windows installation doesn't start automatically, type D:\SETUP.EXE, or E:\SETUP.EXE (try various letters of the alphabet from C: to about H:. If that doesn't work, try D:\WIN95\SETUP.EXE, and so forth (or D:\WIN98\SETUP.EXE for Windows 98).

After you are finished, you should buy or download an anti-virus program and install it on the PC before you do anything else! BEFORE YOU CONNECT THE COMPUTER TO THE INTERNET OR ANY NETWORK! There are several good anti-virus programs with free versions (typically free for personal use, $$$ for business use) available. If you download one, download it on a computer which is already setup, burn it to CD, or copy it to a flash drive (USB drive, Thumb drive). Then install it on the computer you are setting up. Worry about Windows Updates, drivers, other software, etc. after you have your anti-virus installed. A CD would be preferable because Windows 95 or 98 will probably require drivers to recognize a flash drive. Floppy disks are too small to hold any modern anti-virus program. Check the system requirements of the program you are downloading or buying before purchasing it. Many of them no longer support Windows 95 or 98.

After that, set your computer to boot from the HDD first! Booting from a floppy disk or CD can cause you grief... Anything from "OS not found" errors to virus infections (from infected disks [floppy] or discs [CD]).

Godspeed to you.