[SOLVED] How to boot software on old computer

Mar 20, 2020
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Is there a way to make a bootable cd of windows 95? I have a mid 90s computer that doesn't have software. Thanks.
 
Solution
I mean a bootable windows 95 iso where I can burn on a cd-r. If not is there any other way to install Windows 95 on my old computer?
How can you not have a floppy disk?Boot the windows 95 boot floppy and go from there...
Anyway.
Method 1:
There is a pretty involved method of adding the windows 95 boot floppy as a "bootblock" to a windows 95 installation CD,you should be able to find a tutorial for this online.
Just examples I found probably not even good ones.
For windows
http://www.magiciso.com/FAQ/FAQ0006.htm
For linux
http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/floppy_image_on_cd.htm
Method 2:
Get the HDD out and put it on a system that already has any sort of windows running,Partition it and format it under CMD as a dos...

4745454b

Titan
Moderator
What do you mean "bootable" win95? Are you looking for a CD that you can spin and not install win95 onto a drive because it's on a CD? No way to do that that I know of. Are you looking for a copy of win95? So you can install it?

Edit: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/pining-for-windows-95-you-can-now-download-it-as-a-free-app/

I thought I remembered reading about win95 and win98 now being free to use software. You might want to look around online for these. I wouldn't use one as my main OS, but if you just want to toy with it this might do the trick. Anyone know if win2000 or XP is the same way?
 
Last edited:
Mar 20, 2020
32
0
30
What do you mean "bootable" win95? Are you looking for a CD that you can spin and not install win95 onto a drive because it's on a CD? No way to do that that I know of. Are you looking for a copy of win95? So you can install it?

Edit: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/pining-for-windows-95-you-can-now-download-it-as-a-free-app/

I thought I remembered reading about win95 and win98 now being free to use software. You might want to look around online for these. I wouldn't use one as my main OS, but if you just want to toy with it this might do the trick. Anyone know if win2000 or XP is the same way?
I mean a bootable windows 95 iso where I can burn on a cd-r. If not is there any other way to install Windows 95 on my old computer?
 
I mean a bootable windows 95 iso where I can burn on a cd-r. If not is there any other way to install Windows 95 on my old computer?
How can you not have a floppy disk?Boot the windows 95 boot floppy and go from there...
Anyway.
Method 1:
There is a pretty involved method of adding the windows 95 boot floppy as a "bootblock" to a windows 95 installation CD,you should be able to find a tutorial for this online.
Just examples I found probably not even good ones.
For windows
http://www.magiciso.com/FAQ/FAQ0006.htm
For linux
http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/floppy_image_on_cd.htm
Method 2:
Get the HDD out and put it on a system that already has any sort of windows running,Partition it and format it under CMD as a dos disk (format x: /s ) now you can copy over some dos commands like cd,copy, and whatever you will need, you could also install (copy) all of dos onto the disk if you like,also copy the win95 folder from the win95 iso/cd to the disk,if you boot the disk on the target system you can cd to this win95 folder and run install.
Method 3:
Put the disk on a working system, run a VM and add this HDD install windows 95 normally to the disk don't reboot when it asks you to after it copied all the files close the VM and put the disk in the target system and it will continue the installation there.
 
Solution
Back in these days, I used to install Win95/98/NT like that:
  • boot Win95/Win98 floppy;
  • partition the harddrive with FAT32 partition, make it bootable
  • format the partition, make it system, and boot off it

At that point, use any means to transfer setup files to the hard drive; then start setup from there. Configuring / enabling SMartDrv helps a lot ;)