How to Reinstall Windows 95 to a New Folder

MORE INFORMATION

NOTE: Be sure to disable any anti-virus software or "dirty" TSRs before you run Windows 95 Setup. For additional information about "dirty" TSRs, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To install Windows 95 to a new folder, you must run Setup from a real-mode command prompt. If you run Setup from within Windows 95, you can reinstall Windows 95 over the existing installation, but not to a new folder. To install Windows 95 to a new folder, use the appropriate method:

Installing from Your Hard Disk

1. Click Start, point to Programs, and then click MS-DOS Prompt.
2. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

   cd\
   md w95flat

3. Insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
4. At the command prompt, type the following line, and then press ENTER

   copy drive:\win95\*.* c:\w95flat

   where drive is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive.
5. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only.
6. Make a backup copy and rename the system files in case you decide to return to your original installation of Windows 95. To do so, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

   attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys
   copy msdos.sys *.xxx
   copy autoexec.bat *.xxx
   copy config.sys *.xxx
   attrib -s -h -r system.1st
   ren system.1st *.xxx
   ren windows winold
   ren progra~1 progold

   where windows is the current windows directory.
   
   To return to your original Windows 95 installation, copy and rename the files listed above to their original names, and then restart your computer.
   
   NOTE: You cannot restore the Progra~1 folder from the command prompt. To restore the Progra~1 folder, restart the computer in Safe mode, start Windows Explorer, and then rename the Progold folder to Program Files.
7. Type cd w95flat, and then press ENTER.
8. Run Setup. Specify a new folder for the Windows 95 installation. Make sure not to use the folder for your current installation of Windows 95.
   
   NOTE: During some installations, you are not offered an option to change the folder in which to install Windows unless you first rename the current Windows folder.

Installing from Windows 95 CD-ROM or Floppy Disks

1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only.
2. Make a backup copy of the system files in case you decide to return to your original installation of Windows 95. To do so, follow these steps:
   1. Type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

      attrib -s -h -r msdos.sys
      copy msdos.sys *.xxx
      copy autoexec.bat *.xxx
      copy config.sys *.xxx

   2. To return to your original Windows 95 installation, copy the files listed above to their original names, and then restart your computer.
3. To install Windows 95 from disks, proceed to step 9.
4. To install Windows 95 from a CD-ROM, the real-mode CD-ROM drivers must be loaded in the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files. If they are not, continue with these steps. If they are, proceed to step 9.
5. View the Autoexec.dos file and note the line referring to the Mscdex.exe file.
6. View the Config.dos file and note the line referring to the CD-ROM driver.
7. Edit the Autoexec.bat file and add the MSCDEX statement you noted in step 5. Edit the Config.sys file and add the CD-ROM driver line you noted in step 6.
8. After you edit and save the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files, restart the computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only.
9. Run Setup from the original Windows 95 disks or CD-ROM. Specify a new folder for the Windows 95 installation. Make sure not to use the folder for your current installation of Windows 95.

NOTE: When you install Windows 95 to a new folder, you must reinstall all Windows-based programs in the new Windows 95 installation.