First, thanks for making this site. It was easy to find.
Second, I'm relatively dumb when it comes to computers, so I might have a problem with something that is obvious to everyone else. Sorry.

Anyway, 2-3 years ago my old Windows 95 Crashed. I never figured it out. I got a boot disk for "95/98/XP" off of eBay, but I just now kind of figured out how to use it. If I try to open Windows without the floppy disk, a blue screen with white text tells me that I should quit and if I don't, my computer may become unstable. If I go on, Windows 95 just opens normally (well, it has Safe Mode written around the edges, I think), shows my background, but pops up with a window that says there is a problem with system registry and I should restart the computer and come back to try again. If I enter safe mode, I'm pretty sure it just does the same, but with no blue screen. If I restart, nothing changes.

When I do run the disk, the screen, instead of saying "Starting Windows 95," it says "Starting Windows 98" and then says below it that it is the wrong version of Windows and I should get the proper edition. It then opens with a readme option and asks if I want to start re-boot with or without CD-ROM support. I thought that it was messed up, but then when I read the readme thouroughly, I noticed that when I started the boot (no CD-ROM support), then used the "A:\>..." command prompt that appears after, I could type in the code that loads the files to the computer. I entered it (Forgot its exact name. It has a .SYS in it I think, and I sent it to the only drive it would let me send it to, which was C: ), and now whenever I run it with the disk, it just says "Starting Windows 98," without the other notices. I remembered that either the pop-up on the old background or the blue screen with white text said to run a Scandisk, so I typed SCANDISK C: in the command prompt, but everything (after a few run-throughs) came out fine, including surface scan. The next drive I don't remember the name exactly, because it was long, and it kept freezing from memory and such. I think I got through it eventually, though nothing changed when I tried to run Windows 95. I read the readme again and noticed something about creating a host drive (H: ). I created it with some code, then I ran SCANDISK C: again, and it asked to do H: first. I did so, and after a few run throughs of Scandisk, I got through H: and on to C:. Usually each try it gets a bit farther in Scandisk because it has to restart to clear the errors. But when I go to Surface Scan in drive C:, it kept stopping on the same cluster with a note saying that it would try to pass the error. It then pops up saying that it can't pass it and must re-start. Every time the same messages come up.

Now that I've described what I know about the problem, I need to know how to fix it. I don't care if I have to dump all of my files and programs on the computer, seeing how I've gone 2-3 years without them anyway. I just want some free space to hold some files and to work on simple projects such as typing or small graphic projects.

Thanks

Hi Jon166, welcome to the PCHF.

I'm not sure what bootdisk you're trying to use, but most boot disks just give you 3 or 4 options, and don't really help booting the computer up into windows.

Your most likely course of action would be to reinstall windows, and thankfully you will be able to save your files as it is only Windows 95. If a friend of yours has children who think they know things about computers, or even friends with just another computer, you can plug your hard drive into their machine and copy the files you want to keep. I mention this because it has been 2-3 years since you've used them and might be fun to look back at what you were doing then.

On another note, I recommend you think about upgrading (the computer and windows) as Microsoft have now stopped supporting 95/98/ME. This opens the double hinged door to the internet, and all the dangers as you won't have any further security updates.

It has been about 9 years since I last installed Windows 95, but give me a minute and I'll find a guide on how to do it so you can at least get your computer up and running again.

I don't see a need to upgrade. This is just an extra PC for space, back up files, and such. It won't even use an internet connection.

On the other point, I just want to know really quick how I might go ahead and delete all of my files still on there. Do you think that would fix it, seeing that it is a data error?

Hi Jon, i understand what you mean about not seeing the need to upgrade.
Here is a guide on how to reinstall Windows 95.
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/win9...exfullpage.htm


And yes, I believe that reinstalling Windows will fix the issue here, as windows has been corrupted somehow.

Thanks, that should do it, I'm sure. But there's still one problem with doing that. I got this PC used and I don't know where to find a Windows 95 CD. Do you know any places online that sell them? Thanks.

Unfortunatly not. You won't even be able to by Windows 98.

You could try perhaps a swap meet?