installing windows 95 in early laptop

[Refugee]

Linux has to be on a DVD.
The ISO is 1.3GB.
http://www.pclinuxos.com/?page_id=180
There is an issue that looks like you need to check the updating system.
It is explained on the home page.
http://www.pclinuxos.com/

[audiomik]

Kevin
from distant memory: for a Win95 installs from a CD on old hardware you need to have a boot floppy with Autoexec.bat, Config.sys, Command.com, and a CD driver file to load onto your Hard disk after formatting it.
Alternatively Format the Hard Disk with the boot option enabled and then use a generic CD Rom driver install disk to access the CD drive.

The Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file(s) carry the links to start the CD Rom driver file so it remains 'alive' after a re-boot, allowing the CD Rom to work properly, although you will have to use a Dos command to actually run the CD.
After this, try: "cd:\ {drive letter shown during the CD Driver install}" - think the CD may auto run from then otherwise try "Install" at the Dos prompt?
(please correct syntax if incorrect, as I haven't used Dos for over 12 years!)

hope this assists

Mik

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Refugee

Linux has to be on a DVD.

There are many different Linux distributions available, most of which fit on a CD. The best distro for this purpose is probably Puppy Linux, which is a 170MB ISO. There are many smaller distros than this.

[terrybull]

If you are struggling with Win 95 why not try win 98 which you may find easier. I think 98 is a bootable CD. If you do not have a 98 disc then pm me and I will send you one. Also have a read through these posts to see if they help http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275949

[GJR 11L]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

There are many different Linux distributions available, most of which fit on a CD. The best distro for this purpose is probably Puppy Linux, which is a 170MB ISO. There are many smaller distros than this.

Puppy runs fine - even when installed rather than running from the CD - on a 233MHz laptop that I've been repairing for no reason other than because it seemed a shame not to try. That with only 64MB of RAM.
I tried to install Win 95 in a virtual box on that machine but fell flat at the display setting stage since guest additions are only easily installed for Win 2k and upwards. However the relevance to this thread's topic is that, with Puppy running on that machine, then the Win 95 CD placed in a - period option - CD device that fits in place of the R/H battery, floppy drive or whatever other device I wanted to put in there, the system recognised the CD and offered the option to install 95 alongside Puppy so even without using Linux as an alternative, a light distro such as Puppy or Damned Small would allow 95 to be installed on a dual boot basis, alongside the Linux distro of your choosing. You could then adjust the boot options in Linux to set the 95 to the top of the list and reduce the decision time to 1 second, effectively starting 95 from boot.
It worked but only really served to remind me of just how far home computing has progressed.
May I ask what software it is that would only run under 95? There's usually a way around such an obstacle.

[Refugee]

Linux does have legacy software drivers.
I used a PCLinuxOS legacy driver to run a circuit CAD package with success.
It is called Wine and you download it from the update site.

May I ask what software it is that would only run under 95?

I have used the 'Compatability' option in Win7 to good effect on programmes that 'only' run on older versions of Windows.

[terrybull]

I have just checked on my non floppy laptop and Windows 98 does boot straight from the CD.

A quick search found... http://reboot.pro/topic/3837-bootable-windows-95-cd/ it may help.

[McMurdo]

I eventually managed to obtain a W98SE bootable CD rom which worked first time. Relief! I was then able to install the HP driver pack (still available from HP) to reinstate the audio and graphics. I donwloaded it on an XP computer and burned it to a CD-R to get it into the laptop.

The single USB port will recognise my USB-to-com port adapter and I can install the driver for it off its installation disc. But I can't get any 'generic' usb storage devices to work..USB hard drive, usb stick etc. They power up and W98 tells me what they are but can't find any drivers on windows for them.

Are there any generic W98 drivers that can be installed? Obviously I have several USB sticks (thumb drives) and I dont relish the idea of trying to track down non-existant W98 drivers for each and every one of them.

[paulsherwin]

You need to install a generic W98 USB mass storage driver. Software used to be supplied with lots of devices but this is rarely done now because all current OSs have support built in.

If you can't find anything suitable I can probably find something. Try the attached drivers, which came with a USB IDE cable.

[McMurdo]

Thanks Paul your driver worked though I had to install it manually rather than running through 'setup'.

[paulsherwin]

I didn't try it as I've not used W98 in donkeys' years. I just zipped the files in the W98 directory. Glad it works anyway.

[GJR 11L]

Apologies for the O/T addition but I simply wish to prevent others falling into the same trap:

Originally Posted by Refugee

Linux does have legacy software drivers.
I used a PCLinuxOS legacy driver to run a circuit CAD package with success.
It is called Wine and you download it from the update site.

WINE does many things but is neither more nor less than a compatibility layer for some .exe files, drivers rarely run under it and it doesn't recognise plug & play devices, hence the suggestion of using V box.
WINE (capitalised as it's an acronym) is only one component of the "Play on Linux" suite which is included in the synaptic package manager in the distros' applications lists. Open Synaptic, type in "playonlinux" at the top right of the pane then check every box that isn't already shaded green, along with every sub menu when prompted to do so.
By downloading WINE in isolation from the repository as you've done, you'll find that screen resolution and other facets of the guest additions won't be recognised and you'll have slowed your machine down needlessly.

[Refugee]

I did use Synaptic and I also had to wait quite a long time for all the extra data to install.
It is also difficult to install manually for most new users of Linux.