The following table lists the directories where various types of Windows 95 system files and supporting files are stored.
Key Paths to Windows 95 Files
File type | Directory1 |
Core Windows 95 files | Windows |
Shortcuts to applications | Windows PROGRAMS |
MS-DOS commands | Windows COMMAND |
Printer drivers | Windows SPOOL\PRINTERS |
Help files | Windows HELP |
Font files | Windows FONTS |
Setup and device installation files | Windows INF |
PIF files | Windows PIF |
Drivers | Windows SYSTEM |
VxDs | Windows SYSTEM |
I/O Subsystem | Windows SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS |
Viewers | Windows SYSTEM\VIEWERS |
VxDs added after installation | Windows SYSTEM\VMM32 |
1 "Windows" refers to the directory that is specified during the installation process to contain the Windows 95 files.
The following table shows where key Windows 95 files are stored when Windows 95 is installed on the local hard disk of a computer. For information about installing Windows 95 on a server for a network client computer to run a shared copy, see Chapter 4, "Server-Based Setup for Windows 95."
Location of Key Windows 95 Files
Description | Filename | Location |
Real-mode operating system and system detection | IO.SYS | Root directory of startup drive |
Command-line processor | COMMAND.COM | Root directory of startup drive |
Real-mode stub to start Windows 95 | WIN.COM | Windows |
Protected-mode Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) | VMM32.VXD | Windows SYSTEM |
Registry | SYSTEM.DAT | Windows |
Registry current backup | SYSTEM.DA0 | Windows |
Registry when first created by Setup | SYSTEM.NEW | Windows |
User Registry | USER.DAT | Windows |
User Registry first created by Setup | USER.NEW | Windows |
Log of the Setup process | SETUPLOG.TXT | Root directory of startup drive |
Hardware detection log | DETLOG.TXT | Root directory of startup drive |
Log of Windows 95 startup process | BOOTLOG.TXT | Root directory of startup drive |
Real-mode network configuration | PROTOCOL.INI | Windows |