Recovering Windows 3.1 After Installing WFWG 3.11

Last reviewed: February 14, 1995
Article ID: Q111737
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11
  • Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.11

Microsoft cannot guarantee this procedure will work in every situation. If this procedure fails, you must reinstall Windows 3.1 and Windows-based applications to a new directory.

SUMMARY

After you install Windows for Workgroups version 3.11, it may be possible to restore your installation of Microsoft Windows 3.1.

MORE INFORMATION

This procedure can be used only if you ran Windows for Workgroups Setup once. If you ran Setup more than once, it is not possible to restore the original Windows configuration files; therefore, Windows 3.1 must be reinstalled to an empty directory. Also, any third-party software that replaces Windows virtual device drivers (VxDs) may need to be reinstalled after you reinstall Windows 3.1.

If you did run Windows for Workgroups Setup one time only, and you want to restore your Windows 3.1 installation, follow the steps below.

  1. Start your machine with MS-DOS.

  2. Edit the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to remove the Windows for Workgroups 3.11 IFSHLP.SYS and NET START lines. For example, remove "device=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys" from the CONFIG.SYS file and "c:\windows\net start" from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

  3. Copy the WININI.W31 and SYSINI.W31 files from the Windows directory to a floppy disk.

  4. Run Windows version 3.1 Setup and choose Custom Setup. A message then appears stating that Setup has found a previous version of Microsoft Windows on your system and recommends that you perform an upgrade. Specify the Windows for Workgroups directory as the target directory and press ENTER. When the System Information screen appears, change the "Network = Microsoft Windows Network (version 3.11)" entry to:

    Network = No Network Installed <or the specific network in use>

  5. The Windows 3.1 Setup program detects some newer drivers (for example, COMM.DRV) and prompts you to replace them with the Windows 3.1 drivers. Press the ESC key to replace each file with the older version of the file.

  6. After Setup loads Windows, it begins to copy files to your system. Setup again finds newer versions than those provided with Windows 3.1. Setup prompts you to keep or replace each file. Replace each file by choosing Yes when prompted.

    Setup finds version conflicts for the following files:

           SYSEDIT.EXE   DDEML.DLL    OLECLI.DLL  MAIN.CPL     TOOLHELP.DLL
           PRINTMAN.EXE  WINFILE.EXE  SHELL.DLL   COMMDLG.DLL  CLIPBRD.EXE
           WINOA386.MOD
    
    

  7. From the floppy disk used in step 3, copy the WININI.W31 file to the Windows directory as WIN.INI and the SYSINI.W31 file to the Windows directory as SYSTEM.INI. For example, if your Windows directory is C:\WINDOWS and the floppy disk is in drive A, type the following two commands at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER after each line:

    copy a:winini.w31 c:\windows\win.ini copy a:sysini.w31 c:\windows\system.ini

  8. Reboot your computer and start Windows 3.1 by typing "win" (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt and then pressing ENTER.

  9. Remove the program icons that were added by the Windows for Workgroups Setup program. To do so:

    a. Delete the following icon from the Main group:

              Clipbook Viewer
    
        b. Delete the Network group.
    
        c. Delete the Hearts icon from the Games group.
    
    

  10. Remove the Windows for Workgroups 3.11 files below from the Windows directory and Windows SYSTEM subdirectory.

    Files in the Windows directory to delete:

        AWCAS.DLL       AWCLASS1.DLL     AWCLASS2.DLL   AWFAXIO.DLL
        AWFAXPROT.DLL   AWT30.DLL        CARDS.DLL      CLIPSRV.EXE
        <DEPCA.DOS>     DLLSCHED.DLL     EFAXPUMP.DLL   EFAXRUN.DLL
        FAXCODEC.DLL    FAXCOVER.DLL     FAXMGR.EXE     FAXEPT.DLL
        FAXVIEW.EXE     IFKERNEL.EXE     IFSHLP.SYS     IMPEXP.DLL
        KEYVIEW.EXE     LINEARIZ.DLL     LOGONOFF.EXE   MSFAX.HLP
        MSHEARTS.EXE    MSHEARTS.HLP     MSMAIL.EXE     MSMAIL.HLP
        MSMAIL.INI      MSMAIL.MMF       MSREMIND.EXE   MSSCHED.DLL
        NCDINFO.INI     NDDENB.DLL       NDISHLP.SYS    NET.EXE
        NET.MSG         NETDDE.EXE       NETFAX.DLL     NETH.MSG
        NETWATCH.EXE    NETWATCH.HLP     RINGIN.WAV     RINGOUT.WAV
    
        NOTE: The file DEPCA.DOS in the list above is a network interface
        card (NIC) driver for a DEC Etherworks Turbo/TP Network Adapter.
        The NIC driver for your particular network card may be different.
    
        Files in the Windows SYSTEM subdirectory to delete:
    
        AB.DLL          CMC.DLL          COMMCTRL.DLL   <DECLAN.386>
        DEMILAYR.DLL    EFAXDRV.DRV      FAX.CPL        FAXNSP.DLL
        FAXSTUB.DLL     FRAMEWRK.DLL     IFSMGR.386     IOS.386
        LM21DRV.UPD     LMSCRIPT.EXE     LMSCRIPT.PIF   LPT.386
        MAILMGR.DLL     MAILSPL.EXE      MAPI.DLL       MSSFS.DLL
        NCDW.DLL        NDDEAPI.DLL      NDIS.386       NDIS2SUP.386
        NETBEUI.386     NETWORK.INF      NWLINK.386     NWNBLINK.386
        PABNSP.DLL      RMM.D32          SCONFIG.DLL    SENDFILE.DLL
        SERIAL.386      STORE.DLL        UNIDRV.DLL     UNIDRV.HLP
        VCACHE.386      VCOMM.386        VFAT.386       VFORMS.DLL
        VNETSUP.386     VPMTD.386        VREDIR.386     VSERVER.386
        VSHARE.386      VXDLDR.386       WFWAUDIT.386   WFWNET.DRV
        WFWSETUP.DLL    WINNET.INF
    
        NOTE: The file DECLAN.386 in the list above is the 386 enhanced mode
        version of the network interface card (NIC) referenced in the section
        above. The NIC driver for your particular network card may be
        different.
    
    

  11. Quit and then restart Windows.

  12. Correct the Windows Setup icon command line.

    a. From the Program Manager Main group, select Windows Setup either by using the keyboard or by clicking the icon once (do not double-click the Setup icon).

    b. From the File menu, choose Properties.

    c. Change the Command Line entry from WINSETUP.EXE to SETUP.EXE.

    d. Choose OK.

After you follow these steps, Windows 3.1 should be successfully reinstalled. However, if Windows 3.1 does not perform as expected (for example, you receive error messages or the system stops responding [hangs]), you must reinstall Windows 3.1 and all Windows-based software to a new directory.


KBCategory: kbsetup
KBSubcategory: win31 wfw wfwg
Additional reference words: 3.10 3.1 3.11 uninstall un-install deinstall
remove recover


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Last reviewed: February 14, 1995
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