Windows 95 May Not Start After Setup to Clean Directory

 Last reviewed: April 10, 1996
Article ID: Q117657
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

After you install Windows 95 in a directory other than the current Windows directory, Windows 95 does not start; instead, the boot process invokes the previous version of Windows, or the system stops responding (hangs) after the Windows logo screen is displayed.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the previous version of Windows is automatically loaded at startup using the following commands in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file: 

   CD\<Windows directory>
   WIN
When you are installing Windows 95, Setup creates the AUTOEXEC.W40 file based on the existing AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Windows 95 removes the command to load the previous version of Windows (that is, WIN) but fails to remove the change directory command. In this configuration, Windows 95 executes the WIN command from the c:\<Windows directory> and starts the previous version of Windows.

RESOLUTION

To correct this problem:

  1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Step-By-Step Confirmation from the Startup menu.

  2. Answer Yes to all prompts except the CD\<Windows directory> prompt; answer No to this prompt. (This allows Windows 95 to start.)

  3. Click the Start button, then click Run.

  4. On the command line, type "wordpad c:\autoexec.bat" (without quotation marks).

  5. Remove or remark out the CD\<Windows directory> command. For example: 

          rem cd \windows

  6. Save the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and shut down the system.

Windows 95 should now restart properly.

KBCategory: kbsetup kbinterop
KBSubcategory: wpp95 win95 winboot
Additional reference words: 95 3.x

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Last reviewed: April 10, 1996
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