Requirements to Boot Previous Operating SystemLast reviewed: August 13, 1997Article ID: Q121963 |
The information in this article applies to:
SYMPTOMSWhen you press the F4 key at the "Starting Windows 95" message to boot your previous operating system, your previous operating system may not be loaded and Windows 95 may continue to load normally. In addition, one of the following messages may be displayed:
CAUSEThis behavior can be caused by any of the following conditions:
RESOLUTIONTo resolve this issue, use the appropriate method:
MORE INFORMATION
Booting Previous Operating System Without Restarting ComputerTo boot your previous operating system after installing Windows 95 in a new folder, you must restart the computer. You cannot switch between Windows 95 and your previous operating system without restarting the computer.
Dual-Booting MS-DOS 5.x or Later or PC-DOS 5.x or 6.xVersions of MS-DOS earlier than 5.0 require that the first three sectors of the Io.sys file reside in the first three sectors of the data area of the hard disk. MS-DOS versions 5.0 and later do not have this requirement. It is this flexibility that allows you to dual-boot between Windows 95 and an earlier version of MS-DOS or PC-DOS. When you install Windows 95 on a computer running MS-DOS version 5.0 or later, Setup preserves the Io.sys, Msdos.sys, Command.com, Autoexec.bat, and Config.sys files from your previous operating system by renaming them to Io.dos, Msdos.dos, Command.dos, Autoexec.dos, and Config.dos. If you choose to install Windows 95 in a new folder, Setup automatically adds the line "BootMulti=1" to the Msdos.sys file so that the computer can dual- boot Windows 95 and MS-DOS. If the Io.dos, Msdos.dos, or Command.dos file is removed from the computer, moved to a folder other than the root folder of the boot drive, or becomes damaged, you cannot boot your previous operating system.
Booting MS-DOS on a Computer with Preinstalled Windows 95Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) do not install Windows 95 over an existing copy of MS-DOS. If the version of Windows 95 that you use came preinstalled on a new computer that you recently purchased, the MS-DOS system files are most likely not present on your hard disk.
Running a Previous Version of Windows or Windows for WorkgroupsIf you installed Windows 95 in a new folder, you can run your previous version of Windows or Windows for Workgroups after booting your previous operating system. If you upgraded your earlier version of Windows to Windows 95, you cannot run your previous version of Windows. To run your previous version of Windows if you installed Windows 95 in a new folder, boot your previous operating system, and then run your previous version of Windows from the command prompt.
Booting a Previous Operating System Is Not Supported in OSR2Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2) is designed to be preinstalled on new computers only, and cannot boot back into Windows 95 from a previous operating system. If you format the hard disk, install MS-DOS, install OSR2, boot the previous operating system, and then try to reboot to Windows 95, the computer stops responding (hangs). For additional information, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
ARTICLE-ID: Q155364 TITLE : OSR2 Hangs After Booting Previous Operating SystemPC-DOS is manufactured by IBM, a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.
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