WW1169: Windows 95 Support Assistant Application Note

Last reviewed: March 17, 1998
Article ID: Q134363
95 WINDOWS kbfile

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 95

SUMMARY

The "Windows 95 Support Assistant" (WW1169) Application Note contains the Windows 95 Support Assistant, which is a no-cost online Help file developed by Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) and Microsoft User Education. The Windows 95 Support Assistant Help file (Assist.hlp) runs in Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 95, and contains the following items:

  • Answers to the most frequently asked support questions about Windows 95.
  • Sections of the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit describing how to use Windows 95 with Novell NetWare and other networks.
  • Over 100 Microsoft Knowledge Base articles written by PSS engineers discussing procedures, tips and tricks, and specific product issues ranging from Setup to networking.
  • Walk-through troubleshooters dealing with Setup, networking, and hardware issues.
  • A glossary of commonly used Windows 95 terms.
  • A reference guide to available products and services to help you understand and take advantage of the special features in Windows 95.
  • The Windows 95 Application Compatibility List Help file (Win95app.hlp).
  • The Windows 95 Hardware Compatibility List Help file (Hcl95.hlp).

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:
  • Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
  • The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
  • Microsoft Product Support Services
  • Microsoft FastTips Technical Library
  • The World Wide Web
  • Gopher

For complete information, see the "To Obtain This Application Note" section at the end of this article.

NOTE: The Windows 95 Hardware Compatibility List is also available as a separate Help file on online services. For information about obtaining the Help file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q131900
   TITLE     : Windows 95 Hardware Compatibility List

THE TEXT OF WW1169

  Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
                WW1169: WINDOWS(R) 95 SUPPORT ASSISTANT
                                                   Revision Date: 8/95
                                                         Disk Included

The following information applies to Microsoft Windows 95.

 INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY
 ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application
 Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
 EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED
 WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
 PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and
 the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be
 copied and distributed subject to the following conditions:  1) All
 text must be copied without modification and all pages must be
 included;  2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s)
 must be copied without modification (the MS-DOS(R)  utility
 diskcopy is appropriate for this purpose);  3) All components of
 this Application Note must be distributed together;  and  4) This
 Application Note may not be distributed for profit.

 Copyright (C) 1995 Microsoft Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.
 Microsoft, MS-DOS, and Windows are registered trademarks of
 Microsoft Corporation.
 NetWare and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.

The Windows 95 Support Assistant

The Windows 95 Support Assistant is a no-cost online Help file developed by Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) and Microsoft User Education. Please feel free to copy this Help file and distribute it to others (subject to the conditions listed in the box above). The Windows 95 Support Assistant Help file (Assist.hlp) runs in Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 95 and contains the following items:

  • Answers to the most frequently asked support questions about Windows 95
  • Sections of the "Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit" describing how to use Windows 95 with Novell(R) NetWare(R) and other networks
  • Over 100 Microsoft Knowledge Base articles written by PSS engineers discussing procedures, tips and tricks, and specific product issues ranging from Setup to networking
  • Walk-through troubleshooting procedures dealing with Setup, networking, and hardware issues
  • A glossary of commonly used Windows 95 terms
  • A reference guide to available products and services to help you understand and take advantage of the special features in Windows 95

Be sure to take a look at the Setup and networking issues today before you install Windows 95 to make your migration to Windows 95 smooth and easy.

Installing the Windows 95 Support Assistant from a Floppy Disk

To install the Windows 95 Support Assistant from a floppy disk, follow these steps:

  1. Insert the disk you received with this Application Note in the appropriate floppy disk drive.

  2. Replace <source> in the following commands with the letter of the floppy disk drive containing the Support Assistant disk. For example, if you are installing from a floppy disk in drive A, type the following line:

          a:\setup
    

    For Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups:

    In Program Manager, click Run on the File menu, type the following line in the Command Line box, and then press ENTER:

          <source>:\setup
    

    For Windows 95:

    Click the Start button, click Run, type the following line in the Open box, and then press ENTER:

          <source>:\setup
    

  3. Follow the instructions in the Windows 95 Support Assistant Setup program.

Downloading the Windows 95 Support Assistant

The Support Assistant will be updated periodically. If you have a modem connected to your computer, you can download the current version of the Support Assistant as a compressed, self-extracting file called Assist.exe. This file is about 1 MB in size and will take 10-15 minutes to download with a 14.4 KBS modem.

To install the Support Assistant after you download the Assist.exe file to your hard disk, follow these steps:

  1. For Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups:

    Double-click the Assist.exe file in File Manager to extract the files it contains.

    For Windows 95:

    Double-click the Assist.exe file in Windows Explorer or My Computer to extract the files it contains.

  2. Double-click the Setup.exe file that was extracted in step 1.

  3. Follow the instructions in the Support Assistant Setup program.

You can download the Support Assistant from the following locations:

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE

You can find Assist.EXE (size: 1320501 bytes) 
                       , a self-extracting file, on the following
services:
  • Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet

          On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon.
          Click Knowledge Base, and select the product.
    
          Enter kbfile Assist.EXE (size: 1320501 bytes) 
                                 , and click GO!
          Open the article, and click the button to download the file.
    
    
  • Internet (anonymous FTP)

          ftp ftp.microsoft.com
          Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder.
          Get Assist.EXE (size: 1320501 bytes) 
    
  • Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)

          Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
          Download Assist.EXE (size: 1320501 bytes) 
    

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online
               Services

Note that the Support Assistant is also available as part of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q142794
   TITLE     : Availability of Microsoft Windows 95 Service Pack 1


KBCategory: kbfile
KBSubcategory: wpp95 win95
Additional reference words: 95
Keywords : win95 wpp95 kbfile
Version : 95
Platform : WINDOWS


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: March 17, 1998
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.