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saffat

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uninstalling windows95

After uninstalling windows95 my file system has been corrupted now when I see directory in dos it shows all unreadable entries. For example :a629j§§pªÅ.§p <dir>, pyeÃ46gf.%$g . How can I recover my files and what is the exact reason of this problem ?
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j2
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If scandisk or Norton Disk Doctor doesnt work: Reformat
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saffat

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I do not want to reformat my system, because  I have many important files on it. Is there any way to recover it?
What do you mean by junk? Did you have FAT32 installed?

Ok, well there is really only 1 solution that is possible.

When you uninstall/delete windows 95 there are still some files there that you can't really see in dos. I have absolutely no idea what these files do and where they are but the only "COMPLETE" way to get rid of windows 95 is to reformat your system.

Dane.
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Junk entry means, in directory list I get filename more than 8 chars long with some ascii chars, some numbers and extension is also some ascii chars. I have tried scandisk and  norton disk doctor both. Before unstalling windows95 all files were ok. Earlier there was windows 3.11 loaded in my laptop. few months ago I installed windows95 and during installation I saved my dos and windows files also. One of my friend also faced same problem. I think there is a bug in windows95 uninstall program.
The Windows 95 uninstall program is a bug I'm afraid & the only sure way of removing it, if you aren't privvy to how the guts of Win95 work, is to reformat & re-install. It sounds like you didn't install FAT32 as to do so would have meant re-partitioning your Hard Disk but are your files appearing like this -
"PROGRA~1 <DIR>"
"WHYDID~1.DOC"
??
If so they were long filenames stored on VFAT under Win95 and the only way to change them is to "RENAME" files and "MOVE" directories to new names without the tilde (~).
The Windows 95 uninstall program is a bug I'm afraid & the only sure way of removing it, if you aren't privvy to how the guts of Win95 work, is to reformat & re-install. It sounds like you didn't install FAT32 as to do so would have meant re-partitioning your Hard Disk but are your files appearing like this -
"PROGRA~1 <DIR>"
"WHYDID~1.DOC"
??
If so they were long filenames stored on VFAT under Win95 and the only way to change them is to "RENAME" files and "MOVE" directories to new names without the tilde (~).
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ASKER

Thanks Ikon for commenting my question. My file directory does not appear as you mentioned in your comment.

As many experts have suggested me to reformat my hardisk, I know this is the last solution to getrid of this problem. But before doing so I want to understand how it happened.
As Ikon asked about installing FAT32, what I understand that the
"OEM release of Windows95" converts the FAT automatically into FAT32. Another thing I want to mention that my LAPTOP is TECRA 720CDT which has 1 GB harddisk.
Now I think that when windows95 runs its uninstall program it converts FAT32 back to FAT becuase FAT32 is not supported in Windows 3.11 and in DOS and during this conversion some thing went wrong.

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ASKER

Adjusted points to 50
saffat, I don't think this is an "easily" answered question, you have received all the "easy" answers. To my knowledge & experience, your system was probably using VFAT unless you re-partitioned your drives. The best thing you could do at this stage is backup all your data files to disk (preferably IOMEGA ZIP disk or something) and format & re-install your Operating System & applications then restore your data. Sorry.
Does the system still boot off the hard disk, could you type in what the directory listing looks like here?
There are a lot of files like that in win95, but it covers them up when it's installed, when you uninstalled it, it uninstalled that part that covered them up.  If you plan on reinstalling win95 now, then do it, it will fix it.  But if you don't, then you are going to have to reformat your hard drive.  I even cringe while typing this, but thats what you have to do.  Back up as much as you can.  Be sure to save your .ini's.  Some Windows programs will need to be reinstalled, others will run fine with their configurartions as well, if you save the ini's.

Save the program groups.  .grp's.  Click on them to run them through group conversions program.

Save your program specific dll's.  Its tough, your better off reinstalling them, but some programs won't need you to.

good luck
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Thaks warnockm, you are saying to backup .INI and GRP files, but I can not even read a single file all directory in root drive are also showing unreadable name if I check the files in these directory, file name also unreadable.
File & directory name look like : a629j§§pªÅ.§p <dir>, pyeÃ46gf.%$g

Now I will not mind to reformat, but I want to understand the exact reason of this problem so that in future I can take care.
Actually I am working in a computer depart. of an organization where more than 200 employees are using computers. some time they ask me to load windows95 but when they face any problem they say "no no give me windows 3.11 back I am not very comfortable with windows95". Thats why I want to understand the exact reason of this problem.


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ASKER

Adjusted points to 200
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Edited text of question
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Edited text of question
Saffat, you have now aske about 3 different questions now! first of allyou asked if there was any other way to get your system up and running and the answer was given to you 3 times and you rejected the answer on all 3 occasions and now you edit the question around so you can find out another question..  Don't you think that is a little unfair to the people that answered your original question correctly?????
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Sorry Mr. Dane Pickering, I never expected the answer as reformat the disk. I think any one who uses computer knows that to getrid of this type of problem is just reformat the harddisk. For getting 'this answer' I would not have put this question in expert exchange. I modified my question only to make the question clear and the type of solution I am looking for. I never mentioned that I want my  system up and running only.

Sorry again for misunderstanding and thanks to all who has commented and answered my question.
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I have already tried norton disk doctor but I could not recover the file system. I have wasted 3 days to find the solution and now I am formatting my computer. The same answer was given by mr 'j2' and mr 'Dane Pickering', but I did not accept it because I had tried norton disk doctor earlier. Sorry friends I did not grade you.
Now thanks again to all who thought about my question.

Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!