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Have installed win95 two times on a 486 (8 mb ram) from floppy disks, with successfull. However, this time I failed :-(

I tried:

1) Format! c: and format! c: /U (also tried do format c: but got error message: Incorrect DOS version. This format was from Dos 6.22, that format! was from Dos 6.20 and I forgot the format which used at beginein came from what dos version(6.0 or 7.0))
      Boot by the boot disk came from Win95.
      After insert disk2, got error message: Could not decompress this setup [.CAB] file.....

2) format! c:
       Copied (extracted) all files to C:/sub.
       Findviru/doallfiles, all files were OK.
       Setup from C:/sub and got the same error message.

3) Extract win95_02.cab and got error message: Out of memory....

Must be something hides very deep......Perhaps the hard disk was compressed? Now, I got no Dos, no Windows in the PC, can I test it is compressed or not? If it was compressed should I do something before setup Windows95?

Thank you in advance.
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Avatar of Erik Hedros
This sure looks like you have a defect installation disk (Disk2) Try running a scandisk (or chkdsk) on it or you will have to get another copy of it. It probably got defected since the last successful installation.

Good Luck!
//Yin
Hi Yin,

After reading your answer I have down that immediately:
scandisk a: /checkonly/surface
and the disk is fine!
Actually, as mentioned, I copied the files in the floppy disks to hard disk (do you think that means the floppy dinn't be damaged?). After copying the files to c:, I was also doing scandisk c: /surface and c: was OK - I didn't tell you last time, sorry.
I did again extract win95_02.cab a_file_inside_it and got the error message: Out of memory....I copied again win95_03.cab from disk 3 to c: and did extract win95_03.cab a_file_inside_it and got the same error message.....So, not only the files in disk 2 got such error.....
I will do my research again tomorrow morning....Let the PC get a rest now....
Any idea?

Hi experts,

I believe that I have made my question easier now:

After format and findviru for c:, I copied/extracted extract.exe and win95_02.cab to c:. When I tried to do
extract win95_02.cab a_file
I got error message: Out of memory......
I did mem immediately and it showed that still has 7mb free memory.

I copied the above files to another PC and extract the file with success!

Do you think even formating may not clean something hide in deep?

Cheers.
Hi again.

I remember that during the time between last successfull install Win95 and this time fail to do the same jub, I tried 2mgui which is a program for formating 1.44 mb floppy disk to 1.97 mb. Do you think the PC still remembers that program and even format may not clean it :-)

BTW, I did scandisk/surface c:.
When you mentioned 7mb free, you didn't mention conventional memory. Conventional memory may be more critical to be looking at, but I mean, if you are trying to install with a bare bones boot config, there shouldn't be anything conflicting. Other means could be low level formatting the drive (but make sure your drive supports this!) and try reinstalling. If nothing else works, you can clone the successfully insatlled Win95 onto the machine you are working on now. You can download a copy of "Ghost" off the 'net which allows you to do this real easily.
Hi Ksato,

Do your mean install Win95 to other PC firstly, then copy all the files into the PC which doesn't accept Win95?
That is not a good soloution. It works but most preffered would be then if you have two identical computers. I know this is not a must as w95 will detect the new hardware. I still would not recommend this. If the installation is behaving strange there must be a reason for it and what says this reason will not mess things up later...
You say that you checked your HD for both errors and viruses. Are you sure you are booting from a system disk when installing that is Virus free?? And are you loadng lots of drivers and stuff like ksato mentioned so you are not having enough conventional memory?
You should not need to low level format your HD. Not if you are not having any troubles with formatting and scandisk.

Try this procedure.
1 Boot from a bootable dos diskette with format.com and sys.com (all files from the same DOS verision)
2 Format your HD (Format c: /u /s)
3 Reboot your pc using your HD (Not the diskette)
4 Run the installation from your w95 setup disk. (Maybe you can copy the disks to some dir on your HD and run the installation from there)

//Yin
Have you run FDISK to delete and then re-initialize the partition? Since there is nothign on the disk clearly, FDISK it and make sure there is no compression or anything.  It sounds like what Yin said...drivers on the boot floppy taking up memory or a defective win95_02.cab file.

Good luck,

DoGZTaR
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Dane Pickering

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Hi Dane Pickering.
                                               
Thank you for your help. I have just played FDISK by following your instruction.

Firstly, I checked the current setting:

Display Partition information
current  fixed  drive: 1
Partition  c: 1
Status A
Type PRl DOS
Volumlabel
Mbytes 203
System FAT16
Usage 100%

>what you need to do is boot off the floppy.

Done

>Run fdisk, remove all partitions on the drive. Restart the machine with the floppy still in.

Done

>Load fdisk again and create a primary dos partition.

Only typed in the number then return, nothing can be seen :-)

>Make this the active partition.

The DOS tald me that the only partition already active.

>save all changes

Only Esc....Where is the button for saving?

> restart machine again and then boot off the floppy. this time, you need to format the drive (format c:/u)

Done.

>after that you can type sys.com c: and it will put all system files on c drive. you can then boot off c drive without your startup disk,

Done

>then insert disk 1 and run setup for windows 95 as per normal.

I haven't done it yet. Indtead, I coped extract.exe and win95_02.cab to c:/sub and then do extract win95_02.cab a_file...... what I got is still OUT OF MEMORY WHILE PROCESSING CABINET FILE WIN95_02.CAB.

BTW in your instruction, you didn't includ using himem.exe....is that ok? I found all the extended memory war used before doing anything.
Hi Dogztar,

Thank you for your help. My question looks not very easy :-(
Hi Yin,

Thank you for your help again.
Sorry, last time I just couldn't wait.....
I have tried what Dane Pickering suggested with no success :-( I think your new suggestions are similar.....
I agree with you. I really can not stand something wrong in my PC!!!!!!

Cheers.

username1...

Indeed you need a Himem.sys statement in your config.sys as Win95 setup will run scandisk to check the integrity of your hard drive.
a DOS HIGH, UMB
a Last drive=Z

this is as per Microsoft recommendation.
while I always do without the last 2 lines, you could just add them in your startup files.

Regards

Username1: No hard feelings, You are supposed to Reject an answer if it does not help.
Try magigraf's sugestion to add Himem.sys (Highly recommendable)
But I still still wounder is your system Virus free? All bootdisks other disks and so on? (Just making sure)
Let us know.
//Yin
Hi Experts,

I have just tried again.
I added config.sys and himem.sys into my dos-boot disk and did findviru/doallfiles for c: and the boot disk. Nothing is exciting.
Then, went to c: and did extract win95_02.cab a_file again and sa expected got the OUT OF MEMORY.....:-(((((((((
Hi Experts,

Sorry, long time havn't tell you what is going on.
I have found an interesting thing:
After format c:, I copied extract.exe and extracted win95_02.cab to c:\sub. When I did c:\sub\extract win95_02.cab clipbook.cnt the PC tried to write something to a:, after I let it do something on a: by inserting an empty floppy disk, it sowed Out of memory..... I quess it tried to PASS SOME VIRUS TO A:! If that was true, my C: have got a very strong verus which may not be detected by the updated antiviruses I got, and it may not be cleared by formating (different version of format programs).

What do you think?
I don't know much about it, but I have heard that the HARE virus is supposed to be especially nasty...and not normally detected by most commercial AV products.  Try downloading F-PROT, not sure of the URL; I think it is supposed to be able to remove the Hare virus...or maybe it is that company that produces an anti-Hare program...if it is a virus that's causing the problem after all.  Have you tried extracting other files besides win95_02.cab? Also, be sure to write-protect any floppy you put in your drive...
Hi Dogztar,

Thank you very much for your comment.

More information:

1. I extracted/c win95_02.cab to my PC and then to my floppy. After that, I extraced it from this floppy to other PC. When did extract win95_02.cab clipbook.cnt in that PC I also got OUT OF MEMORY...But, no such problem when I did the same job in that PC for the same cab file extracted from the Win95 original floppy.

2. In my PC, the problem "tried to write something to a:" and "Out of memory...." always happened for the cab files both from my floppy and the original Win95 floppy.

3. In my PC, no problem in doing extract mini.cab but got above problem for win95_03.cab as well.

Any suggestion?

BTW, I have tried F-PROT. I will check HERE again.