Hints, Tips and Tweaks
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Updating Windows 95

MSDOS.SYS Hints and Tips Registry Tweaks
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


MS-DOS.SYS
Preparing MSDOS.SYS for editing 

    Before you can edit the MSDOS.SYS file you have to change its attributes.  This can be done by clicking on Start then Run, type in ATTRIB -S -H -R \MSDOS.SYS then click OK.  You're now ready to edit the MSDOS.SYS file, a sample file can be viewed below:

2 MSDOS.SYS
[Paths]  
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS  
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS  
HostWinBootDrv=C  

[Options]  
Autoscan=0  
BootDelay=0  
BootGUI=0  
BootKeys=1  
BootMenu=1  
BootMenuDefault=1  
BootMenuDelay=5  
BootMulti=1  
BootWin=1  
DblSpace=0  
DisableLog=1  
DoubleBuffer=0  
DrvSpace=0  
LoadTop=0  
Logo=1  
Network=1  
SystemReg=0  

;Don't remove lines below: required for compatibility.  
;MSDOS.SYS must be >1024 bytes.  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxa  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxb  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxc  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxd  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxe  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxf  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxg  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxh  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxi  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxj  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxk  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxl  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxm  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxn  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxo  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxp  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxq  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxr  
;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs

 
MSDOS.SYS Reference Charts
[Path]
String name Description Default Options
WinDir= Windows 95 Install Directory C:\WINDOWS n/a
WinBootDir= Windows 95 Boot Directory C:\WINDOWS n/a
HostWinBootDrv= Windows 95 Boot Drive C n/a
UninstallDir= Windows 95 Uninstall Directory C:\ n/a
[Options]
String name Description Default Options
AutoScan= Allow Windows 95 OSR2x to automatically run ScanDisk on the boot drive after an improper shutdown
1
0 Never Scan 
1 Scan (prompt) 
2 Scan (don't prompt)
BootDelay= Initial startup delay in seconds
2
0 - 99
BootFailSafe= Safe Mode for System startup
0
 
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootGUI= Automatically run Windows 95 during the startup process
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootKeys= Allow startup keys (F4, F5, F6 and F8)
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootMenu= Display startup menu
0
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootMenuDefault= Default highlighted menu item
1 (Normal)
1 - 8
BootMenuDelay= Delay in seconds before running highlighted menu item (only works if BootMenu=1)
30
0 - 99
BootMulti= Allow F4 key to boot a previous operating system
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootSafe= Safe mode startup available
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootWarn= Safe mode startup warning and menu available
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
BootWin= Windows 95 chosen as operating system
1
0 Windows 95 
1 Previous OS
DblSpace= Load DBLSPACE.BIN module (if present)
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
DisableLog= Create BOOTLOG.TXT while booting
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
DoubleBuffer= SCSI (and some older ESDI/IDE) controllers need Double-Buffering
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
DrvSpace= Load DRVSPACE.BIN module (if present)
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
LoadTop= Load COMMAND.COM or DRVSPACE.BIN at the top of the 640K memory area
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
Logo= Display animated Startup Logo while Windows 95 loads
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
Network= Networking access
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
SystemReg= Load System Registry modules at startup
1
0 Disabled 
1 Enabled
 
Hints and Tips



ACCESS YOUR DESKTOP ICONS
FROM YOUR TASKBAR


To have easy access to your desktop just place a shortcut at the top of your
START Menu.

How to:
1) Right click on the TASKBAR and choose PROPERTIES.
2) Select the START MENU PROGRAMS tab, then click the ADD button.
3) Type in C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP, then click NEXT.
4) Select The item at the top of the list that says "Start Menu", then click NEXT.
5) Click Next again.

Note:
You won't be able to access special feature icons, such as: My Computer and the Recycle Bin.
 


OPEN EXPLORER INSTEAD OF
MY COMPUTER TO VIEW FILES 

How to:
1) Click the Start Menu, Run, type in EXPLORER then click OK.
2) Choose View from the Options menu.
3) Select the FILE TYPES tab.
4) Under registered file types, double click on FOLDER.
5) From the list of actions, select explore.
6) Click on the SET DEFAULT button at the bottom right corner.
 


PREVENTING HAVING TO REBOOT 

If you have the BootGUI string set to 1 in the MSDOS.SYS file then this tip won't work.

How to:
1) When you get a screen that says "It is now safe for you to turn off your computer";
    i.Type WIN then press ENTER to start Windows 95
    ii.Type MODE CO80 then press ENTER to bring up the DOS screen
 


UPDATE THE REGISTRY WITHOUT REBOOTING 

How to:
1) Press CTRL+ALT+DEL, select Explorer then click End Task
2) Wait for about 5 seconds, when a window comes up click End Task

Note:
The icons that were displayed in the tray (bottom right corner of the task bar) will no longer be visible, but they are still running.
 


USING LONG FILENAES AT THE COMMAND PROMPT 

How to:
1) When in DOS you will notice that Windows 95 stores long filenames as normal 8.3 (8 character name, 3 character extension) filenames also, but the 8.3 filenames have a tilde (~) and then a number at the end.
2) If you wanted to perform a task that involved a long filename you can do so as follows:
DIR \PROGRA~1                -->            dir \"Program Files"
REN \PROGRA~1 \OLDSOF~1      -->            REN \PROGRA~1 \"Old Software"
etc...
 


MAPPING REMOTE SYSTEMS AS NETWORK DRIVES 

I think you have to have a TCP/IP connection

How to:
1) Create a file in the \WINDOWS directory called LMHOSTS
2) In the file, create a list of FTP sites eg.:

File content example is between the astrisks (*)

Server                Name  # Description
----------------------------------------------------
****************************************************
ftp.microsoft.com     MSFTP # Microsoft's FTP Server
ftp.netscape.com      NS    # Netscape's FTP Server
****************************************************
3) Right-click on My Computer, select Map Network Drive
For a connection to Netscape:
4) Select a drive letter, type \\ns\pub
5) Select OK and wait for it to connect.
 


ADD SHORTCUTS TO THE START MENU QUICKLY 

How to:
1) Drag the desired item from an open folder on to the START button.

Note:
The shortcut will be placed at the top of the START MENU
 



MANAGE YOUR TASKS 

Windows 95 comes with a replacement for the Taskbar.
1) Click START, RUN, type in TASKMAN, click OK

Note:
You can switch between programs almost like the taskbar, you can highlight programs and select END from the WINDOWS menu and those programs will close.
 



CLEANING UP OPENED WINDOWS 
To close multiple windows

1) Select the folder that is highest up that you want to close to, hold down SHIFT an click the X button.
 



USE THE RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON AND THE SHIFT KEY 

People used to working with Windows 3.1 or NT often become very "leftbutton-centric." To use Windows 95 productively, use the right mouse button liberally. In addition, the shift key often adds powerful features to a mouse click.

USING THE COMMAND PROMPT 

Here are some tips for people who don't want to leave behind their command prompts.

Registry Tweaks

This section will be up soon.

 

How to check your Windows version 

Step 1
Win95 keyboard While holding down the 'Win95 key'  press the Pause/Break key (located at the top right corner) 
Alternative Right-click on 'My Computer' and select Properties
Step 2
Figure out what version you have by referring to the following diagrams:

Windows 95  OSR1 Windows 95  OSR2 Windows 95  OSR2.1 Windows 95  OSR2.5
System: System: System: System:
  Microsoft Windows 95 
4.00.950
  Microsoft Windows 95 
4.00.950 A
  Microsoft Windows 95 
4.00.950 B
  Microsoft Windows 95 
4.00.950 C
 
 

Updating Windows 95 
It is always a good idea to update Windows 95, updates allow the newest software to function properly and prevents crashing.  Running updates is easy, just click on the name of the update file, save it to a directory on your hard drive, and then run it.  After most updates Windows will ask to restart, it's very important that you do this, it allows the updates to take affect and prevents other updates from conflicting with each other.  When updating it is also very important to make sure that the update was designed for your version of Windows.  Before downloading any of the following updates you should check your Windows version.

Free updates for Windows 95 

All of the following files are located at ftp.microsoft.com in /Softlib/MSLFILES/

File Description Size
Download Time
14.4
28.8
33.6
56
QFECHKUP Update information tool
96,408
0:54
0:27
0:23
0:14
VTCPUPD Update TCP/IP out of band issue
256,584
2:23
1:11
1:01
0:37
DLC32UPD DLC Update for the MSDLC32
212,640
1:58
0:59
0:51
0:30
PINGUPD New PING tool
296,456
2:45
1:22
1:11
0:42
RASUPD Updated RASAPI32.DLL for Windows 95 OSR1
179,664
1:40
0:50
0:43
0:26
RAS2UPD Updated RASAPI32.DLL for Windows 95 OSR2x
237,600
2:12
1:06
0:57
0:34
WSOCKUPD WinSock update
234,568
2:10
1:05
0:56
0:34
KRNLUPD Updated KERNEL32.DLL
337,016
3:07
1:34
1:20
0:48
BACKUPD2 Updates BACKUP.EXE (must have Backup 95 installed)
510,544
4:44
2:22
2:02
1:13
DSKTSUPD Disk type specific driver update
150,624
1:24
0:42
0:36
0:22
OLEUPD OLE update
506,952
4:42
2:21
1:01
1:13
MSPWLUPD Enhanced encryption for Windows 95 passwords
326,304
3:01
1:31
1:18
0:47
REMIDEUP Updated ESDI_506.PDR
147,096
1:22
0:41
0:35
0:21
W95FILUP Updated File Manager for year 2000
245,800
2:17
1:08
0:59
0:35
VTCPUP11 Updated TCP/IP (don't use VTCPUP20)
155,264
1:26
0:43
0:37
0:22
VIPUP11 Updated TCP/IP stack (don't use VIPUP20)
166,072
1:32
0:46
0:40
0:24