W95_04.CAB Bad Disk

[wilder]

I'm doing a reinstall of W95 on an old pc. I have all of the 30 something floppies, but some of them I had used before.

I got to disk four and it says "Cannot read from the specified path". I put it in this pc and the zip file opens fine and it looks like all of the files are good and the correct sizes. I can't extract the files to this pc to make a new disk, it extracts half of the files correctly but the second half are 0 byte files after extraction.
I have done a scandisk, twice, and it did fix some errors, but still won't extract correctly. How can I extract the files from a bad floppy so as to make a new one?
I'm afraid of what will happen if I cancel installation now!

[CrazyMike]

It's possible the fourth disk is currupted. Do you know anybody with the same disk set that you can borrow that disk from?

[edfair]

A 30 floppy install set? ZIP files? Sounds like somebody did a zip of an installation rather than supply you with the legitimate .cab files.
The original 95 was 17 disks if I recall. And I heard somewhere that there was a 22 disk set. Both of these were in DMF format, 1.7 roughly per disk except for disk 1.
Cancelling install won't hurt anything. You'll just need to restart from a reboot, being careful that the new install goes into the same space.

[wilder]

I have disks numbered 0-29=30 disks plus a start-up disk. This is an old packard bell and that's all the software I have for it.

[GaryRouth]

If you have a friend who has either a Win95 CD, or another floppy set, you can borrow it to install = but just use your current product key [one license (product key) per machine. . . ]

If the pc won't boot from a CD, you can use either the Packard Bell startup floppy, or download a Win95 bootable floppy from http://www.bootdisk.com

Good luck with your project
. . . Gary

[wilder]

I've tried the boot disk. Im not sure what to type in at the prompt.
The problem started when I tried to instal new version of Internet Explorer and there was not enough disk space. So I did the 'add/remove' and I removed the old version. I guess I deleted some of the system files by mistake so now I'm stuck without backup. I made the floppies from the pb tools program.
There are alot of cab zip files because they don't all fit on 1.44MB floppies. When I posted originally, I thought #4 would be the only one I would have a problem with, but it seems that 10 of them are not readable. I believe this is due to stupidity in using used formatted floppies.
I can unzip all of them and they look fine but it will not let me extract them,"cannot read from the specified path".
There must be a way to get the files out and copy the contents of each to my hard drive, then make new floppies, right? Isn't there a program that will split files other than .zip? If it can read them, that is.
I have a file splitter program but I think it only works with .exe files.
I know it sounds like this pc isn't worth the trouble, but it worked fine for downloading and testing programs, before I screwed it up. Besides it's another freebie, but without software.
Grasping at straws here

[GaryRouth]

Actually, it sounds like the .cab files are there on the hard drive, if you don't have an installaton CD, but are using a Packard Bell tool to create a floppy set. The Packard Bell tool is probably referencing the .cab files on your C drive.

If your Win95 is still bootable, you can check if the .cabs on the hard drive with Windows Explorer. Look in on C:\Windows\Options\Cabs . . . You can also check if they are there when booting from your floppy: use the Directory command from the DOS prompt:

dir C:\Windows\Options\Cabs

This would list the contents of the directory, should it exist. If there is a subdirectory \Win95, and it has a setup.exe, you should be able to run an over-the-top reinstall from there. Here's a guide: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846

It's possible that Packard Bell has the .cab files in a different location (since it's up to the OEM to decide where to put them) - but that "\Windows\Options\Cabs" subfolder is the most common.

Free up as much disk space as you can before you try the reinstallation: it also sounds like you must be hurting for free space. Deleting everything from your Temp folder and Recycle Bin would be a good start.

If you can't find the .cabs, you'll need to find a CD or floppy set of Win95 to repair with.
. . . Gary

[edfair]

I am getting some bad vibes coming off the page.At this point you are just about out of options. You have a bad non-standard 95 install set, no backup for them , and not enough space to put the install stuff on the hard drive to install from there.
I suspect that you could put the install stuff on with another machine if you took the PB install stuff off but you would be looking at a total reinstall of everything, OS, programs, and you probably will lose any data.

[wilder]

A total reinstall is what I intended to do when I first had trouble after trying to install ie6.0. There's just alot of junk on that thing anyway. I think it was given to someone, who gave it to someone else and I ended up with it.

That's why I made the floppies. I'm beginning to wonder if having 'cab.zip' files in alot of the floppies might be the problem. It may not be recognizing the zip files, so it can't read the specified path.
I've gotten some of them split, now if I can figure out how to put them back on floppies in .cab format.. but that would mean more floppies and I don't think it would take them out of order.
I recently saw an article about how to make an installation cd from all those floppies so I'm going to try to find that again.

[glc]

You can't install IE6 on Win95 to begin with - no wonder you are having problems.

I'm not advocating piracy here, but your best bet is wipe the drive and reinstall Win95 from a CD. You should be able to find one of those *somewhere*.

[edfair]

You won't be able to put them back onto the floppies in .cab format without some additional tools. The .cab files for the floppy version of 95 were 1.7mb (DMF format) for all after disk 1, and those for the CD versions were 1.9mb if I recall correctly.
Better if the .cab files are on the hard drive is to get a bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com , boot with it, move to the location where the .cab files reside , and run setup. I think this was what PB intended, with the floppies as a fallback in the case of a HD failure. I also suspect that it was intended that you unzip the files back into the hard drive, but since you have problems with the floppies, that isn't advisable.
And if you plan to follow the advice of glc I would suggest a 95 boot disk to prepare the hard drive, and a 98 boot disk to gain access to the CD. Just don't use the 98 to do anything to the hard drive since it wants to create the partitions in a way that 95 might not be able to use.

[wilder]

In no way am I suggest anything illegal like piracy, I appreciale this forum too much to do that, but if you're not exactly sure of the laws it's hard to know what help to ask for. I know it is illegal to make copies of licensed software. I know that W95 and W98 are usable on multiple machines, but I heard Millenium, 2000 and XP can be used on one machine only, even though you own the product key.
If you sell a used pc, the software goes with it, right? Then why is it illegal to sell just the software, say if your pc burns up?
Anyone know of a link to these software laws?

I was installing IE6 from a cd. If I had gone to ms update site I would have found out sooner that IE6 is only for W98 and up.

I'm going to try the boot disk again. I have W95 Original and W95 Ver.B, not sure which version it is yet. If that does'nt work i'll keep working on re-creating the bad floppies, I don't know anyone who has W95 anymore.
just in case you haven't yet heard, Microsoft has just come out with the 2004 edition of critical updates and sp's. They're free, (Free is good!) No postage either.

Windows Security Update 2 set CD Pack February 2004 Release at:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/pr...p?Locale=en-us

[edfair]

You can buy software from many places, ebay for one. But if it is OEM it should be accompanied by the hardware to comply with the MS EULA and the license between MS and the distributor. Retail can be sold as long as it is not in violation of the licnese you agreed to.
Since you are taking it back to a fresh install, why not put the install stuff on the HD and install from there. Several threads here will tell you how.
When you are done, and you will be successful, you will have the equivalent of an Edsel, but people collect Edsels, so you will be in good company.

[glc]

Even if the PB cabs are on the hard drive, they usually remove setup.exe which makes them uninstallable. Recreating floppies is just not feasible.

[diver203_98]

I, myself, still have a floppy version of Windows 95. It is a boot disk plus 22 disks. When I got my computer, way back when, (it was a 486) it didn't have a CD drive so I had to buy it as floppys. I cleaned the old thing out, delete-ing all the windows system files using a zero-write utility. Only problem I had was I didn't get the product key before I did that. I called Microsoft, and they were kind enough to issue me a new key so I could reinstall Windows 95 on my old 486. The only thing it is used for any more is playing the games that were bundled with the OS. It isn't powerful enough for todays programs. That is why I replaced it in June 2001 with this system I have now.

[wilder]

I'd say you got lucky there. The only thing that one is used for is browsing and occasionally downloading fixes when I don't keep updates current. It came in handy when I had XP on another pc and was hit with the blaster worm, which luckily didn't affect W95 or 98. So it has come in handy.
OK, I've gotten it into windows again but some of the files are "missing or corrupted". They should match what I have on the floppies right?
I can't find a system file checker on 95. What else would it be named? Or is there another similar program on 95 that lets you extract and replace files?
Thanks for all the help!

[GaryRouth]

If you're able to get into Windows, I'd try the over-the-top, if you're certain you have a good .cab set either on your hard drive, or on a Win95 CD that's in good condition. Might want to save your product key first, depending on which over-the-top you try [there are two methods]. Here's the over-the-top link again http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846
Good luck! ---- should only take about 45 minutes for the over the top
. . . Gary

[p.s. ...System File Checker didn't show up until Win98 ]

[noby]

you could try reading the floppies with BadCopyPro...

noby

[glc]

If you have already run scandisk on the floppy and it has fixed errors, you now have missing data.

[wilder]

Yes, I could try Bad Copy Pro, if I had an extra $40.00 to put into this Packard Bell W95 pc. But being a SWG (single working gmother), I'll have to pass. But thank you very much for the suggestion.
I've just about given up on those floppies. It wasn't real smart to use used floppies anyway.
I've pretty much decided to go with Gary's suggestion, once I've had time to read all the instructions and feel confident I can do it, if I haven't come up with a CD by then.

Thanks for all the help!!

btw, here's a sample of one of the files I found on one of the floppies. Whatever that language is, I don't speak it.

[wilder]

Don't know what happened.

[edfair]

Just proved that the disk was corrupted.

The used floppies shouldn't have made any difference. It looks like the system corrupted them.

Look on ebay. Should be able to find a floppy set cheap.

[wilder]

Thanks, I've been doing that all along, but nothing so far. All I can find are programs and games for W95. A friend of mine said that even though they are obsolete, that I could probably still order one from microsoft. I doubt it, but I'm going to check it out anyway.
Thanks!

[edfair]

Your search parameters must be wrong. I just pulled 27 listings up.

"windows 95 floppy"

[GaryRouth]

. . . or you could go with a search "Windows 95 CD" (assuming the PB has a IDE Cd-rom drive = not a sure thing). . . but it's a lot easier than all those floppies (and you usually get the OSR2 disk [a later version with more goodies])

. . . there were about 15 listed with an "exact match" search
. . . Gary

[ but I'd still ask around, I wouldn't be surprised if family or friends have a copy in a box in a garage somewhere. . . 1995 wasn't That long ago]

[wilder]

I was searching Computers>Software>Windows 95 and got just a few results. I wasn't entering "CD" or "Floppy". Thanks!
I found them, but now I'm not exactly sure which would be the one I need. This pc is OEM, but there is no "product key" listed in regedit.
There is a "Stashed GMG" listing with letters and numbers that is very similar to a product key, only quite a bit longer. I don't know what the "Stashed GMG" is.
I would have to get the OEM version and not the retail, right? There is a Full Version I'm looking at but I'm not sure if that means OEM, retail or either one?
Theres nine hours left for the 'Full Version on CD in Jewel case with Recovery Diskette', so I'll watch my e-mail to see if anyone responds to this. If not, I'm sure I'll find something there sooner or later. I don't know many people here, so not much chance of finding it locally.
Yes this has a fairly new CD rom drive.
(BTW, Gary, the old Tandy 2500 with W3.1 is still alive and well!) Thanks to you and e-bay!

[glc]

OEM or retail makes no difference, as long as it comes with a CD key.

[GaryRouth]

Good luck with your Win95 search.

[Are you sure there's no product key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version ---> you left-click directly on "Current Version" to see the list of keys and values to the right, one should read "ProductID" (or something like that. . . my Win95 is getting a little rusty) . . .]

Like glc says, don't need to pay extra for retail - official Win95 support ended a while back.

. . . Gary

[Pretty neat the Tandy's still going. We finally had to retire the 386 that was running as a terminal emulator at the lab (it was our oldest box). It was still running, but the hard drive started to make a pretty unacceptable whine - - - > which was growing louder! Any louder and you'd think it was designed just to make noise]

[wilder]

I'm sure there is no produck key, the product ID is the OEM number. I wrote to the seller last night and there is a product key with the software he is selling.
I was just notified I was the high bidder at $15.50 + $3.85 shipping. So I am on my way, if it's as easy as reinstalling W98.

Thanks to all of you for your help!!
Very much appreciated!

[edfair]

95 doesn't come with a boot disk, and the EBDs that it creates do not have CD support built in. So it is still a good idea to download the 2 mentioned in my previous post.
Once you have loaded your 95 you can create an EBD and combine the support files from the 98 downloadable version to end up with a 95 version with CD support.
That will make the reload easier the next time you need it.