29 Sep
2005
29 Sep
'05
11:49 p.m.
On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 20:22:24 +0100
Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:
The 3-1/2" version of Windows 95 fingerprinted the first diskette when
you installed it for the first time. The 'work around' was to always
install from a dupe of the first disk and copy-protect the original.
Otherwise, any subsequent install didn't prompt for username and would
just imprint your name in it (preventing widespread piracy). Windows 95
on 5-1/4" disks did not implement this. Further, Windows 95 on the
bigger diskettes is significantly pared down, it appears on fewer 5-1/4"
diskettes than the 3-1/2" version, yet the disks are of lower capacity.
Lots of the bloat and junk are missing. It's possible the kernel and
binaries are identical.
Copying all the 3-1/2" diskettes to a single directory and burning to a
CD produces a copy that has the 'imprinted' user data and/or insists on
writing to the CD after prompting for the user data during install. The
install mechanism for the three media releases of Windows 95 (3-1/2" or
5-1/4" floppy, or the CD release) is thus obviously different. The
5-1/4" version is the only one where you can copy all files from the
diskettes to a folder, burn to CD, and get an unimprinted install binary
set that doesn't prompt for a CD key. I.e. a 'pirate' version of
Windows 95 that leaves no traces.
Anyways, it's just one of the few interesting 'twists' in an otherwise
rather banal product from Microsoft.
On 29/09/05, Scott Stevens <chenmel at
earthlink.net> wrote:
> There are 'aspects' of Windows 95 that are interesting. Did you
know
> that there is a 5-1/4" floppy version of
Windows 95? It's for HD
> floppies, but it does exist. I ordered it using the coupon in the
back
> of my 'CD' version of Windows 95. It has
the unique feature of
being
> the OLDEST and SMALLEST version of Windows 95.
Copy all the
diskettes
> into one big directory and you have an aprox 30
meg cluster of
files.
Install it on
a system and it is an extremely no-frills version. No
Internet nothin' for example. And it doesn't prompt for a CD key to
install, and it doesn't 'fingerprint' the diskettes like the 3-1/2"
diskette version.
Hmmm. I'm dubious. I'm not aware of any differing editions of Win95 in
each individual version. Original Win95 - not 95a, not OSR 2 or 2.1 or
2.5 but the plain release version - *was* very basic by today's
standards. No web browser - IE came in the Plus Pack, a paid-for
optional extra. No CD key & I'm not aware of 95 doing anything to
fingerprint diskettes.