
From: gordonf@vcn.bc.ca (Gordon Fecyk)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.win95.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95,comp.os.ms-windows.networking.win95,comp.os.ms-windows.apps.compatibility.win95,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: Windows 95 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Part 4 of 14
Followup-To: comp.os.ms-windows.win95.misc,comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95,comp.os.ms-windows.networking.win95,comp.os.ms-windows.apps.compatibility.win95
Date: 14 May 1996 01:42:00 GMT
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Summary: These postings list many questions asked in said newsgroups,
         and answers them as best as I can.  I make references to other
         Web sites and FAQs when appropriate.  Visit the WWW home of
         this FAQ (http://www.intouch.bc.ca/win95) for the appropriate
         links.  This section is the 4th one: UN-Installation
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Archive-name: windows/win95/faq/part04
Last-Modified: 1996/04/29
URL: http://www.intouch.bc.ca/win95/faq4.htm

4) UN-installing Windows 95 

Things to try before giving up 
How do I un-install Windows 95 on a computer... 
...where I installed Win95 on top of my old Windows 3.x? 
...where I installed Win95 on separate directory or drive? 
...with DriveSpace 3 (tm) disk compression? 
...with server based install? 
...diskless workstation? 
Top ten UN-installation mistakes 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Things to try before giving up 

You can read the Re-Installation part of this FAQ, which covers 
some ways of fixing problems without re-installing, and which covers 
some tips to make a good re-installation. 

Failing that, try again from scratch, with an empty system (Meaning 
BACK-UP your system first, THEN delete everything and try again), 
using the techniques in the Installation part of this FAQ. 

Failing that, check with the hardware makers for Win95 versions of 
drivers, etc, and look in the MS Knowledge Base and , and see about 
trading your hardware for Win95 compatible types. Don't waste your 
time with un-supported hardware. Check out the Hardware 
Compatibility List which contains a lot of out-dated crap, but they did 
sort it by manufacturer nicely for you. 

Also check with your software makers and tell them to get their 
ASSES in gear, and make Win95 compliant versions of their 
software, or to fix their Win 3.1 software to make it work. (Soapbox 
mode on) Microsoft didn't spend a whole year and a half of beta 
testing, just to be ignored. Even though this is what 
Novell/WordPerfect Corporation did. They're awake now... heh heh 
heh (Soapbox mode off) 

Or, you could just try Service Pack 1. They did fix a couple of dumb 
problems (with ECP printer ports for example, if you think the printer 
stopped working when Win95 came along...) 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I un-install Windows 95 on a computer that I installed 
on top of my old Windows 3.x? 

If you enabled the UN-INSTALL feature back in Setup, you can just 
go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, and remove Windows 
95. This will restore your original Windows config files, your original 
DOS config files, and the original partition table and boot record of 
the target drive. 

If you didn't enable un-install, you'll have to trash your Win95 
directory using the technique below, and re-install Win 3.1 fresh. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I un-install Windows 95 on a computer that I installed 
on separate directory or drive? 

There's no fancy un-installer for this kind of installation. However, you 
can just: 

DELTREE %WINDIR%

and that'll work. To do this, get your DOS setup disks and boot from 
the first disk. Then, exit that setup program to a DOS prompt. From 
here you type: 

SYS C:
DELTREE C:\WIN95 (or wherever)
DELTREE C:\PROGRA~1 (The old "Program files" directory)
COPY AUTOEXEC.DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT
COPY CONFIG.DOS CONFIG.SYS

then re-boot. 

You can then run Windows 3.1 File Manager, with "Show 
Hidden/System Files" turned on, to hunt for other files you don't 
recognize. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I un-install Windows 95 on a computer with DriveSpace 
3 (tm) disk compression? 

If you installed DriveSpace 3 from MS Plus and you chose to 
un-install Win95, you can still access DriveSpace 3 drives, as it keeps 
the real mode component DRVSPACE.BIN there. DOS will 
recognize this version of DRVSPACE.BIN and load it. Of course, it'll 
eat 100 KB of conventional memory, so you had better back up your 
compressed drive and re-partition it, to kill DriveSpace 3 completely. 
Otherwise, the techniques above for removing Win95 will work just 
fine. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I un-install Windows 95 on a computer with a server 
based install? 

The techniques above will work for a server based install, just make 
sure you get your right version of DOS and your old DOS network 
drivers back when you do it. It's also a lot less to delete. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I un-install Windows 95 on a diskless workstation? 

You'll need to change back to your DOS boot disk or DOS virtual 
boot disk, then just clean out Win95 from your home directory. If you 
installed on top of a Win 3.1 diskless install, you're better off 
re-installing Win 3.1 fresh. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Top ten UN-installation mistakes 

10) Reading the Things to try before giving up section after 
un-installing 

9) Reading the Re-Installation section of the FAQ after un-installing 

8) Forgetting to convert the important MS Word (tm) 7 document, 
when un-installing 

7) Forgetting that your database was written in Access 95 (tm) when 
un-installing 

6) Forgetting to try restoring that backup you made before 
un-installing 

5) Calling Microsoft tech support after un-installing (Think they'll help 
you now?) 

4) Un-installing, then realizing that your software vendor isn't selling 
Win 3.1 stuff anymore 

3) Having a friend or technician discover a virus after you thought 
Win95 caused all your troubles, and after you un-installed 

2) Un-installing because the program you need to use the most 
doesn't work (The program's broken, not the OS) 

1) Buying Win95 in the first place, if you un-installed for keeps 
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