How to Fix Windows 95 Start Up

Start Windows 95 in Safe Mode
1. Start your computer.
2. Press F8 on the keyboard, when the \'Starting Windows 95\' message shows.
3. Use the arrow keys to select “Safe Mode” and then press “Enter.”
Step-By-Step Confirmation
4. Restart your computer.
5. Press F8 on the keyboard, when the \'Starting Windows 95\' message shows.
6. Use the arrow keys to select “Step-By-Step Confirmation” and then press “Enter.”
7. Try-out the following boot options (A, B, C, D) one-by-one as instructed below.
8. Boot A
You are required to press Y or N on you keyboard in answer to different device load options. For the options, “Process your startup device drivers(Config.sys)?”, “Process your startup command file(Autoexec.bat)?” and “Load all Windows Drivers?”, press \'N\' on the keyboard as and when they show up. For all the others, press \'Y\'. If Windows 95 starts then their is a problem with Protected-Mode Driver. To overcome this problem, see the ‘Fix the Protected-Mode Driver Problem’ section below. If Windows 95 does not start then try out the Boot D option.
9. Boot B
For the options, “Process your startup device drivers(Config.sys)?” and “Process your startup command file(Autoexec.bat)?”, press \'N\' on the keyboard. For all the others, press \'Y\'. If Windows 95 starts then their is a problem with the \'Winstart.bat\' file present in the Windows folder of your computer. Rename this file to \'Winstarts.bat\' and then try the Boot B option again. If Windows 95 does not start then try the Boot C option.
10. Boot C
For the “Load all Windows Drivers?” option press \'N\'. For the all the others, press \'Y\'. If Windows 95 starts then their is a problem with Protected-Mode Driver. To overcome this problem, see the ‘Fix the Protected-Mode Driver Problem’ section below. If Windows 95 does not start then try out the Boot D option.
11. Boot D
For the \'Process the system registry?\' option press \'N\'. For the all the others, press \'Y\'. If Windows 95 starts then there is a problem with the system registry. To fix this problem, see the ‘Fix the System Registry’ section below. If Windows 95 does not start then try the steps listed in the ‘System.ini’ section below.
Fix the Protected-Mode Driver Problem
12. Start Windows 95 in Safe mode as shown above.
13. Go to “Start,” click on “Settings,” and then click on “Control Panel.”
14. In the control panel window that opens, double-click on the “System” icon.
15. On the Device Manager tab, double-click on \'Display adapters\' and then double-click on the devices listed below to disable it. Similarly do for \'Floppy disk controllers\', Hard disk controllers\', \'Keyboard\', \'Mouse\', \'Network adapters\', \'PCMCIA socket\', \'Ports\', \'SCSI controllers\' and \'Sound, video, and game controllers\'.
16. On the General tab, uncheck the \'Original Configuration(Current)\' check box, and then click OK.
17. Restart your computer. If Windows 95 does not start properly then follow the instructions given in the ‘System.ini’ section below.
18. If Windows 95 starts properly then one-by-one enable the devices you disabled above in the order - Ports, Hard disk controllers, Floppy disk controllers and then the remaining devices. Also, click to select the \'Original Configuration(Current)\' check box you unchecked in step 5 above.
Fix the System Registry
19. Restart your computer.
20. Press F8 on the keyboard, when the \'Starting Windows 95\' message shows.
21. Use the arrow key to select “Safe mode command prompt only” and then press “Enter.”
22. One-by-one, type the following lines and then press \'Enter.\'
cd \\windows
attrib -s -h -r system.dat
ren system.dat system.xxx
cd \attrib -s -h -r system.1st
copy system.1st c:\\windows\\system.dat
attrib +s +h +r system.1st
23. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
System.ini
24. Locate the “System.ini” file in the “Windows” folder of your computer.
25. Double-click on the System.ini file to open it Notepad.
26. On the “File” menu, click on “Save As.”
27. Type “System.sav” as the name of the file and save it in the Windows folder.
28. Close the System.sav file.
29. Locate the “System.cb” file in the “Windows” folder of your computer.
30. Double-click on the System.cb file to open it.
31. On the “Edit” menu, click on “Select All.”
32. On the “Edit” menu, click on “Copy.”
33. Double-click on the System.ini file to open it.
34. Go to the end of the System.ini file, click on the “Edit” menu and then click on “Paste.”
35. Add \'drivers=mmsystem.dll\' in the boot section of the System.ini file.
36. On the “File” menu, click on “Save.”
37. Close the System.ini file.
38. Locate the “Win.ini” file in the “Windows” folder of your computer.
39. Double-click on the Win.ini file to open it Notepad.
40. On the “File” menu, click on “Save As.”
41. Type “Win.sav” as the name of the file and save it in the Windows folder.
42. Close the Win.sav file.
43. Restart your computer.