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Is Windows 95/98 Free?


FlierMate

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I don't have a clue. I suppose after commercialized software have been abandoned for years (or decades), perhaps it would be offered as free download and use. (It happened to my favourite programming language Turbo Pascal 5.5)

I googled for answer to this question, and I must admit that I did not go throught the search results one by one. However, I can't seem to find any clues by a quick glance at MSFN discussions. To my surprise, Windows 95 available as free download from what I supposed to be the illegal Web sites. Furthermore, I found out many MS-DOS 7.1 + WFW 3.11 startup disk available for free, as well as DOS + Windows 95 startup disk.

Therefore, I need your quick answers, just two.

(1) Is Windows 95 free?

(2) Will I ever get those "MS-DOS 7.1+WFW 3.11" to work with my new PC and DSL modem?

Thank you very much!

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Therefore, I need your quick answers, just two.

(1) Is Windows 95 free?

(2) Will I ever get those "MS-DOS 7.1+WFW 3.11" to work with my new PC and DSL modem?

1) No.

2) The answer, my friend is blowing in the wind. (how do you think we can do the remote mind reading needed to understand WHAT is your new PC and HOW the heck you have it connected to DSL? :w00t:)

For the 2nd question a Standard Litany is needed:

http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html

jaclaz

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Thank you, jaclaz, for taking the initiative to answer my questions in my mind.

1) No.

:unsure: Then it must be pirated copy on those illegal Web sites.

2) The answer, my friend is blowing in the wind. (how do you think we can do the remote mind reading needed to understand WHAT is your new PC and HOW the heck you have it connected to DSL? :w00t:)

For the 2nd question a Standard Litany is needed:

http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollard/FGA/problem-report-standard-litany.html

Good! I like to hear that (reminder) from you.

It is originally Windows 7 64-bit preloaded PC connected to DSL modem through cable.

If Windows 3.11 not possible, how about Windows 95?

You may ask why downgrading my original Windows. It is another story.

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1. I wish it was free.

Me, too.

2. Windows 3.11 probably won't work on a new PC.

Save yourself the headache and just buy a really old computer from 1992. Then install Windows 3.11. That should work just fine.

Then I won't try Windows 3.11. Thank you for your advice.

By the way, the new Intel Core i5 PC work with Windows XP.

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:unsure: Then it must be pirated copy on those illegal Web sites.

Well, maybe those Web sites are illegal BECAUSE they provide pirated copies of non-free OS. :whistle:

BTW you would probably have the same kind of issues attempting to run a Win9x on such a machine.

Compare with:

and with some of the threads listed here:

If you have a network card and a hub (and the modem is actually a router, NOT a USB connected modem) you may have some (very small chances).

The best thing you can do is to try first in a VM inside your "normal" OS.

jaclaz

Edited by jaclaz
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BTW you would probably have the same kind of issues attempting to run a Win9x on such a machine.

Compare with:

and with some of the threads listed here:

If you have a network card and a hub (and the modem is actually a router, NOT a USB connected modem) you may have some (very small chances).

I'd better give up. I just can't swap my new PC (and its motherboard) for old OS.

If that is the case, I have to downgrade my computer hardware.

The best thing you can do is to try first in a VM inside your "normal" OS.

I have wiped off my original Windows, completely.

And the copy of Windows XP in this PC is not a genuine copy.

That's why I am looking for a free OS, and my first option was Windows 3.11 / 95.

Thank you for your help.

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The biggest problem would be driver for win98, win95, and win 3.1.1, There are some very good free OS out there that are legal, and have drivers for the newer hardware, Ubuntu comes to mind also some games support the OS, if you play. Also Linux, which comes in several flavors.

If you look around where you live there might be a computer store that has old computer parts for sell. I have like 3 here where I live. I've put several old systems to gather. My most expensive one was 65 dollars, that was Case, motherboard, 2Gigs mem, AGP Nvidia FX card with 64 MB, 80Gig HD, CD burner, 3 1/2 drive. Sound blaster Audigy, Speakers, Keyboard, and last but not least Mouse. All used, running under windows 98SE and also I have XP Pro so several are running dual OS

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And the copy of Windows XP in this PC is not a genuine copy.

That's why I am looking for a free OS, and my first option was Windows 3.11 / 95.

None of the DOS/Windows versions are free. Save yourself the trouble and get some Linux distribution if you wish a free OS.

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i don't think linux can run run the same programs as windows and the freeware kock offs stink and wine is a joke. 98 and 95 are very very easy to get hold legit or not. i know at work we have PCs like that just laying around. i'm sure such COAs can be bought for cheap or even free.

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98 units can be had for next to nothing at yard sales and resale shops. As for running it on newer hardware, PCs with Pentium 4 processors make excellent 98 units. Hardware that's newer than that can be very problematic. This thread will give you a good idea of what newer hardware 98 will run on.

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Ubuntu comes to mind

Thank you for your idea. I will visit a computer shop and ask for a DVD for Ubuntu (or any other Linux with friendly user interface).

Either that, or you (or a friend) could just burn a CD with the latest Ubuntu v11.10. Is there really a DVD? I have only burned CD's up to now.

As far as Win9x computers, they should be free if you look around. I saw truckloads of relatively recent, probably 5-7 year old computers (and TV's, etc) destined for the scrap heap at a recent recycle collection for so-called 'hazardous' waste. I didn't try but I imagine that a few bucks and some kind words I could have gotten a pile of them. Failing that, ask around before it's too late. Keep an eye out for people that are upgrading their computers and ask if they will let you have the old one.

I junked a lot of them in the past few years myself, but I am hanging on to a few just for kicks. The Intel boards using i865 with Pentium 4 Northwood or Prescott era chips are nice because they have onboard USB 2, Audio, Video, Ethernet and DDR. As dencorso said, the AMD boards from the Athlon XP era are also very nice and lots faster, with similar integrated features. I think up to nForce2 video has Win9x drivers (but I'm no longer sure about that). The Intel boards were simpler because the INF installer handled everything. It was always slightly more time-consuming to get all the Via or whatever drivers than the single Intel file. Regardless, both these systems, Intel and AMD were nice all-in-one solutions for Win9x (although they were targeted for WinXP).

So, finding any of these 'obsolete' systems with the Win98se CD would solve all your problems at once.

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