Happy 25th Birthday, Windows 95!!

[win32]

I can't believe it's been so long since the most logical desktop UI was released. Windows NT API functions + DOS/win16 compatibility, FAT32 and basic USB support are pretty important as well.

I started using Windows 98 long before I started with 95, but when I got my PIII machine, 98 was flaky beyond belief. I asked for opinions and some said that the near constant crashes were due to overheating.

Then I went outside the next day. A razor-thin object hit my forehead and cut it. Turned out to be a Windows 95 OSR 2.1 CD-ROM. Used my 98FE OEM CD-ROM to boot it. And it installed with no issues. So those crashes were likely not related to hardware. My only problem was that the system would fail to boot or even be broken completely if the USB supplement was installed. But replacing the S3 Savage4 with a GeForce FX 5700 LE fixed it.

I'm still quite satisfied with Windows 95, After Dark 10th anniversary edition, Office 2000 Professional and RetroZilla 2.2 (until MSFN broke in it earlier this morning due to apparent change in encryption. nice coincidence. ). I never, ever swap with 128 MB of RAM!

I'd love to go back 15 or 20 years so I could run 95/98 as a main OS dual booting with Windows 2000 and not have to worry about compatibility issues. Seriously, since I dumped the Savage4, win95 has never given a BSoD or even inexplicable crashes of system executables (98SE did that to me often).

[LoneCrusader]

Ugh, now I feel even older.

But aside from that, it's a weird coincidence but I had just been attempting to pick back up my 95 slipstream project from where it got left 4 years ago for various reasons. Never realized the significance of the date.. but it seems fitting now.

I remember my second computer, a Windows 95 OSR2 machine circa 1997. I'd had an earlier DOS6/Win 3.1 system before, but the new Windows 95 machine was there when I first discovered the Internet and online gaming. When it died on me a few years later in high school it caused me to have to learn more about building computers and setting up software.. and forever put me on the path, lol.

Also enjoyed your story about issues with 98 that didn't exist on 95 - 98FE was garbage. A friend of mine had a computer with virtually identical specs to my 95 OSR2 machine that came with 98FE. He was constantly battling weird problems that I never encountered. Eventually later on I had to use 98FE on a system for a while, and I experienced several flaky issues that didn't happen under 95 (or 98SE).

At one point I decided I wanted a CD burner.. thought I would get one of those new fangled external ones. Went to Office Depot and bought a HP USB burner, since my machine was HP and had a USB port. When I got home and figured out that it would not work with Windows 95, I took it back to exchange it for a different model/brand that connected via parallel port. The guy at Office Depot acted like I was crazy, and kept asking "Why don't you upgrade your operating system?!?!?" The parallel burner worked very well.. still have it, but haven't used it in ages.

Eventually I went on to build a new system, with a 3.06GHz P4 processor. My beloved 95 crashed, and I couldn't figure it out at the time. Had to move to 98SE. Years later here I would discover the solution through trial and error installing any and all updates I could lay my hands on until it suddenly worked.

And, total vindication at last. With @rloew's help, eventually helped to create a USB Storage driver for 95 that would run that d@mn HP burner.. if I still had it!

[ragnargd]

3 hours ago, LoneCrusader said:

Ugh, now I feel even older.

Dear Old Friend, face the inconvenient truth: You ARE older. But: Welcome to the club... :)

Myself, I will celebrate in three and a half years, as the BSODs of W95 cost me that much years of my life. W98SE FTW.

[Wunderbar98]

My Windows experience started primarily with 98 SE, missed the 95 era except for some 'old' work computers around the office. Here's what some members had to say at the 20th anniversary birthday bash.
https://msfn.org/board/topic/174333-20-years-ago-today/?tab=comments#comment-1106569

[Wunderbar98]

win32
I'm still quite satisfied with Windows 95 ... and RetroZilla 2.2 until MSFN broke in it earlier this morning due to apparent change in encryption. nice coincidence.

RetroZilla is working just fine here for MSFN browsing and login (JavaScript disabled). This is from Windows 98 SE not 95 though it should be the same RetroZilla build.

Edited August 26, 2020 by Wunderbar98

[win32]

On 8/26/2020 at 4:20 PM, Wunderbar98 said:

RetroZilla is working just fine here for MSFN browsing and login (JavaScript disabled). This is from Windows 98 SE not 95 though it should be the same RetroZilla build.

Yes, it's working again on 95 for me. But what a day to pick to shun it, even if it ended up being temporary.