Copying Windows 95 C D to 3.5 floppies 2

[gypsy200]

Hi, would it be possible to copy a Windows 95 o s CD to 3.5 floppies to install on a Dell Latitude XPI laptop. The CD-ROM no longer work and I would like to reformat the computer. Thanks gypsy200

 

[113198402]

try a startup disc, it would be a lot easier.

load the cd rom drivers for the laptop, and just install from the cdrom, copying it onto 3.5" discs would take FOREVER, not to mention a heck of a lot of discs

 

[Snickle]

I put this in your other post - same subject:

You could get a few of the *.cab files on floppies but most are too big to fit on a floppy. The floppy version of Win95 had the DMF formatting [Distribution Media Format] which allowed 1.68MB on all but the first disk. The first disk set up the computer to be able to read the rest. Office 4.x did the same. MS could fit more of the installation on fewer disks.

There's a couple of ways I do what you need: I put the Win95 folder [less that 90MB] from the CD on a Zip100 disk and use a parallel port Zip drive and copy the folder to the hard drive, run the install from there. I also use a parallel port CD drive and do the same. The problem of installing from an external drive is losing access to it following all the reboots during installation.

 

[edfair]

Depends on the version. 95 is about 60mb, b about 80, c about 115. So you either need to copy the install stuff onto the HD and install from there, or you need access to the zip drive to be setup on the autoexec.bat used for the reboots. The problem with doing an install from an external ZIP is that it will be required again when add programs or hardware elements. If it is on the HD you'll never need the CD again. But it would also be better to put the install files on a separate partition so you can format the boot again without going thru the hoops again.
As far as the larger file sizes on floppies, you can get a DOS program that will allow access to 1.84mb by doing some tweaking of the format. Or you can copy larger than 1.44 by doing raw copy. Do a google search for "fdformat" or "cqcopy". Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[gypsy200]

I thank all of you for the support. Thanks gypsy200

 

[edfair]

And an additional possibility after thinking it over. You could pop the drive and use an adapter to hook it up to another machine for the duration of transfering the install files. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.