Windows
95 Software Installation
Windows 95 (Windows version 4.0) is a commercial
operating system for computers with between a 486 compatible cpu with
16MB RAM and a 586/686 compatible cpu with 32MB RAM (slightly less for
a
well designed laptop), and a hard disk with minium free space of 200MB.
If you have greater resources you can still use Windows 95 but it is
worth using the improved version, Windows 98 2nd edition (4.1) (but not
Millenium (4.9)) or Windows 2000 (but not XP). alternatively, there are
also non-commercial, free, operating systems, such as GNU/Linux.
related documents: Configuring Windows for Performance, Useability and Security
This list descibes the foundation of the operating system, that which you want to have layn before you install & use the major applications that you use your computer for, so that it runs & will continue to run with stability in a changing future; and has all necessary support for different document formats and situations; and is secure against malicious hackers and viruses
This setup is security conscious because of its configuration of the basic Windows operating system and in its choice of software used. hopefully it is a setup that can be easier understood because of its simplicity, and because its software addresses clear functional needs. it is layed out in sections as per the different layers of functionality that can be addressed. often people setup Windows with too many programs that you will not understand, this complicates the operating system and your mind, better to be simple and increase the complexity gradually. likewise, no need to configure features that automate various and unknown tasks, because this actually increases the eventual complexity and especially lays you open to security risks
The
Sections
1) operating system (including device drivers and updates)
2) minimum utilities, software drivers, etcetera
3) minor essential applications
4) major applications (mostly beyond the scope of this document)
Printing
Instructions: enable
printing of the table's lines (in Netscape 4 choose File -> Page
Setup... -> Page Options: Black Lines)
| Software | Version Installed and language | Configured prefs. and temp? | Subject Area | Description | Comments |
| Windows95 | OSR2.5 (4.00.1111 C) |
. | the operating system |
install without networking
components so as not to load Internet Explorer. |
|
| device drivers for
internal devices: - motherboard chipset - SCSI controller - audio - video - monitor - network card - modem |
. | drivers | interfaces between Windows and various internal hardware (not printers, scanners, etc) | check
manufacturer's web site for latest information and drivers for all
hardware. You are advised not to install keyboard/mouse drivers
so as to leave the system simpler and leaner as often their
functionality is dubious (such as enabling multimedia keyboard keys)
and
can cause severe problems. |
|
| Configuring
Windows NT for Performance, Useability and Security sections 2 & 3 |
docs -> windows | follow this document to best configure the operating system itself | |||
| Adaptec's ASPI transport layer | drivers | communications layer for CD drives | Install if using a CD writer | ||
1. OLE 32 update |
. | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (oleupd.exe)(UPD960125a) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated. To download most of these updates, and for different language versions, check: http://www.walbeehm.com/win95upd.html | |
|
2. LPT virtual device update |
. | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (prnt5upd.exe)(UPD961118a) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 2. network components update | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (secupd2.exe)(UPD970527R1) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 4. MSNDS services for Netware update | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (nwredup4.exe)(UPD970527R2) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 5. DLC protocol driver update | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (dlc32upd.exe)(UPD970618R1) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 6. virtual network redirector update | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (vrdrupd.exe)(UPD970911R1) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 7. Winsock 2 | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (W95ws2setup.exe) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated. later you can remove the \windows\ws2bakup directory. needs tcp/ip installed, best to load just dial-up networking & tcp/ip so as to get this loaded. | |
| 8. Y2K patch 2 | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (w95y2k.exe) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 9. Dialup Networking 1.3 | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (msdun13.exe) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated. needs dial-up networking to be loaded; which is worth loading so as to get the various upgrades in that come with this | |
| 10. support for Euro currency symbol | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (w95euro.exe) (en)(UPD980821B1) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
|
11. AMD K6 update |
. | updates.w95 -> system-updates | (amdk6upd.exe)(UPD980911N1) | for Windows 95 OSR2.5 only. install in order indicated | |
| 12. DCOM95 update | . | updates.w95 -> system-updates | . | . | |
|
Windows Library update |
. | updates.win | . | . | |
| (DirectX) |
. |
updates.win | . |
for audio, video,
gaming, etcetera. should only install if you need it. does DirectX come
with Win95 OSR2.5? |
|
| COMCTL32.DLL - common
control library patch |
. |
updates.win -> DLLs |
. |
||
| IERadicator | . | updates.win | remove most of Internet Explorer | if you need the full Internet Explorer browser, re-install version 5.5SP2 after IERadicator and it will be installed but disentangled from the Windows desktop | |
| (Internet Explorer) |
. |
updates.win | the full browser |
if you need the full Internet Explorer browser then install/update to version 5.5SP2 and any updates/security fixes/hotfixes | |
| any post Internet Explorer Service Pack Cumulative Patch | updates.win | ||||
| (TweakUI) | . | admin | tweak user interface | may have to copy to hard disk and install from there | |
| device drivers for
external devices: |
n/a | n/a | device drivers Toolbox | interfaces between Windows and various external hardware | |
| printer driver |
|||||
| scanner driver |
|||||
| flash card reader /
writer driver |
|||||
| Configuring
Windows for Performance, Useability and Security section 4+ |
. | docs -> windows | . | follow these details
in this document to best configure the operating system itself |
|
| Windows Installer |
. |
updates.win | . |
. |
|
| MS OpenType Font
Properties Extension |
. |
updates.win | see more font
properties |
. |
|
| Fonts, atleast for the web |
. |
fonts -> truetype |
typefaces for viewing
text |
'Microsoft TrueType Core Fonts for the Web'' and Microsoft Tahoma font upgrade with Euro symbol | |
| RBAK | . | security | backup the Windows registry | . | |
| . | security -> snti-virus | anti-virus | See Toolbox’s notes | ||
| 7-ZIP | . | file-utils -> compression | compression | . | |
| Sun Java Runtime Environment | . | java | . | you may require it, without realising, for web-based services. use the version from from Sun Microsystems. | |
| Adobe Acrobat reader | . | editors -> PDF and Postscript | document viewer | . | |
|
Zinf /
Quicktime / Microsoft MediaPlayer |
. | audio ->
players video -> players |
multimedia player |
you may be happy with just Zinf for
MP3, OggVorbis and Wav formats but you may
also need players for the popular proprietary formats around: |
|
| IrfanView + plug-ins |
. | graphics | efficient graphics viewer | ||
| NoteTab Light |
. | editors | sophisticated plain text editor | install to 'notetab' rather than 'notetab light' | |
| K-Meleon |
. | internet -> browsers | browser |
|
|
| browser plug-ins: Flash |
. | internet -> browsers |
. | Acrobat Reader; Quicktime; Java should install their plug-ins automatically, or the browser pick them up. otherwise, copy plug-in files to browser's 'plugins' directory | |
| Pegasus Mail | . | internet -> email | email client | also, add support
for the (simple) MAPI interface to Pegasus Mail with wpmmapi.exe in the
Pegasus Mail program directory so can interact with Netscape &
Opera. Also, install the add-on program 'WSendTo'. install to 'pmail' in your program files directory |
|
| FileZilla | . | internet | FTP client | . | |
| OpenOffice or AbiWord | . | editors | word processor; spreadsheet | optional major application | |
| The GIMP |
. | graphics |
image editor |
optional major
application |
|
Note: you may also want to use ZoneAlarm personal firewall software, to protect your system(s) if they're connected to the Internet. ZoneAlarm is very useful software but too buggy in its interaction with other software applications for us to whole-heartedly advise. We recommend, if possible, that instead you use a dedicated hardware firewall using FloppyFW or some other such GNU/Linux firewall software on an old PC.