The Windows 95 Setup: A Journey Through Three OS Worlds

Did you ever stop to think about what happens behind the scenes when you set up Windows 95? It's a journey through three different operating systems! Recently, a Microsoft software engineer, Raymond Chen, revealed that Windows 95's setup process isn't as straightforward as it seems. It uses three different operating systems – starting with MS-DOS, then moving to Windows 3. x, and finally to the Win9x GUI. Sounds complicated, right? Not really. Each part of the setup has a specific job.

MS-DOS kicks things off. It's the first stop because you need it to start anything on an old PC. Then, it installs a tiny version of Windows 3. 1 to run the 16-bit setup part. This 16-bit setup does most of the heavy lifting, like checking hardware and deciding what to install. Finally, the 32-bit part sets up printers and other peripherals. This three-step process might seem like overkill, but it's actually clever. Microsoft could use just one codebase for all three stages. This makes it easier and faster to develop. So, next time you're setting up an old computer, remember that it's like a tour of different operating systems. Cool, huh?

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