Hi all
Matt -- I can't imagine you are going to want to run Windows 95 on a PII machine. It should run Windows Me well, if the hard drive is healthy enough.
Try the drive diagnostics - those will let you know for sure if your hard drive is in good enough shape to install anything on it. If the hard drive is bad, no operating system in the world is going to install on it.
As a test, you could run the computer entirely from the CD-rom and system memory, if you have at least 256 to 512mb installed -- if a Knoppix CD can start your computer & run OK, then at least your know the other parts are OK ---
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
Also: if you want an easy-to-use bootable CD for running the hard drive diagnostics, try the Linux-based "Ultimate Boot CD" ---
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com --- it has many diagnostics tools included on it, it's free, and it's a simple download ...
Instructions for creating the bootable CDs are available from the same sites in the links, as are instructions for creating the diagnostic disks.
Best of luck!
. . . Gary
P.S. .. you certainly can use the WinMe to boot with, and to clean-install WinMe with (you just insert the Win95 CD as "proof of prior version" when prompted by WinMe setup . . . windowsreinstall.com has a nicely detailed explanation for this
Quote:
Installing a Windows ME Upgrade CD without a Previous OS installed
Begin the windows install as if it was the full version, during the install you will be prompted for a previous operating system, at his point put your old operating system CD in the drive and browse to the WIN98 folder (for Windows 98) or WIN95 folder (for Windows 95). Click ok, the windows upgrade will confirm this is a full version and continue with the upgrade (after you replace the upgrade CD)
|
... but before rushing ahead to that, make sure the hard drive is OK, and has a Primary DOS Partiton setup on it.