MSFN Forums > [How To] Windows 95 on 5.35Mb!

SiMoNsAyS

Sep 28 2004, 07:02 PM

Introduction
I've found 2 methods of how you can shrink the Win95 installation down to near 5Mb. First one was originally stored here. But the author left the project:

QUOTE

I immediately removed information that I felt would be a conflict of interest under my new employment contract

Second one let you make a bootcd but i haven't test it.

Method 1
1.- Shrinking: Start deleting the files not present in this list:

QUOTE

Volume in drive C has no label
Volume Serial Number is 2615-10ED

Directory of C:\WINDOWS

. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:45a
.. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:45a
TEMP [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
SYSTEM [DIR] 03-18-03 9:46a
DESKTOP [DIR] 08-05-03 4:07p
IOS LOG [DIR] 08-06-03 12:18p
USER DAT 0 08-05-03 4:02p
STARTM~1 [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
WIN386 SWP 0 08-06-03 2:23p
SHELLICO [DIR] 08-06-03 1:41p
SHELLI~1 [DIR] 08-06-03 1:54p
SYSTEM INI 53 08-06-03 2:21p
DOSPRMPT PIF 545 06-08-00 5:00p
COMMAND PIF 967 08-04-03 2:57p
EXITTO~1 PIF 967 08-05-03 4:14p
IFSHLP SYS 3,708 08-24-96 11:11a
WIN2 COM 24,503 08-24-96 11:11a
EXPLORER EXE 204,288 08-24-96 11:11a
9 file(s) 235,031 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\DESKTOP

. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:07p
.. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:07p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\IOS.LOG

. [DIR] 08-06-03 12:18p
.. [DIR] 08-06-03 12:18p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SHELLICO

. [DIR] 08-06-03 1:41p
.. [DIR] 08-06-03 1:41p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SHELLI~1

. [DIR] 08-06-03 1:54p
.. [DIR] 08-06-03 1:54p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\STARTM~1

. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
.. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
PROGRAMS [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\STARTM~1\PROGRAMS

. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
.. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
STARTUP [DIR] 08-06-03 1:45p
AWFULL~1 [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\STARTM~1\PROGRAMS\AWFULL~1

. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
.. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\STARTM~1\PROGRAMS\STARTUP

. [DIR] 08-06-03 1:45p
.. [DIR] 08-06-03 1:45p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM

. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:46a
.. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:46a
VMM32 [DIR] 03-18-03 9:46a
IOSUBSYS [DIR] 03-18-03 9:47a
COLOR [DIR] 03-18-03 9:51a
SYSTEM DRV 2,288 08-24-96 11:11a
MMSOUND DRV 3,104 08-24-96 11:11a
COMM DRV 5,856 08-24-96 11:11a
MOUSE DRV 7,712 08-24-96 11:11a
CP_1252 NLS 9,194 08-24-96 11:11a
CP_437 NLS 9,522 08-24-96 11:11a
MSGSRV32 EXE 10,640 08-24-96 11:11a
KEYBOARD DRV 12,688 08-24-96 11:11a
MPREXE EXE 12,800 08-24-96 11:11a
MSPWL32 DLL 21,504 08-24-96 11:11a
DDEML DLL 32,240 08-24-96 11:11a
UNICODE NLS 34,676 08-24-96 11:11a
MPR DLL 40,448 08-24-96 11:11a
ADVAPI32 DLL 43,008 08-24-96 11:11a
USER32 DLL 44,544 08-24-96 11:11a
VGA DRV 52,064 08-24-96 11:11a
MPRSERV DLL 119,296 08-24-96 11:11a
SHELL DLL 125,408 03-18-03 9:57a
KRNL386 EXE 126,944 08-24-96 11:11a
GDI32 DLL 131,072 08-24-96 11:11a
LOCALE NLS 134,022 08-24-96 11:11a
COMMCTRL DLL 154,880 03-18-03 9:46a
GDI EXE 312,208 08-24-96 11:11a
COMCTL32 DLL 379,152 08-24-96 11:11a
KERNEL32 DLL 414,208 08-24-96 11:11a
USER EXE 462,112 08-24-96 11:11a
VMM32 VXD 697,085 03-18-03 10:08a
SHELL32 DLL 819,200 08-24-96 11:11a
28 file(s) 4,217,875 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\COLOR

. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:51a
.. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:51a
HPSJTW ICM 6,514 08-24-96 11:11a
MNB22G15 ICM 59,564 08-24-96 11:11a
MNB22G18 ICM 59,564 08-24-96 11:11a
MNB22G21 ICM 59,564 08-24-96 11:11a
MNEBUG15 ICM 59,964 08-24-96 11:11a
MNEBUG18 ICM 59,964 08-24-96 11:11a
MNEBUG21 ICM 59,964 08-24-96 11:11a
MNP22G15 ICM 59,980 08-24-96 11:11a
MNP22G18 ICM 59,980 08-24-96 11:11a
MNP22G21 ICM 59,980 08-24-96 11:11a
10 file(s) 545,038 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IOSUBSYS

. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:47a
.. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:47a
BIGMEM DRV 9,962 08-24-96 11:11a
RMM PDR 13,290 05-01-97 8:14a
2 file(s) 23,252 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\VMM32

. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:46a
.. [DIR] 03-18-03 9:46a
IOS VXD 68,938 08-24-96 11:11a
IFSMGR VXD 185,898 08-24-96 11:11a
2 file(s) 254,836 bytes

Directory of C:\WINDOWS\TEMP

. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
.. [DIR] 08-05-03 4:05p
0 file(s) 0 bytes

Total files listed:
51 file(s) 5,276,032 bytes
41 dir(s) 359,038,976 bytes free

2.- Editing: Simply edit your "SYSTEM.INI" and left only these lines:

QUOTE

[386Enh]mouse=*vmouse

Method 2
1.- Shrinking: You have just downloaded the files at the bottom, so take a look at "95filelist.txt" and remove everything not included in that file, even: read only, hidden files, win.ini, system.ini, system.dat, system.da0, user.dat and user.da0. "\windows\system\vmm32\" must be left if you want to preserve support for win32 applications.

2.- Micro95: Now run "createmicro95.bat". After the command file it's finished, you'll read:

QUOTE

Now exit to DOS, remove c:\windows, rename c:\micro95 to c:\windows
Insert the new win.ini and system.ini
run regedit /c registry.reg

So follow the instructions, rename, insert and add to the registry.

3.- Additions:
In the .zip file you can find:
"System.ini"
"Win.ini"
"createmicro95.bat"
"95filelist.txt"
"Registry.reg"
How To: Make a bootable CD
How To: Win98, less than 5Mb (Nano98 method)!
How To: Long file names (LFN) under DOS
How To: Win95 on 5'35Mb with explorer under non-safe mode (now offline/not available)!
How To: Restoring WMM32.VXD support for Win32 applications
How To: Win95 on 4'47Mb (micro95 method)!

Download 145 KB (148.819 bytes)
Mirrored Download 145 KB (148.819 bytes) - Thanks to vaibhavb!

The purpose of this it's to don't forget what it was written on the net and now it's not available, so if you can host the file, PM me and I'll add your mirror.

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MtK

Sep 28 2004, 07:56 PM

Matbe it's astupid question but:

What can be done with such a small Windows?
Can it still run programs like:

IE
Office
WMP or Winamp
Etc...

SiMoNsAyS

Sep 28 2004, 08:29 PM

@Mtk it runs win32 apps that don't use advanced APIs but you don't have to look at it like a "small OS" you can see it like an "advanced recovery system". you still can use explorer and probably you can run a xp installation from that mini-OS (untested).

somethings i've thought about:
probably it would run from a virtual unit so it can be mounted from a startup disk like EDB.CAB.
it can be used like WinPE
you can build a liveCD to play solitaire (

)

..

nateklomp

Sep 29 2004, 01:41 AM

Hiya,
I've also seen this method used on Win98, but Nano98 is 4.38MB!

prathapml

Sep 29 2004, 04:51 AM

@SiMoNsAyS
Good job. Nice to have the "missing due to employer" info right here. We can now discuss how to break-down win98se as well, to smaller sizes!

(not in this thread, of course)

gamehead200

Sep 29 2004, 05:26 AM

QUOTE (prathapml @ Sep 29 2004, 06:51 AM)

@SiMoNsAyS
Good job. Nice to have the "missing due to employer" info right here. We can now discuss how to bread-down win98se as well, to smaller sizes!

(not in this thread, of course)

Didn't I post a link to this guide in the shrinking Windows 98 thread?

prathapml

Sep 29 2004, 06:26 AM

QUOTE (gamehead200 @ Sep 29 2004, 04:56 PM)

Didn't I post a link to this guide in the shrinking Windows 98 thread?

Yup, you did.

4 links to guides, I think...

SiMoNsAyS

Sep 29 2004, 08:10 AM

i'm sure that links are still there, on the net, at least most of them (i found some offlines).
some of the info can still be found but i have zipped all the documents about the shrinking win9x so you don't have to search for them and you can avoid offline problems. on 2 years some1 will question "hey, where is the info about shrinking win9x?" and you can point them here

Weed

Sep 29 2004, 10:36 AM

does it support network?
i think this is really important...

SiMoNsAyS

Sep 29 2004, 10:47 AM

QUOTE (Weed @ Sep 29 2004, 06:36 PM)

does it support network?
i think this is really important...

i think not (untested), sorry... the reduced size it's because there isn't %programfiles%, cdrom support and so on... probably with network drivers... but that will grow the size a pair of MB

evilvoice

Sep 29 2004, 12:41 PM

deleted

jaclaz

Oct 3 2004, 09:43 AM

Good work Simonsays!
Just to keep things together, posting a link to some info I already posted:
http://www.msfn.org/board/nLite-Win-98-t27296.html
including some ways to make it a live cd.

For the latter, best solution is the following:
FREEWARE Qualystem Rescue 1.2 Free Edition
http://www.qualystem.com/en/download.html

The good thing about this method as compared to these ones:
http://www.lachiesadicristo.it/w98cd/page1.htm
http://www.heise.de/ct/english/99/11/206/
is that Qualystem uses a file redirector so that you need a MUCH smaller RAMDISK, as only the registry is loaded there.

With a 5,35 or 4,38 windows you can't do much, however, I am making some tests, and to have a fairly usable system, with network and printer support including Opera browser and a few small "office-like" apps like Atlantis Ocean Mind, Spread32, Foxit PDF reader, etc, size requirements get much more demanding.

Results so far:
NUDE 98 about 5 Mb (you cannot do much with this)
MINIMAL 98 about 13 MB (32 bit and devices work)
WORKING 98 about 40 MB (everything works as expected, no internet)
OPTIMUM 98 about 55 MB (includes browser, office apps)

jaclaz

Shrish

Apr 13 2006, 12:12 AM

Hi all,

The original author removed the info from Author's site

I searched Google cache and WayBack to find the last archieved page which contain the article and was able to find the missing article here...
WayBack Machine archive