The Secret Behind Windows 95 Setup: An Unexpectedly Primitive Approach

In a blog post by Raymond Chen, a veteran Microsoft developer, we discovered how Windows 95 determined that the setup had finished. At first glance, it's not particularly remarkable, but it does provide insight into the context of the time. Given the technology available at the time, it was possible to implement such a system, but not sophisticated enough to tackle the complexities of software setup in a more advanced manner.

The way Windows 95 detected the completion of the setup was surprisingly simple: it relied on the presence of specific words in the process name being executed. Some of these words included 'setup' and 'install' in English, but also other 'magic words' in different languages. This suggests that the development team was aware of the need to adapt to different languages in a time when internationalization was not as common.

In addition to the use of text patterns, the Windows 95 setup also had another mechanism to detect the completion of the process: a post-restart 'verification cycle.' This verification loop checked the integrity of files in the next startup session. This was possible because the setup could take multiple actions, such as reconfiguring Windows services, which did not fully shut down after the setup completed.

Apparently, the development team of the time took into account the complexities of software setup, and added additional mechanisms to ensure the setup completed correctly. For example, they implemented a specific verification cycle for multimedia drivers, which often required installing DLL files that could have been overwritten by other processes running in the system.

In summary, the way Windows 95 detected the completion of the setup was surprisingly simple, but it provides insight into the context of the time. It allows us to better understand how software setup technology has evolved over the years and how developers of the time managed to deal with software complexities in an era when there were fewer resources available than there are today. However, it also shows us that the way a problem is approached can be influenced by the technology available at the time, and that simplicity can often be a good option in certain contexts.

This article sheds light on a lesser-known aspect of Windows 95 history, and reminds us that the way we approach a problem can be influenced by the technology available at the time. It invites us to think about the complexity of software setup and how technology has evolved over the years. Finally, it reminds us that sometimes simplicity can be the best option for a problem at hand.