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Why won't Windows 95 install (.cab error)?

Posted By : of Data Doctors on June 17, 1999

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Trying to install Win9x to a newly assembled computer, the setup process moves all the way to decompressing some setup (.cab) files and gives the error: Cannot decompress this setup (.cab) file. Clicking the OK button then exits the setup process. This same thing happens with my original Win95 CD, Win95 OSR2 CD, and a Win98 CD. The "new computer" is a bare bones Intel

Celeron 400Mhz, 64 Mb to which I added my 2 hard drives and cdrom from the older computer. Each time I try to install Win95 (or the others listed above), I preceed the setup process by re-creating the C-drive partition and re-formatting it (I have the entire C-drive backed up). Since all the Win9x's fail the same way, I assume my mistake is somewhere prior to invoking the setup.exe, but have no idea what else to check/change

Any help greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!

This question was answered on June 17, 1999. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.


Some questions have many possible answers, especially installation problems We suggest you try the following:

1 Be sure you have adequate space on the c: drive to install Windows Microsoft recommends at least 245 meg for a full installation.

2 Be sure that the CD ROM is working properly.

3 Be sure that the installation disks are clean and free from scratches CAB errors can sometimes come from hardware problems.

4 Be sure your system is not overclocked.

5 What drive letter is assigned to your CDrom drive? Windows is very particular about drive letter assignment If you have two hard drives, the CDROM can't be assigned the drive letter D Windows needs the C and the letters immediately after to name drives depending on your partitioning

We hope this will help you to troubleshoot your problem.

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Posted by of Data Doctors on June 17, 1999

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