SMRTR TechFeb 17, 2025Daily.dev

Why did Microsoft use Windows 3.1 for the Windows 95 setup?

SMRTR summary

Microsoft's Windows 95 setup used a miniature version of Windows 3.1 to bootstrap the installation, allowing engineers to use a single codebase regardless of the starting environment. This approach leveraged existing technology and expertise, as MS-DOS lacked the advanced features needed for the setup process. Today, Windows setup still follows a similar pattern, using Windows PE as the miniature operating system to initiate installation.

SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Daily.dev.

Read the original article
SMRTR Tech

Get the next batch of curated stories in your inbox.

This archive is built from SMRTR newsletter stories. Subscribe for hand-picked stories without the extra noise.

Related Stories

Browse Tech
TechAug 24, 2026

How 8-bit Computers Work

Modern computers use binary logic (0s and 1s) to process data. An 8-bit CPU handles one byte at a time, combining arithmetic, logic, and branching operations to enable complex...