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Why did Windows 95 setup use three operating systems?

(devblogs.microsoft.com)
304 points mooreds | 2 comments | 17 Nov 24 19:54 UTC | HN request time: 1.994s | source
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xeromal ◴[17 Nov 24 20:41 UTC] No.42167034[source]▶
I love that little nugget of info at the end. You could originally run excel standalone without an OS and it came with windows 2.1 bundled
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simonjgreen ◴[17 Nov 24 22:28 UTC] No.42167941[source]▶
Most interesting part of the whole thing for me! The later WinPE environments are some of the most overlooked computer environments out there but they were absolutely everywhere. EPOS, ATMs, digital signage, vending machines.

And of course the subject of so many BSOD photos…

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heraldgeezer ◴[17 Nov 24 23:40 UTC] No.42168352[source]▶
>The later WinPE environments are some of the most overlooked computer environments out there but they were absolutely everywhere. EPOS, ATMs, digital signage, vending machines.

Those are probably CE and not PE?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Embedded_Compact

or Embed based on CE

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_IoT#Embedded_family

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1. jasomill ◴[18 Nov 24 00:31 UTC] No.42168617[source]▶
If there was a BSoD involved, it was probably one of the NT-based Windows Embedded versions (NT 4.0 Embedded, XP Embedded, …).

WinPE is the Windows Preinstallation Environment, used as the basis for Windows installation and recovery, and available for custom builds as an add-on to the Windows ADK[1], but AFAIK not intended or licensed for embedded use.

[1] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufactu...

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2. heraldgeezer ◴[18 Nov 24 13:40 UTC] No.42172191[source]▶
Exactly. Windows PE is used for install and recovery. NOT to run ATMs.

It was probably embedded standard based on NT/XP/7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_IoT#Embedded_Standard