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Versions of Windows 95 & USB Support
The following table lists all of the versions of Windows 95 released, and their USB
support:
| Version |
Name (Release) |
USB Support |
| 4.00.950 |
Windows 95 (7/95) |
Requires update to OSR2
(contact PC vendor) then USB Supplement installation |
| 4.00.950A |
Windows 95 OEM Service
Release 1 (OSR1) (1/96) |
Requires update to OSR2
(contact PC vendor) then USB Supplement installation |
| 4.00.950B (4.00.1111) |
Windows 95 OEM Service
Release 2 (OSR2) (9/96) |
Requires USB Supplement
(which upgrades this version to OSR2.1) |
| 4.00.950B (4.03.1212-1214) |
Windows 95 OEM Release 2.1
(OSR2.1) (8/97) |
USB supported (check
Add/Remove Programs control panel) |
| 4.00.950C (4.03.1214) |
Windows 95 OEM Release 2.5
(OSR2.5) (11/97) |
USB support installed by
default (check Add/Remove Programs control panel). Uninstalling the USB Supplement reverts
the version to 4.00.950B. |
How to Check Your Windows Version
System Control Panel - run the System control panel applet and check the
first tab (General) for the Windows version - this will list the release version, for
example 4.00.950 b. '950 b' or later can optionally have the USB Supplement installed,
which will be listed in the Add/Remove Programs control panel applet.
Update Information Tool - from the Start button choose Run, then type
QFECHECK and press return. This launches a small utility program that lists the precise OS
version (for example 4.00.1111) and all of the installed updates.
USBReady Utility -
provided by Intel and the USB standards group, this 500k utility lets you check your
hardware, operating system and drivers for compatibility with USB, and provides helpful
information on upgrading your system.
Inevitably the utility will recommend upgrading to Windows 98 where possible, as there are
a number of technical problems with USB support even in the last release of Windows 95
(11/97).
Installing USB Support
Provided you are running Windows 95B (OSR2) or later, you can install the USB Supplement
from your Microsoft CD-ROM. The file - USBSUPP.EXE - can be installed from the
D:\Other\USB folder (where D is the driver letter of your CD-ROM drive).
When you install the USB Supplement you should be aware of a minor bug in Microsoft's
installation process, documented in their support article Q192193.
After rebooting the computer (prompted at the end of the Supplement install process) your
PC may detect a USB device connected to the computer, and prompt for the drivers. By
default Windows will try to search your CD-ROM for the drivers (where they won't be
found), however they are already installed on your PC. Simply change the driver path of
the "Detect New Hardware" dialogue to your \windows\system directory (normally
on drive C). The files required are openhci.sys, uhcd.sys, usbcamd.sys, usbd.sys and
usbhub.sys.
If your USB drivers are installed correctly your System control panel will list a group of
devices under "Universal serial bus controller" - this group should contain at
least two items, PCI to USB Open Host Controller and USB Root Hub (make sure neither of
these items show conflicts).
Useful Links for Windows 95 Updates
http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/
http://www.compren.com/dl-update.html
Windows 98
All releases of Windows 98 include full support for USB devices and do not require any
additional service packs - this technical note only relates to Windows 95.
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