This probably won't help... but they do exist.

Those are the floppy version though. What I'm looking for is the CD version.

If you only want a CD of it, there are several sources on the internet...

I know. The difficulty I'm having is finding a CD copy of Windows 95 that isn't either an upgrade, OEM or revisions A/B/C. Even the floppy disk version you posted pictures of is most likely Win95 A or B because it includes Internet Explorer. The original Win95 didn't come with IE at all, not even as a bundled extra disc. Perhaps as I am beginning to think, they simply didn't exist.

Are you sure (I admit I'm not)
I thought 95A was the original version?
I got a OEM version within a few months of 95 coming out and it came with an icon with "The Internet" I think this is IE2

IF I recall correctly from that era when I was working in a small computer store , there is no cd version without IE. We were an official partner in Europe (of whatever it's called in English), so again, IF my memory serves me well, the floppy version was without IE and the from the VERY first CD version we got our hands on there was some IE on it. Ready to stand corrected on this, just sharing my memories...

Sadly I cannot recall anything about the version, so I'm not sure if there was any earlier version on CD than "A". If I had to choose something (without any proof), I'd say that the first CD version WAS "A" with IE.

Only the original release of Windows 95 was sold Retail (or as a "shrinked wrapped" product). As I recall, there were upgrade and standalone editions of Windows 95 available (both on CD and floppy disks).
The original release did not include Internet Explorer. That came with the Microsoft Plus! pack that was released on the same date but, it didn't reach that many (retail) consumers since Netscape Navigator was still back then the popular web browser.
Subsequent releases (editions) of Windows 95 were only released to OEM's.
If you bought the original edition of Windows 95, then you could upgrade to Service Pack 1 (which is basically the same as OEM Service Release 1) but, not to subsequent Service Packs (individual security updates were available for download).
Service Pack 1, however, did include Internet Explorer 2.0.

Just as a matter of interest. Why the original retail edition of Windows 95?
Is it purely for nostalgic reasons because, the first edition of Windows 95 didn't even support FAT32.
Plus, there were quite a number of bugs still present in the original release (I won't be surprised that, if you do install the original retail version of Windows 95, your PC crashes a couple of times 🤣).
I seem to recall that Microsoft wanted to delay the release of Windows 95 back then but, due to mounting pressure, decided to release it (but this is a topic of another discussion).

Doesn't even matter; boot to DOS, run the setup on the Win95 upgrade CD, and stick a Windows 3.11 or similar DISK 1 into the floppy--as long as Win95 sees that disk, it will run the full install. Then install Plus!

Nostalgic reasons are indeed why I am dead set on getting the original Windows 95, because that is what the 486 system I am currently recreating ran. It originally came with a Win95 CD, but I know for a fact that it wasn't OEM, and I'm fairly certain it wasn't an upgrade either. Granted we're talking about 20 year old memories here so I could indeed be in error. But, I know 100% for certain that it was the original Win95 and not any of the later service releases because we received that computer with Win95 already installed on it pretty much the week after Win95 first came out (late August 1995). As for it not supporting FAT32, this is no problem because the single hard drive it will have is only 810MB. My goal here is to have the rebuild match the original spec-for-spec across the board, both hardware and software.

I'll likely go about getting an upgrade copy then, if that's really the only feasible option here. Now it's just a matter of finding a copy that is indeed the original August 1995 revision and not anything newer. Is the lack of mention for Internet Explorer on the box definitive proof that the copy is the original Win95, or will more sleuthing be necessary?

If you want to find the RTM release of windows 95 it's pretty much the first link in google if you use the right search term for the rtm release of windows 95 *cough*

I'd rather put a bullet in my head than use that POS again.

Not sure how much of this applies to 95 RTM but here ya go:
Minimal install for DOSBox/95 gaming

It's weird to think that there wasn't a RTM full version on CD.. I think there surely must have been, but I can't prove it.
Since you asked about the upgrade version, I've attached pictures of my Win95 RTM upgrade CD. We got this within days of release in 1995. It's plain vanilla original.
I have no idea what later Win95 CDs look like, so I don't know what visually distinguishes this from later ones.

The FAT16 limitation really sucked by the time we upgraded it. I remember partitioning an 8GB drive into 5 or 6 pieces. Then the K6 bug (too fast a clock speed) broke it entirely and we finally got Win98SE.

Unrelated: I also ran into something else I had forgotten about, a Win95 demo CD from shortly before release. They were "selling" these at Babbage's for 1 cent, but he wouldn't take my money.

Retail Win95 upgrade cds had dark blue lettering and the back ground image is the same only shaded light blue in colour. Same product code and part no. as shown above in shaminos picture. I've got two of these cds and the diskette copy. Looking at the brochures included there was an icon after installation to sign on tho the msn network. There's no Internet Explorer Starter Kit in my 3 packs, just some promotional docs, COA, rego. card and user guide.

Unfortunatey my other Win95/a cds are OEM with just back lettering and no background graphic. I'm sure on at least one of them I had to installed SP 1 from the file on the floppy disk I still have in my storage box. I've also got OSR 2.0, 2.1 and OSR 2.5 OEM cds if anyone want part nos. of those.

jesolo wrote:

I seem to recall that Microsoft wanted to delay the release of Windows 95 back then but, due to mounting pressure, decided to release it (but this is a topic of another discussion).

The public had already waited a very long time the non starter OS Cairo and with IBMs release of OS/2 v3 Warp MS wanted to kill any interest in that.
This gives some insight http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1. … 5FA27F1CCA.html yeah I know it's fan bioish but worth a laugh.

chinny22 wrote:

Are you sure (I admit I'm not)
I thought 95A was the original version?

No, but there was an a one disk Service Pack which would bring the original windows 95 release to "a" statis:
http://users.iafrica.com/c/cq/cquirke/win95ver.htm#Win95old
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/253756

Caluser2000 wrote:

IMAG0184.JPG

Retail Win95 upgrade cds had dark blue lettering and the back ground image is the same only shaded light blue in colour. Same product code and part no. as shown above in shaminos picture. I've got two of these cds and the diskette copy.

It's odd about the different colors of the discs. Mine (brown) was a retail disc, unless I've really confused something over the years. I don't have the box or the manual anymore but it's still in one of those blue sleeves.

Different markets perhaps. Being from New Zealand my packages are Australian assembled.
Here's a pic from the day Windows 95 went on sale

Prepping the shelves

My CD box for reference purposes:

The star burst states that Hover! and some other goodies are included.

Fired up my all-in-one Compaq Presario 5522 I haven't played with for a while- http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showt … q-Presario-5522 In it's cdrom drive was another win95 upgrade cd the same colour as the other two I have. It came with the software bundle I got with the system.

Most systems at the time were shipping with OEM Dos/win/wfw 3.11 bundled. Some folk just did not bother upgrading and got Windows 95 when they bought a new system. I was certainly still using dos/wfw 3.11 with the Calmira shell at home into the early 2000s. Not being a "gamer" and was never one to keep up with the Jone's so to speak most likely helped. From memory I picked up my first Windows 95 cd, OEM around '98-'99. That's about the time I started to collect x86 OSs with gusto.