""This rule relies on the fact that Windows maintains backward compatibility, so the newer version still works even if used by an older program.""
""You can imagine how much of a disaster this caused to the rest of the system," said Chen."
""Some installers declared the installation to be a failure and gave up. [Others] displayed an error message to the user and asked the user what to do next. (Like the user knows what to do next.)""
""You even had installers that took even more extreme measures and said, 'Okay, fine, I can't overwrite the file, so I'm going to reboot the system and then overwrite the file from a batch file, see if you can stop me.'""
Windows 95 allowed installers to overwrite system files, often replacing them with older versions, which caused system instability. This practice stemmed from a reliance on backward compatibility, where blocking file operations could break the installer. Many installers ignored version checks, leading to disastrous outcomes. Some installers would fail or prompt users for decisions, while others attempted to bypass restrictions by rebooting the system to complete the overwrite. This situation highlighted the challenges of maintaining system integrity during software installations.
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