Back in the day, the Windows 95 Startup Disk was your emergency lifeline—basically the OG “get out of jail free” card for your PC. Dropped with Windows 95 on August 24, 1995, this 3.5-inch floppy wasn't about launching Windows—it was about getting your system back on its feet when it crashed hard. It booted up MS-DOS, gave you access to CD-ROM drives (if you loaded the right drivers), and let you run setup or fix system files. Microsoft updated it slightly with OSR1 in early ’96 and OSR2 in ’97, but the disk itself stayed pretty basic. If your hard drive died or Windows wouldn’t boot, this little piece of plastic was your only shot at recovery. Simple tool, but if you know—you know.