I'm using Firebird-1.0.0.796-Win32.exe to include Firebird with my software. It's quite simple single user program.
Lots of my clients use Windows 98 and also 95. I have got complaints about not being able to install Firebird (or actually automatically launch the server.
I found from archives the following mail which explains things a little.

Has there been any development in solving setup problems for Win95/98? So that clients can just run through the setup with Next button and start to work.
Don't tell me to start using Linux or Windows NT. No user is going to change their op.system to get one software running and there is no need for separate server.

Riho-Rene Ellermaa

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Reeves [mailto:paul@...]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 12:16 PM
> To: ib-support@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [ib-support] Can't start ibguard FB v1.0 (Final)
>
> Bayu wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I 've installed Firebird WI-V6.2.794 Firebird 1.0 (Final
> release) on Win 98
> >
> > But i can't start ibguard with this error message.
> >
> > The registry information
> > is missing. Please run the Firebird Server Configuration Utility
> >
>
> The short answer is that no work has been done to support
> installing the
> guardian on Win9x. No-one on the Firebird project seems to be using
> Win95 or Win98. If they are, they are keeping quiet about it.
>
> The guardian should run. Check the registry for entries like this:
>
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Borland\InterBase\CurrentVersion]
> "RootDirectory"="v:\\firebird\\"
> "Version"="WI-V6.2.794 Firebird 1.0"
> "ServerDirectory"="v:\\firebird\\bin\\"
> "GuardianOptions"="1"
>
> You are probably missing the last entry - GuardianOptions.
>
> If it isn't there try adding it and let us know how you get on.
>
>
> Paul