I've got an old box with 95 running [?] on it, and to access the web, let alone D/Ling anything is only possible through AOL They are the only [OK, make me a big fibber] ISP that still lets you use 95 in the UK.

So, does your ISP know what OS you are trying to surf with ?
It MAY be related directly to the age of the S/W.

As for the ISP and whether they KNOW, it's a thought that has only just bounced around my [remarkably empty, and rarely used] skull.

DO they know what OS you are using ?
I've never actually had to enter which flavour of windoze I've been using to get an account.
The 95 is from my out-laws ................... THEY did all the faffing about trying to get it to surf.

[edit]
the difference between in-laws and out-laws ?

Out-laws are WANTED