How do I install Windows 95 / 98 on a laptop (Toshiba Satellite Pro 420CDT)

[timswim78]

I inherited an old Toshiba 420CDT Pentium laptop, and there is not an Operating System on the Hard Disk. I would like to install Windows 95 or 98 (preferrably 95) on this machine. However, I am unable to boot from the internal CD drive because the Bios only allows for booting from a floppy or from the hard disk. If I buy a floppy for this (they are cheap on ebay) will I be able to use my win 95 or 98 cds? It should be noted that the internal drive port can only hold either the CD or the floppy drive.

My thoughts are that if I have a floppy drive, I can make the hard disk bootable and include CD Drivers. Then I can use my win 95 CD. However, I am not sure how to do this and do not know that it would work.

Any Ideas? Thanks!

 

[LiLithTecH]

If you buy a external floppy(floppy with case/recommended), you can use a
bootdisk to install Windows 9x.

Depending on how much ram is installed, if it is 16 meg or less I would
use Win95.

If it is 24-32meg you would be better off with Win98 as it has 90% of the
drivers native to it.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Win 95 is also available on about 26 floppies for straight floppy installation.

 

[papichulo1968]

I feel your pain brother, good luck bringing that beast back to life.

 

[redbeard1]

If the hard drive was reasonably removable, pull it out, buy an adapter so you can hook the drive up on a normal ide cable, get the drive so it's bootable in another system, copy the files from the win98 folder on the cd to the hard drive, run setup from dos after you get it back in the system. This is what I had to do for the last old dog laptop I did.

 

[timswim78]

Another nice AT member gave me a floppy drive for this machine. Will I be able to somehow make the hdd bootable using the floppy drive?

 

[LiLithTecH]

Did the drive come with the EXTERNAL Case?

 

[timswim78]

I am waiting for the drive, so I do not know if it is external or not. If it is external, I have read that I can boot from the floppy and use the CD (if I load CD drivers).

 

[redbeard1]

Another possibility, if your can maneuver around at a dos prompt on the laptop. This should work, though I just thought of it, and have not tried it to be sure.

*edit* I just tried it everything but the actual install of windows and it does work.

On a working win98 system, go to the control panel> add/remove programs > startup disk tab, and make the start up disk. This makes a bootable floppy with cdrom drivers for dos. Then copy format.com, sys.com and edit.com from the command folder in windows, to the floppy. Look at the files on the floppy, find the file edb.sys and change the attributes to archive and system only, unchecking the read only and hidden boxes.

Now use this disk to boot the system. Use fdisk to set the drive up, reboot and at the a: type> format c: /s This will format it and get the system files on the drive. After this is done, from the a: prompt, type> copy *.* c:\ This will copy all the files to the hard drive. It is going to say that command.com already exists, and ask if it you want to overwrite it, say no. Now type c: then type> edit autoexec.bat down a few lines is this entry: path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%CDROM%:\ change the a:\ in this to c:\ Now use the alt and f keys, this will get you the menu, arrow down and choose save. Now use alt and f keys again and choose open, use the down arrow key and choose setramd.bat in this file is the line: a:\findramd change it to c:\findramd save this file and then press alt and f and choose exit. If I have this figured right, you could pull the internal floppy out, put the cdrom drive in, with the win98 cd in it, and boot the system from the hard drive. It would then run all the files needed to start the system with the cdrom.

Watch what letter the cdrom drive is given, usually it's e: From the c: prompt type the cdrom drive letter> e: then type> cd win98 this gets you to the folder where the setup files are. Type setup and hit enter and you should be on the way.

When windows reboots during the install, it's going to run these files again, just tell it from the menu, to boot without cdrom support, and it will continue to install windows. When you get done with the install, you need to either delete or rename the autoexec.bat so you can get rid of the cd boot menu.

 

[timswim78]

This makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to go through this. I can't wait for the floppy to arrive so I can try this out.

Originally posted by: redbeard1
Another possibility, if your can maneuver around at a dos prompt on the laptop. This should work, though I just thought of it, and have not tried it to be sure.

*edit* I just tried it everything but the actual install of windows and it does work.

On a working win98 system, go to the control panel> add/remove programs > startup disk tab, and make the start up disk. This makes a bootable floppy with cdrom drivers for dos. Then copy format.com, sys.com and edit.com from the command folder in windows, to the floppy. Look at the files on the floppy, find the file edb.sys and change the attributes to archive and system only, unchecking the read only and hidden boxes.

Now use this disk to boot the system. Use fdisk to set the drive up, reboot and at the a: type> format c: /s This will format it and get the system files on the drive. After this is done, from the a: prompt, type> copy *.* c:\ This will copy all the files to the hard drive. It is going to say that command.com already exists, and ask if it you want to overwrite it, say no. Now type c: then type> edit autoexec.bat down a few lines is this entry: path=%RAMD%:\;a:\;%CDROM%:\ change the a:\ in this to c:\ Now use the alt and f keys, this will get you the menu, arrow down and choose save. Now use alt and f keys again and choose open, use the down arrow key and choose setramd.bat in this file is the line: a:\findramd change it to c:\findramd save this file and then press alt and f and choose exit. If I have this figured right, you could pull the internal floppy out, put the cdrom drive in, with the win98 cd in it, and boot the system from the hard drive. It would then run all the files needed to start the system with the cdrom.

Watch what letter the cdrom drive is given, usually it's e: From the c: prompt type the cdrom drive letter> e: then type> cd win98 this gets you to the folder where the setup files are. Type setup and hit enter and you should be on the way.

When windows reboots during the install, it's going to run these files again, just tell it from the menu, to boot without cdrom support, and it will continue to install windows. When you get done with the install, you need to either delete or rename the autoexec.bat so you can get rid of the cd boot menu.

 

[leolaw]

Cant you just change the BIOS at the startup and set the boot sequence from floppy drive > cd rom Drive > harddrive ?

 

[timswim78]

Originally posted by: leolaw
Cant you just change the BIOS at the startup and set the boot sequence from floppy drive > cd rom Drive > harddrive ?

It is an old BIOS and the only options for booting are either HDD or FDD. However, I am going to see if there is a BIOS update that allows for CD Booting.

 

[redbeard1]

Did you get the floppy drive yet? Did this work for you?

 

[Tetsuo316]

It worked fine for me, I don't know about timswim.

Question though: is there a way to delete the ramdrive once windows has been installed? it doesn't create any problems but it would be nice to get rid of the initial boot screen that asks if i want to enable cdrom support, etc.

thanks.

 

[redbeard1]

When you get done with the install, you need to either delete or rename the autoexec.bat so you can get rid of the cd boot menu.

Win98 basically doesn't need the autoexec.bat. On a normal install it is either not there or has nothing in it. It's possible that a program you installed after you got it up and running added something in there, like if it were running sound card drivers, but usually most programs don't.

Find the autoexec.bat and rename it to autoexec.old and see if anything complains. If not, your good to go.

 

[Tetsuo316]

HA HA HA HA! You mean I actually need to READ the entirety of your post. Pshaaaww!

Thanks though. For some reason my brain did not want to register that last line of your truly helpful response.

Kudos redbeard1!