I'm trying to get Windows 95/98 up and running on my old Toshiba Satellite T2155CDS. It originally had Windows 95, but after a driver installation went wrong, I can't boot normally—only in safe mode. In safe mode, my internal CD drive isn't recognized, and I can only boot from the hard drive, as the BIOS doesn't support booting from CD or floppy drives. I've been attempting to reinstall Windows from the hard drive, but it means formatting it, which has wiped out my Windows installation. I almost got GRUB working but hit an error. I also have a more recent Toshiba Satellite 4070CDS, which allows me to boot from the CD drive—I'm not sure why there's a difference between the two BIOS versions. If anyone has tips on how to get Windows 95/98 installed again, I'd really appreciate it!
5 Answers
If it's too old for Windows 95, consider checking out lighter operating systems designed for older hardware. Still, since you did run Windows 95 before, you should be able to get it working again—you just need the right boot method.
It sounds like you might be dealing with mostly driver issues since that OS is super outdated. Have you considered booting from a floppy disk that has CD-ROM drivers? That way, you could access your CD and run the installer from there.
For older laptops like yours, not all BIOS versions support USB or CD booting. If your installation disc has an option for creating a bootable floppy, that could be a lifesaver. You may need to hunt down DOS drivers for your laptop's CD-ROM too!
Yeah, definitely look for a floppy drive! You’ll need it to access those CD drivers and set up your Windows installation. Just so you know, you can't install drivers directly in the BIOS; they're part of the OS setup once booted.
Got lucky, huh? You don’t have a USB port on that old machine? That could limit your options significantly. Good luck finding what you need!
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