Hi again
To run an over-the-top, you'll need a bootable diskette or CD, and the Windows 98 installation files either on your hard drive or CD.
I'm going to assume that you don't have any Recovery Disk sets around anymore, and perhaps don't have a Windows 98 CD either. You might, however, have your Windows installation files saved onto the hard drive at the factory. Boot into Safe Mode again, and check to see if this is the case. In Windows Explorer, visit the Windows folder - many manufacturers saved the Windows installation .cab files to this location --> C:\Windows\Options\Cabs ... sometimes C:\Windows\Options\Cabs\Win98. The installation files will have the .cab extension (not .dll, .vxd, .ocx, .exe, .sys, .txt. etc....) and should be fairly large - an there should be quite a few (a couple dozen, but it's been a while since I've looked at them, so I can't remember the exact number). If you have the .cab files on your hard drive, great - use those for the over-the-top reinstall.
If you don't have the .cab files on your hard drive, see if someone has a Win98 CD you can borrow to repair your laptop (Win98se is the version I recommend). Save your original product key beforehand [it's stored in your Toshiba's Registry = boot into Safe Mode, and in Start/run box, type "regedit" (without the quotes) to open your Registry. Click on the plus (+) sign to view keys. You'll go to HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version ... Click on "Current Version" to see the key list. Look for the key "ProductID" - it will have a five-sets-of-five characters license number xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx = that is your original, legally licensed product key - write it down & don't lose it. You may or may not need the license during the reinstall, but it's best to have it handy if prompted for it.
If you've borrowed a Win98/98se CD to use, you can boot from that "start computer with CD-rom support" to start your over-the-top.
If you will be using the .cab files on your hard drive, you will need a bootable diskette to start the installation. On a computer with a working floppy drive, visit
http://www.bootdisk.com, and download a bootdisk that matches the version of Windows you have on the Toshiba (you can use the "No Ram Disk" versions). The download creates a bootable diskette - so place a blank diskette in the floppy drive, and the bootdisk.com download will write the necessary files onto the diskette. You'll boot the Toshiba from that. If the Toshiba doesn't boot from the diskette, you'll have to enter the Bios Setup and set the floppy as the first drive in the boot list.
Then follow the instructions for the over-the-top link from my first reply. [You'll be renaming win.com, and starting setup]. Pay attention to the details (you need to be unplugged from networks, printers, cameras, scanners, PDAs, etc. - and you need to make sure any Bios Antivirus protection is temporarily disabled during the reinstall).
***Stay disconnected from any networks or the Internet until you have your firewall, antivirus, and antispyware installed and running.*** (or you'll be doing this again soon)
An over-the-top can fail to succeed if virus infections are present, or if hardware failure is the underlying cause of the trouble. So, if it fails, you may have to check your hardware - and scan the drive [it could involve removing it and scanning it from another computer -or using a bootable CD (such as the Ultimate Boot CD) that has been created with an antivirus scanner and current virus definitions on it] .. but we'll get to that if necessary.
See if this gets the Toshiba going again
. . . Gary