Try a smaller drive like 8GB, I usually use 4-8GB compact flash disks with the Satellite 4200.
Also do you have the flat metal piece that attaches to the hard drive to guide the drive into the correct place?
If you don't then perhaps the IDE pins are mis-aligned so only have the pins are in and are connected to the wrong row, though I've had that kill drives before now.

Although I don't have the hard drive caddy, I took my time to disassemble the laptop and look how I install the HDD.
I unfortunately don't have any smaller capacity drives. I might have a compact flash, but I'll need to buy an adapter for it.

Well, the situation expanded into a big rabbit hole I didn't except 😁
I got a hold of 20GB Hitachi HDD, and after installing it, it's being properly detected!
But what came next is something that I refuse to believe in it.
Every single OS install I tried, failed.
Windows 98: Goes thorugh the "DOS" portion of the install just fine, gets stuck right after starting the graphical portion / if installed via VM, throws Windows Protection Errors randomly
Windows NT 4.0: Doesn't even load the installer, complains about damged files on a CD / if installed via VM, complains about damaged or missing ntoskrnl.exe
I no longer understand what's going on. Firstly I thought that it might be a dying CD drive, but after trying to install via VM or by moving all the files to the hard drive and then starting installiing, I no longer understand what's going on.

That's good it's now detecting and working from the 20GB drive 😀

But what you're describing could be a RAM error perhaps? Try running memtest on the computer from a linux livecd or floppy. Alternatively, take out any expansion RAM to see if that improves the behaviour

Here's the problem, I don't have any additional RAM, I'm running only with the soldered on 64MB.
I'm trying to get any old linux distro to check the memory, but I think it's safe to say it might be it.
I ordered 2x 128MB PC100 sticks, before even recieving the laptop, so in case it would be bad soldered RAM, I hope I'll be able to use it somewhat!

Try to boot from MemTest 86 CD to full memory check.

if the problem is in the built-in memory - perhaps the built-in memory chips can be disabled by cutting off some of the pins, then the laptop simply will not try to use it (just idea)

MAZter wrote on 2024-08-14, 18:24:

if the problem is in the built-in memory - perhaps the built-in memory chips can be disabled by cutting off some of the pins, then the laptop simply will not try to use it (just idea)

That's also what I was thinking about. I'll wait for the RAM to arrive, and if the issue won't be that harmful, I won't be making any modifications to the motherboard, but if it would I'll think about it.

Thanks for this version of MemTest, I'll try checking this one out.

Well I think it's safe to assume that memory is busted, given the fact that even MemTest refuses to boot.

Just my luck, never saw a soldered RAM die on me 😒

Black0tton wrote on 2024-08-14, 19:15:

Well I think it's safe to assume that memory is busted, given the fact that even MemTest refuses to boot.

The attachment 20240814_210821.jpg is no longer available

Just my luck, never saw a soldered RAM die on me 😒

Is that booting from a floppy or from a CD? If it's a CD, it could be another issue which is that the Toshiba drives used in the Satellite 4200 / 4300 series are extremely picky about reading CD-Rs, most of mine will only tolerate around 50% of my recordable CDs and work best with Taiyo Yuden discs.

Try out the floppy to see if it behaves differently maybe

Thermalwrong wrote on 2024-08-14, 20:05:

Is that booting from a floppy or from a CD? If it's a CD, it could be another issue which is that the Toshiba drives used in the Satellite 4200 / 4300 series are extremely picky about reading CD-Rs, most of mine will only tolerate around 50% of my recordable CDs and work best with Taiyo Yuden discs.

Try out the floppy to see if it behaves differently maybe

Yes indeed it's booting from a CD, I'll try getting a floppy disk soon, I'll wait first for the RAM to arrive.
Weird, I thought about it when booting my original Windows 98 FE. Boot process and speed of getting to the prompt, comparing it to the 98SE I burned is noticeable.

While waiting for floppy drives and a external floppy drive to arrive, I think I got my confirmation about the RAM situation.
HIMEM started showing me unreliable memory address. Always the same one.

I wonder, is it possible to blacklist a certain memory address so that Windows wouldn't use it?

Well, I cheated, but I finally got what I wanted 😁
After getting floppy disks, amd finally being able to get into memtest, it was proven that it was indeed, a faulty RAM. So I took the easy way out, I replaced the motherboard that I found cheap on my local auction website. I had to transplant the CPU, but after that the installation went smoothly and I was ready to start installing the drivers! It fully works now with 128MB of RAM and a Celeron 500Mhz, with Windows 98 SE on board (although it says Me in system properties, I think the unofficial SP3 did that). Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions, consider that thread closed!

Great!

May I have yours background picture?

Of course, I got the from internet archive!
https://archive.org/details/toshiba-laptop-wa … paper-pack-2000