Original install of Windows 98 Second Edition with drivers.

It’s 1998. The monitor’s casing is beige, the CRT hums with promise, and that startup sound feels like the universe breathing in. Windows 98 doesn’t just boot — it launches you. Into the first golden age of the internet. Into the colorful chaos of Microsoft Plus! themes, screen savers like “Mystify,” and toolbars that were finally draggable.

The desktop sparkles with fresh possibilities: Internet Explorer 4.0 peeks out with its new Active Desktop, blending the web and your workspace like a futuristic canvas. My Documents has finally found a home, nestled beside the iconic Recycle Bin and the faithful Start menu—slicker now, with a tad more pride in its click.

You’re downloading Winamp skins at 56kbps, watching animated “Under Construction” gifs dance across GeoCities sites. Solitaire’s still a loyal companion, but now you’ve discovered Pinball—electric, noisy, and neon-lit. System Tray icons multiply like fireflies, each one a tiny miracle of connectivity, configuration, or chaos.

Behind the scenes, FAT32 is working hard to stretch every byte, and Plug and Play feels like sorcery. No more IRQ battles or mysterious beeps—your printer just... works. Kind of. Usually.