Help Booting to Use OS........

[SF]

Hello,
I've been searching the internet looking for some kind of  HELP  in finding an answer in helping me boot a Laptop that I bought on ebay that when I bought it I was lead to believe that it was in great working order and was totally ready to go on line with an OS in it and/or just use it ( as I wanted too, to write a book, off line).   But when I got it in the mail about a month ago now I found out that the Laptop I had bought at ebay was not as described so I again went on ebay and purchase a Windows 95 CD Rom OS with a boot disk.   The Laptop which does have a good working CD Rom and Floppy Disk Drive for it and I know they are good because my daughter has a Laptop here that is exactly like the one I bought at ebay.  OK, the problem is when I turn the Laptop on, all I keep getting is a message that keeps  saying;      
                         missing operating system 

Every time I insert the start up boot disk,  I am able to get to a screen that says that it will now be installing Windows but then it gives me an option on the page to pick  how to install Windows;  it says when I am instructed remove the floppy disk and install Windows ;    with CD Rom  or  without CD Rom,  if I pick with CD Rom,  It tells me that no CD Rom was dedicated and it will now shut down.  If I pick no CD Rom,  it says installation can not proceed now shutting down.  I have a swap bay on the Laptop for the CD Rom/Floppy Disk Drive but it doesn't recognize it.   I thought even before I bought the Windows 95 that maybe I could find a way to download some kind of start up Boot Disk so I could just use the Linux OS or another OS like yours on the Laptop instead.  
      Well I am now on the internet again with my good old faithful home computer and been searching for some way to get the Laptop up and running and to let you know that I don't really have computer knowledge as some people .  I have been curious about Linux and other OS and would like to use something other then MS on the Laptop .   I'm not sure of and if there is even some kind of disk I can use to boot the Laptop at any Web site and since I'm not really that knowledgeable on what I really need to get the Laptop up and running I thought it can't hurt for me to ask if anyone anywhere might know what I need to do and if there is a Boot Disk I can download to a floppy at this web site to help me with the Laptop and using your OS.
The Laptop is an older one but it will do me just fine for what I need it for,  mainly using it to just writing a book.   
 If anyone can HELP me in any way at all  PLEASE email me or reply here  as I am really in need of  some knowledge with the Laptop and since the person that sold it to me won't answer any of my emails anymore,  I am now force to search the internet for someone that has knowledge way beyond my knowledge of computers.   
Any info of any kind would be greatly appreciated.
Sue

The Laptop is a ;

     TOSHIBA     TECRA 
     530CDT   
      Processor P166MMX   
      L2 Cache 256 KB PB   
      RAM 64 MB  
      BIOS ?   
      Hard disk 2.0 GB   
      ROM CD 10x  
      Graphics ct65555  
      Display  1024x768 
      12.1 inches  
      TFT 
      Sound 16 bit stereo  
      PCMCIA Intel 82365 compatible, either two type II or one type III. CardBus, ZV support 
      Infrared IrDA 1.1, 4 Mbps   
      Modem built-in 33.6 kbps  
      Keyboard standard 84 keys  
      Additional Features USB, SelectBay 



Sue
Thanks A Lot !!!
dakotasky at rrt.net