ARCHIVED: In Windows 95, how do I make a startup disk that can access my CD-ROM drive?

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Note: UITS recommends that you use a current version of Windows on computers connected to the Indiana University network; see Recommended Windows operating systems at IU.

Many computers are shipped with a startup diskette that includes CD-ROM support. Check to see if you have one of these before taking the time to make one. You can also use a Windows 98 Startup diskette to access most CD-ROM drives, even if you are using Windows 95.

If you do not already have a startup disk, you must make one before you can modify it to access your CD-ROM. See the Knowledge Base document ARCHIVED: In Windows 95, 98, or Me, how do I make a startup (system recovery) disk?

Note: The instructions below assume that your computer is running Windows 95, and that you have experience editing the config.sys and autoexec.bat files.

Making the startup disk that will access your CD-ROM

To make a startup disk that can access your CD-ROM, you first need your CD-ROM's driver file. This file will have the MS-DOS extension .sys and is either already on your computer, on a disk that came with your computer, or available from the CD-ROM manufacturer's web page.

To see if the driver for your CD-ROM is already on your computer

From the Start menu, select Run....
In the "Open:" field, enter:
```
  sysedit
```
Click OK. This will bring up all the system files on your computer.
Click the Config.sys window and look for a line that says:
```
  DEVICE=C:\cdrom\cdromdrv.SYS /D:MSCD00X
```
In the above example, cdrom is the directory where your CD-ROM driver file is located, cdromdrv.sys is the name of the driver file that loads your CD-ROM, and X is a number (usually 1 or 0).
- If this line is already in your config.sys file, your driver is already on your computer and you can copy it directly to your startup disk as instructed below.
- If this line is not in the config.sys file, then you must install the drivers, and the installation program should insert those necessary lines automatically. For installation instructions, see the installation disk or the manufacturer's web site.

To see if the CD-ROM drivers came on a disk included with your computer

It is possible that the drivers for your CD-ROM came on a system CD or a 3.5" floppy disk that was included with your computer. To find these files:

Look through all the disks that came with your computer. The correct disk will be labeled "Driver", "CD-ROM Installation Disk", or something similar. This disk should contain the driver for your CD-ROM.
Once you find the installation disk, run the setup from a DOS prompt. This will copy all the necessary files to your computer, as well as insert the required lines into the autoexec.bat and config.sys files.

If you must download the driver

If the driver is not on your computer or on a diskette, you can usually download it from the manufacturer of either the CD-ROM or your computer:

The driver files are usually located under a "Support" section on the manufacturer's web site.
Make sure to download the drivers specific to your model of CD-ROM; otherwise, the file may not load.
Once you have found the file, save it to a directory on your hard drive. If it is a .zip file, be sure to uncompress it before you proceed. Remember the directory that you save it to, because you will need that information later.

Editing the `config.sys` and `autoexec.bat` files on the startup disk

Note: The following sets of instructions involve editing the config.sys and autoexec.bat files on the startup disk. Do not make changes to the config.sys and autoexec.bat files on your hard drive. If these files are changed, it could cause your computer to boot improperly or not at all. Make sure that you do not save any changes you have made when you exit the Sysedit window or any edit window accessing the autoexec.bat or config.sys on your hard drive. Also, be sure that you do not copy these files from your startup disk to your hard drive.

Once you have run the CD-ROM installation in MS-DOS, follow these instructions:

Set up the `Config.sys` file on your startup disk

First, you must insert a line into the Config.sys file on your startup disk and make a few changes. If you already had the CD-ROM driver file on your computer, you can simply copy the "DEVICE=" line from your config.sys file on your C: drive to the config.sys file on your startup disk. The line in your original config.sys file should read:
```
  DEVICE=C:\cdromdir\cdromdrv.sys /D:MSCD00X
```
In the file on your startup disk, you must change that to:
```
  DEVICE=A:\cdromdrv.SYS /D:MSCD00X
```
In the above examples, cdromdir is the directory on your hard drive in which your driver file is located, and cdromdrv is the name of the driver for your CD-ROM. Following is another example:
The original from the C: drive reads:
```
  DEVICE=C:\ATAPICD\ATAPI.SYS /D:MSCD001
```
On your startup disk, this must be changed to:
```
  DEVICE=A:\ATAPI.SYS /D:MSCD001
```
You must copy your cdromdrv.sys file to the startup disk in the root directory of the A: drive. To do this:
1. From the Start menu, select Programs, then click MS-DOS Prompt.
2. Go to the directory where your CD-ROM driver file is located. At the prompt, enter:
```
  cd c:\cdrom\
```
  In the above example, cdrom is the path that contains the CD-ROM driver.
3. Enter:
```
  copy cdrom.sys a:\
```
  In the above example, cdrom is the name of your CD-ROM driver file. This will copy the driver file to your A: drive and allow the command that loads the device in the previous section to work.
To exit the MS-DOS window, enter:
```
  exit
```
This will allow you to load your .sys file using the config.sys file on your startup disk when you boot the computer.

Configure your `autoexec.bat` file

Next, configure your autoexec.bat to load mscdex.exe in order to gain access to your CD-ROM:

The autoexec.bat file is under the Sysedit window. See if there is a line that reads:
```
  LOADHIGH c:\any\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD00X 
```
In the example above, any will be the directory path to the MSCDEX.EXE file.
If you see the following line, you can enter it directly into the autoexec.bat file on your startup disk:
```
  LOADHIGH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
```
Note: LOADHIGH might be typed as LH; these are equivalent. The rest of these instructions will use the LH notation.
You must edit this line; the original line should read:
```
  LH C:\any\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD00X
```
In the version on your startup disk, this must be edited to:
```
  LH A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD00X
```
Here is an example. The original line reads:
```
  LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
```
This must be edited to:
```
  LH A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
```
Next, copy the mscdex.exe file from your hard drive to your startup disk. For Windows 95 and 98, the mscdex.exe file is located in the C:\Windows\Command\ directory.
To copy this file to your startup disk:
1. From the Start menu, select Programs, then click MS-DOS prompt.
2. Enter:
```
  cd c:\windows\command\ 
```
3. Enter:
```
  copy mscdex.exe a:\ 
```
4. To exit the MS-DOS window, enter:
```
  exit
```
This will copy the mscdex.exe file to your A: drive, and will load the file when the LH command in your autoexec.bat file is executed when you start your computer.

Test the startup disk

Now, test the startup disk to make sure it has CD-ROM support:

From the Start menu, select Shut Down, then Shut Down the Computer, and click OK.
Put in the boot disk, wait 10 seconds, and turn the computer back on.
Once you get to an A:\> prompt, enter your CD-ROM drive letter (such as D:). If the light flashes on your CD-ROM, this means you have access to it.
To read information off your CD-ROM, enter:
```
  dir  
```
This will confirm that you have access to your CD-ROM, and that you have successfully made a startup disk with CD-ROM support.