If you find yourself in the position of needing access to your CD-ROM and Mouse when you Re-start in an MS-DOS Mode, read on!
First you must Modify, and or Create; two (sometimes three) files to have access to your CD-ROM and Mouse when you Restart in an MS-DOS Mode.
First you must Edit your Config.sys file and Make Sure that the following
lines are at the beginning of the file:
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=C:\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD001 <<Or your CD-ROM
Driver>>>
PS: If you do not have a Config.sys file, you can create one by opening a Notepad window then copy and pasting the lines above into the window, then Save the File As: Config.sys to the Root Directory of your C:\ drive.
Next check your Autoexec.bat file and see if a line similar to the following is in that file:
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
If the line or something close to that line is there, place a Remark (REM) statement in front of the line then Save the file.
Example: REM LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
PS: Leaving that line alone so that it loads "MSCDEX.EXE"
in conjunction with loading your CD-ROM
driver via the Config.sys file could cause your
computer to run in an MS-DOS Compatibility Mode. If that happens check out
the following link: Troubleshooting MS-DOS Compatibility Mode on Hard Disks
Next you must have the following lines that load Microsoft CD-ROM
Extensions (MSCDEX.EXE) and MOUSE.COM in your
DOSSTART.BAT file:
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
LH C:\MOUSE
PS: Make sure that you copy your CD-ROM driver and MOUSE.COM to the Root Directory of your hard drive. The Root Directory is: C:\
If you do not have a DOSSTART.BAT file, open a Notepad window; copy the two lines above into the window. After doing that Save the File As: DOSSTART.BAT to your C:\Windows folder
If you can not locate your CD-ROM driver or your Mouse driver, you can download them below. If you do download them, make sure you download them into your C:\ folder
Download: MOUSE.COM
OAKCDROM.SYS is the CD-ROM driver that Windows 98 places on any Windows 98 Startup disk that
is created. It's a very good generic CD-ROM driver that will work with most CD-ROM's. MOUSE.COM is a generic Mouse
driver that will work with a standard serial mouse (not a PS-2 mouse).
eric.groves (at) verizon.net