Installing CD ROM in DOS

Xortham431 · Post by **Xortham431** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:27 pm

Hi all,

I'm looking for some help to install a Sony CD ROM on my system. Long story short, I formatted the C: drive, so I had only the command.com on the C drive. My CD ROM drive is connected to a PCI paddle-board in the first pin connection, and the hard drive is connected to the second.

On boot up, the BIOS recognizes both the CD ROM drive and the hard drive.

However, even after

1. "SYS"-ing the C drive (from 3.5" windows 98 boot disk)
2. copying MSCDEX.EXE to the C:\DOS directory (from 3.5" windows 98 boot disk)
3. installing the driver that I downloaded directly from Sony's website
4. rebooting

my system STILL won't recognize the CD ROM. I've tried this several times, I have the latest and correct drivers, and still I'm having trouble. What could be the problem(s)? Can anyone offer any advice?

Thanks in advance.

P.S. I wasn't sure whether this was the place to post, so, mods, if this isn't suited for this board, feel free to move it. Thanks again.

Post by **Larry Laffer** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:34 pm

Hardware'd

Is MSCDEX.exe featured in autoexec.bat? And with proper parameters?

I'm a bit rusty at this(last time I installed a[n] [LG]CD-ROM, was 2 years ago, in a virtual machine, and I think I used solely the stuffies on a W98SE boot disk), so I say you wait till da tech monster drops by(shouldn't be too long now...)

Xortham431 · Post by **Xortham431** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 2:58 pm

Hi Larry,

Thanks for the quick reply. I believe everything is correct in the autoexec.bat--the installation program for the sony driver automatically added a line (which is currently the only line) in the autoexec.bat file.

The machine I'm working on (obviously not the one I'm typing on now

) is a P3 450 256MB ram--the plan is to solve this cd-rom issue so that I can put gentoo linux on it and use turn it into a high powered router.... Should be fun

Post by **dosraider** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 4:06 pm

Can't you boot from the CD itself on a P3? Pretty sure you can.
(Check bootsequence in bios)
Then use cfdisk to partition/prepare your HD.

I even don't know if you can install Linux from a W98 bootflop, never tried such stunt. And your C won't be suited to install Linux anyway.
Isn't the Gentoo installer not Knoppix based?
Wasn't Wardrich on Gentoo? Thought so.

[EDIT]
And as usual the eternal question:
Why don't you join a Gentoo forum?
First hand information is always the best.
http://forums.gentoo.org/

[EDIT²]
A quick asking around learned me this:
you need the releases/x86/current/livecd/livecd-i686-installer-2007.0.iso
That's a bootable install CD, no W98 bootflop needed.

Xortham431 · Post by **Xortham431** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:14 pm

Hi guys,

I can't boot from the CD ROM because the system is having trouble recognizing the CD ROM.

That's the problem.

I wasn't asking a gentoo question. I was asking a DOS question. I'm asking how to install a Sony crx230A CD ROM drive using DOS. I can't use a win98 boot CD because I don't have a functioning CD ROM drive.

I don't even have a gentoo disk, nor am I trying to install linux from a W98 boot disk. Gentoo isn't even in the picture yet.

If I need to provide any more information, just let me know.

Thank you!

Post by **dosraider** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:33 pm

Wait a sec, what is it PRECISELY what you want?
Do you want:
run MSDos with cd support?
Install W98?
Install Gentoo?
'Cause you've talked about those 3 things t'll now.

If you want MSDos with cd support:
......

No, I won't write down all the possible situations, state first WHAT you want.
I can already say this: You don't need the sony drivers.

Xortham431 · Post by **Xortham431** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:20 am

Hi all,

Thanks for the responses. I'm looking for some help to install a Sony CD ROM on my system. Long story short, I formatted the C: drive, so I had only the command.com on the C drive. My CD ROM drive is connected to a PCI paddle-board in the first pin connection, and the hard drive is connected to the second.

On boot up, the BIOS recognizes both the CD ROM drive and the hard drive.

However, even after

1. "SYS"-ing the C drive (from 3.5" windows 98 boot disk)
2. copying MSCDEX.EXE to the C:\DOS directory (from 3.5" windows 98 boot disk)
3. installing the driver that I downloaded directly from Sony's website
4. rebooting

my system STILL won't recognize the CD ROM. I've tried this several times, I have the latest and correct drivers, and still I'm having trouble. What could be the problem(s)? Can anyone offer any advice?

Another thing: I know the CD-ROM is good because it worked fine to read and write (it's a sony crx230A) in Win98 before I formatted the hard drive (C:\). It is jumpered as a master.

Thanks in advance.

Post by **dosraider** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:37 am

Your latest and correct drivers are worthless.

http://www.bootdisk.com/dostools.htm
DOScdrom Automated IDE CDrom Setup Disk
Is what you need.
And don't forget to read the HowTo

Do you use autodetect in bios? If yes do the bios recognises the CDdrive correctly? And I don't care what it did under W98 before, it's not working now.

When you use the W98 bootdisk as you said, can you READ a cd in the drive?

Answers please.

Further 'FYI':
A HD is ALWAYS better on I/O 0 (the FIRST I/O on the MoBo)
A CDdrive is ALWWAYS better on I/O 1 (the SECOND I/O on the MoBo)
Change this please.

Repost once again the same post and you're on your own.

Xortham431 · Post by **Xortham431** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:18 am

Hi guys,

Thanks dosraider--this is the kind of information I was looking for.

I do use autodetect in BIOS. It does appear that the BIOS recognizes the CD-ROM correctly.

I never actually tried to read a CD in the drive when I use the bootdisk. I never wanted to. The problem has been that I get the dreaded error message "MSCD001 driver not found" when I boot with a bootdisk. When I boot normally, even after having installed Sony's specific drivers for the working drive I have (CRX230A), where the config.sys and autexec.bat files have the correct pathnames for locating the drivers for the CD ROM, I get an error message saying that "the driver cannot be located, the CD ROM is not powered on, or the CD ROM is not connected to the system." Arg.

Also, I'm not using the IDE I/O pin connections on the motherboard. The explanation of the reason for this gets quite hairy, so suffice to say that when I still had W98 on my machine, I had problems with the IDE Bus Controller driver--long story short: the IDE pin connection on the motherboard to which my CD ROM drive was originally connected was not recognized by the machine--neither under windows NOR DOS. Therefore, I did a workaround.

I now have both my HD and CD ROM connected to a promise ultra 66 PCI paddle-board card. The HD was originally in pin slot #1, and the CD ROM was in pin slot #2. This configuration was recognized by W98. However, after reformatting the HD, the CD ROM was not recognized (again........).

Therefore, on a hunch, I switched the HD and the CD ROM on the PCI card. Result: BIOS now recognizes both the CD ROM and HD, but it seems DOS doesn't know what to do with the CD ROM.

That's the story in a nutshell

Also, thanks for the link--I'm looking at it now.

Best.

Post by **dosraider** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:54 am

Don't know if your PCI conn will ever work good in dosmode, those need usually specific drivers. Some do work fine, others not, it's a trial and error such things.

What you can try is:
put the HD and CDDrive on one cable, HD master and set CD as slave -(and check if your HD has a 'slave present', not all do)-, connected to the mobo. Try first I/O 0, if it not works try I/O 1.
Reboot (using autodetect) with the W98SE bootdisk from bootdisk.com and look if your CDdrive is 'alive'.

That your PCI I/O CD worked under W98 is normal, W98 has drivers for such things.
Best thing is try to get things working with your mobo I/O's, that's a lot faster. And better to boot eventually from CD.

Just some thoughts ....

Xortham431 · Post by **Xortham431** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 12:56 am

Hi guys,

Going on a bit of a tangent to what you mentioned, raider, I put the CD ROM cable to the IDE I/O pin slot on the motherboard, and then I put the HD cable pin connection back to the first pin slot on the PCI card. Slap my face and call me stupid because--wonder of wonders--it worked! The CD ROM is now recognized and reads CDs in DOS.

This is the original configuration for the system. I have no idea why gateway (it's a gateway box) decided to build this system such that the CD ROM is connected directly to the motherboard I/O IDE pin slot while the HD is connected to the promise PCI card *instead of* the second IDE pin slot......

The reason I hadn't tried this before is that with this configuration the CD ROM was NOT recognized by w98 because of an IDE bus driver problem. I couldn't get this problem fixed in windows, hence the format of the HD. All this time, I had been working under the assumption that the driver for the IDE bus was bad, corrupted, had a conflict, or who knows what else...... Thus as far as I can see, I had no real reason to assume that the original configuration would work under DOS.

Anyways, thanks for all your help and interest--I really appreciate it. I'm thrilled that it's working now

Now for implementation of phase 2: Linux

Thanks again and best

P.S. I haven't read too much more than the how-tos on the gentoo site, but is there a real or potential drawback to installing linux with DOS still on the machine? I ask because from what I've read in the responses in this thread, it seems like there could be a problem with having DOS on the machine...... If so, should I format again? Just thought I'd throw this out there before I get to readin'

Post by **dosraider** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:07 am

It is possible that the used a PCI I/O for the HD to counter a BIOS recognition problem, those PCI I/O cards have their own BIOS. Great chances the mobo I/O would work flawless with another HD.
Anyway, good you got your CDdrive working now.

About Linux:
It's no prob that Dos is on the PC for most Linux installers.
I suppose it's the same for Gentoo. Boot the CD and you will know, no need to think 'problems' on beforehand.
Ubuntu asks even ifyou want to install a dual boot system, don't know for Gentoo, never used this distribution.

Not that I say you should use Ubuntu, even think that a P3 is a bit underpowered for it. It's pretty heavy for a Linux.

Good luck with Linux.

Guated · Post by **Guated** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:09 am

I've heard every advanced linux user has ubuntu. What has happen in this thread has happen to me befor, and i'm sure others. That's why the solution worked. I have forgotten how hard it is to get a CD-rom to work in DoS. There's so many issues that could make your CD-rom not work. Great thread on nostalga.