# driver for CD

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driver-for-cd/128653>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 16, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driver-for-cd/128653 "2002-09-16T05:58:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driver-for-cd/128653/1 "2002-09-16T05:58:55Z")

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My computer came with Win98 installed. It ahs no problem accessing the CD drive. But if I boot to DOS, the autoexec.bat/config.sys don’t have a command in them to start the CD driver.

How do I find out what that command should be?

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2002, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driver-for-cd/128653/2 "2002-09-16T06:09:08Z")

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If booting to real DOS and not safe mode DOS first make a boot disk using the Startup disk tab under Add/Remove programs applet in Control Panel. Copy the booting drivers from  
the floppy to c:\ and copy the instructions in the autoexec.bat and config.sys on the floppy to your autoexec.bat and config.sys in c:\ on the hard drive. Change any instruction statements referencing “a:” path to “c:”. That should get you started.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driver-for-cd/128653/3 "2002-09-20T03:36:11Z")

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You need an extra line in config.sys and autoexec.bat, on my machine they are like (resp.):

DEVICE = C:\BTCCDROM\BTCCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD001 /V

and

C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /V

The locations, name of the .sys file, etc. will vary according to the driver for your CD-ROM. Note that the “MSCD001” part can be anything, they just have to be the same. If you need a generic driver off the net, look for “AOATAPI.SYS”

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**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\
**Post date:** [September 20, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driver-for-cd/128653/4 "2002-09-20T04:28:32Z")

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Another option is to make a Win98 startup disk (Start / Settings / Control Panel / Add/Remove Programs / Startup Disk). Using from this type of disk will give you the option of booting with CDROM support. Granted, it takes longer and does some things you don’t necessarily need–such as setting up a RAM disk and copying diagnostic files to it–but these can be purged from config.sys and autoexec.bat if you’re sufficiently ambitious (or annoyed).