HOW TO MAKE WINDOWS ME
BOOT AND STARTUP FLOPPY DISKS
last updated: 9/25/00

Adding a Specific CD-ROM Driver.

1.  Dig out the floppy that came with your CD-ROM or download the drivers from the manufacturer's web site (see our CD-ROM FAQs for more info and our Manufacturer Links) and look for the driver.  There may be more than one driver (ending in .SYS) file on the floppy.  If, so read the readme, etc. files for driver installation instructions.  Most of those floppies have instructions for manually editing the config.sys and autoexec.bat files. Both files have a line that is required to run the CD-ROM. The config.sys file loads the driver and the autoexec.bat file loads mscdex.exe. The lines look something like this, but can vary depending on the CD-ROM drive:

CONFIG.SYS
device=cdrom.sys /D:mscd001

AUTOEXEC.BAT
a:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001

"mscd001" can vary but must be the same in both files.  If you use "mscd001" in the config.sys file, you probably will not have to modify the autoexec.bat file.  The actual name of the driver, "cdrom.sys" in this case, depends on the drive. There may be additional flags, but above lines will work in most cases. The autoexec.bat line assumes mscdex is present in the root directory of the floppy, as it is on our Startup floppy.

2.  Using Notepad edit the CONFIG.SYS file on the Startup floppy and add your CD-ROM driver line as follows:

Microsoft Startup...

[HELP]

device=cdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=btdosm.sys
rem device=flashpt.sys
rem device=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=aspi2dos.sys
rem device=aspi8dos.sys
rem device=aspi4dos.sys
rem device=aspi8u2.sys
rem device=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001
devicehigh=ramdrive.sys /E 2048

[CD]

device=cdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=btdosm.sys
rem device=flashpt.sys
rem device=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=aspi2dos.sys
rem device=aspi8dos.sys
rem device=aspi4dos.sys
rem device=aspi8u2.sys
rem device=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001
devicehigh=ramdrive.sys /E 2048

Startup floppy made my way...

[CD]

device=cdrom.sys /D:mscd001
rem device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001

You can remove the other drivers (all except devicehigh=
ramdrive.sys /E 2048 on the Microsoft Startup floppy) if you plan to limit the use of the Startup floppy to one specific CD-ROM drive.  Or, you can rem-out the other drivers as I have done in the examples above.  You can then easily restore them if you want to use the floppy on multiple computers or you buy a new CD-ROM drive.

Putting a "rem" in front of line in the CONFIG.SYS or autoexec.bat files changes them into remark or comment lines and are ignored by DOS when the files are executed.

I am assuming that you have an ATAPI/IDE CD-ROM.   You may have more to do if you have a SCSI drive or an old, non-IDE CD-ROM which works of your sound card.  Questions on those problems can be posted in our Forums.

Larry

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