OT - Booting with CDROM Support

  • Thread starter Thread starter dachay2tnr
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dachay2tnr

dachay2tnr

One Hit Wonder
This is somewhat off topic, but I know some of you computer guru's can help...

A friend has given me an old laptop that apparently had a virus. I reformatted the HD to clean it out, and now I need to reload Windows. The problem is that the laptop currently boots without CD ROM support, and of course Windows is on CD.

I know I need to place some commands in an Autoexec,bat and Config.sys file on the HD to get it to recognize the CD. But it's been a long time since I fooled with DOS.

Can anyone walk me through what files I need and what the settings might be. I've been fooling around with MSCDEX.EXE but I can't seem to get the proper settings. I tried to copy some settings from the emergency boot disk, but I keep getting a message that the device driver MSCD001 can't be located. There is no file by that name on the emergency boot disk.

BTW, the laptop has both a floppy and a CD, but they go into the same bay and can't be used simultaneously. Therefore, I can't boot with the emergency floppy - cause the computer then tells me that it doesn't have a CD drive (which it doesn't, since it's in my hand).

Any help would be appreciated.
 
did you Fdisk it too? that's the only way to completely wipe out any virus thats still on the computer. just thought i'd ask.
 
Will your PC boot from the CD? Most newer PCs have that option in the BIOS (under boot sequence).

If not, just have a friend copy a Windows 98 (or Windows 95/ME, whichever you are trying to install) boot/setup disk for you. Any retail store with a tech department can do thisas well . I'd do it for you at provide a link, but I don't have one. :(

Otherwise, do a search at google.com.

Sorry I don't know the commands. :(
 
Hmm...

Might not work on a laptop 'cause most I know don't allow you access the BIOS. You'll have to boot from a setup disk.

1. Get a hold of a computer which is working, and on 98/ME/95.
2. Start->Run->"format a: /s" (without quotes)
3. System will ask for a floppy, insert one and let it run through till finished.
4. Leave the floppy in the drive and restart.
5. If you're lucky, you should get a little screen that gives you three options, of which one will allow you to use the CDROM drive. No additional commands are needed.

Best of luck

Sang
 
Whoopsie!

Step 4 shoulda read "Insert the Floppy into the Floppy drive of the laptop and power it up"

I just finished an argument with my boss. Wierdo! Made me mistype!

Laterz

Sang
 
Thanks all, but you missed some of the problem. I already have a bootable floppy disk. The problem is when I have the floppy drive in the computer and boot up, I get the screen with the 3 choices (i.e., boot with CD ROM support, etc.). However, since the CD drive itself is not installed, the computer tells me I don't have a CD installed and boots without CD support.

If I install the CD drive, then I can't boot from the floppy (since they get swapped out into the same bay).

So the only way around that I can see is to boot from the HD with the CD installed. Problem is I need to put the commands to support the CD on the HD, and I don't know what they are.

A bootable CD might work. Anyone know how to create one?
 
Download cdsetup.zip from here - www.sigmacomputers.on.ca/dualboot.html

Create a boot disk as Sangram suggested.

unzip cdsetup.zip to the boot floppy.

Boot with the floppy in.

Format the drive

format c: /s/q

reboot with the floppy

Run cdsetup.exe which installs the cd-rom driver to the C drive.

Unplug the floppy drive, plug the cd-rom in. Reboot. You should now have access to your cd-rom.
 
Sorry,

dachay2tnr

I had no clue it was one bay. The laptop I use is an Armada which has both right on the computer.

cdsetup is the way to go in such a case. Emeric's procedure should se you home. If you have the time, do the fdisk. You'll be glad you did, in case the virus is still around...

Laterz

Sang
 
BINGO!!

You're a genius, Emeric. Worked like a charm. Windows is installing as I speak (type?). Thanks.

Sangram, took your advice and did an fdisk. I guess, better safe than sorry. Don't want to have to go through this again.

Once again, homerec.com rules.

Mike
 
dach, glad it worked out for you. Two things I will add for future reference of others:

First, one way that CAN remove some stubborn boot-block viruses is to boot from a clean floppy (like a startup disk) and run FDISK /MBR. This rewrites the master boot record, and is NORMALLY not destructive to the drive. However it is best to try all other solutions first because if the virus has already removed the backup copy of the mbr, well... things can be ugly. Also you want to be damn sure your boot floppy is exactly the same OS version as your hard drive. And do NOT do this if you used a disk manager program or similar abomination to set up your hard drive.

Second, it is a real good idea to keep a boot/utility floppy around. The startup disk will work but it has stuff you don't need plus is missing things you should have. You want to be sure to include a real-mode (DOS) driver that works with your CD-ROM drive.

The example below assumes Windows 98, newer OS will vary somewhat.
You will want to first format your floppy with the /s command, to make it bootable. This will put the COMMAND.COM file (and others) on the disk. Then copy files from the C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND directory. Files you will want to include on your boot floppy include:

CHKDSK.EXE
EDIT.COM
FDISK.EXE
FORMAT.COM
HIMEM.SYS (from the System directory)
MEM.EXE
MSCDEX.EXE
SYS.COM
SCANDISK.EXE

…plus the hardware driver for your CD-ROM drive.

Then you will need to make CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT text files for your floppy. Below are my typical ones:

The config.sys (MTMCDAI is my CD-ROM driver):

[MENU]
MENUITEM=CD, BOOT WITH CD
MENUITEM=CLEAN, CLEAN BOOT

[CD]
DEVICE=A:\HIMEM.SYS
BUFFERS=20
FILES=40
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=A:\MTMCDAI.SYS /D:MSCD001

[CLEAN]
LASTDRIVE=Z

The autoexec.bat:

GOTO %CONFIG%

:CD
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH A:\;
A:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /L:G
MEM
GOTO END

:CLEAN
MEM
GOTO END

:END


My disks have additional menu items for booting up to a LAN, but that is not likely for most users so I left them out.

I've said in other posts that I'm a big fan of Ghost, or similar programs like Drive Image. If your regularly back up your boot drive to CDR using a program like those, and keep a boot floppy like the one above, you are pretty much protected from even a terminal drive crash.
 
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