Using MSCDEX

Using MSCDEX

The MSCDEX program provides the CD-ROM extensions needed to enable CD-ROM drives to run in a command-line environment when the Windows 9x/Me GUI has not been started; MSCDEX is not used by Windows NT/2000/XP.

MSCDEX is loaded automatically by the Windows 98/Me EBD if you select Start Computer with CD-ROM Support from the Windows 98 Startup menu.

The Windows 95 Startup disk must be modified manually as described in "Adding CD-ROM Drive Support to the Windows 95 Startup Disk," p. 486 .

MSCDEX will not load unless a valid CD-ROM device driver (loaded by Config.sys ) is already in memory. At a minimum, the MSCDEX command line must include the /D:devicename option (which must match the device name provided by the CD-ROM device driver in Config.sys ).You can edit the Autoexec.bat provided on the Windows 98/Me EBD if you need to use any of the optional switches.

Typical options include

• MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 /L:K ” Loads MSCDEX , specifying drive letter K: ( /L:K ).

• MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 /V ” Loads MSCDEX and displays memory usage after loading the program.

• MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 /M:10 /S ” Loads MSCDEX , specifies 10 sector buffers ( /M:10 ), and enables the drive to be shared over MS-NET “based networks ( /S ).

• MSCDEX /D:MSCD001 /E ” Loads MSCDEX into EMS expanded memory ( /E ) if present to reduce conventional memory usage. This option requires the use of Emm386.exe with RAM option in Config.sys .