Booting from a CD-ROM

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In older DOS-based systems, including Windows 9x, you often couldn't boot from a CD. This is because DOS CD drivers couldn't be loaded before DOS boots. The El Torito specification allows that problem to be overcome. Most CD drives for many years meet that specification. Furthermore, in newer machines, the BIOS is designed to load drivers needed to allow the CD drive to work. This makes it possible to install Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP without using installation boot floppies. Simply set the BIOS to boot first from a CD drive, insert the installation CD, and boot the machine. This also makes floppy drives obsolete; you can make boot CDs for Windows 9x or for 2000 and XP. In 9x, you will need to either copy the boot files from a boot floppy or from the hard drive, because the Windows Setup boot disc creation function won't work directly with a disc other than a floppy.

CD-ROM Doesn't Work in DOS

If you have a boot floppy for Windows 9x and you need to access files on a CD, simply select "Start computer with CD support" when you are so prompted. If you still do not have access to the CD-ROM, your drive might be too old to support the generic drivers on the Windows 9x boot floppy. If this option does not appear with your boot floppy, which would occur if the boot floppy were from an old version of 95, then you might have to manually install the device drivers that come from the manufacturer of the CD-ROM drive. Visit their Web page for DOS CD-ROM drivers and follow their instructions. Other options include borrowing a boot disk from a newer version of Windows, or downloading a boot disk from a Web site such as bootdisk.com. For more information on boot disks, see Chapter 11.

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