You can download shsucdx.com and vide-cdd.sys from the Hirens website if you don't have them and want to use them.
https://www.hiren.info/downloads/dos-files
shsucdx.com is a replacement for mscdex.exe and vide-cdd.sys is a CD driver.
vkcpolice wrote:i have tried to install drivers from oak technology and others but none work im sure this is just something i have to write in the autobac file? does anyone know what line i need to right in there cheers
It sounds like you're using OAKCDROM.SYS for the CD driver.
OAKCDROM.SYS works with most IDE drives.
If you're using a SCSI CD drive, you'd need the driver for your SCSI controller instead of the CD driver.
Generally you need a line in your autoexec.bat (or C:\Windows\dosstart.bat) and a line in your config.sys
For example,
in autoexec.bat or C:\Windows\dosstart.bat add the line
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX /D:MYCD […]
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in autoexec.bat or C:\Windows\dosstart.bat add the line
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX /D:MYCD
in config.sys add the line
DEVICE=C:\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MYCD
The /D: is not your drive letter.
Whatever you have after /D: should match in the autoexec and config lines.
You don't have to use /D:MYCD.
You could use /D:BANANA or /D:MSCD001 or whatever, it just has to be the same in the two lines.
The C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX /D:MYCD line in autoexec.bat or dosstart.bat assumes the MSCDEX.exe file is in your C:\Windows\Command folder.
The DEVICE=C:\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MYCD in config.sys assumes you copied the OAKCDROM.SYS file to your C: folder.
You can also use DEVICEHIGH= instead of DEVICE= if you are using upper memory:
DEVICEHIGH=C:\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MYCD
I've never used the INSTALL= line that MERCURY127 mentions. Doesn't mean it's wrong or that it doesn't work, just that I've never done it that way.
To answer the question of whether to put the C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX /D:MYCD line in dosstart.bat or autoexec.bat ...
When booting from a floppy disk, the line would go in autoexec.bat on the boot disk.
Some people have no problem putting the MSCDEX line in C:\autoexec.bat and having the DOS CD drivers load alongside the Windows CD drivers when they boot Windows.
Others have problems with conflicting CD drivers, so they put the MSCDEX line in C:\Windows\dosstart.bat so the DOS CD driver only becomes active when they reboot to DOS mode.
This is very TLDR but the main thing is to remember...
There are two lines to load the CD drivers, one for MSCDEX (or SHSUCDX) and one to use whatever CD driver you want to use.
The paths to MSCDEX and your CD driver must be correct.
What's after the /D: must match in both lines.