MSCDEX | Tech Info |

General Information

The MSCDEX.exe file is used in the autoexec.bat file to set the DOS CD-ROM   parameters. It is always used in conjunction with a file in the config.sys file. Both the Autoexec.bat and the Config.sys files reside in the Root directory ( C:\ ) and can be edited using any text editor or the Edit program in a dos prompt.

Go to this page for the Win2000 and XP version.

Click here to download the windows 95 version of the MSCDEX.exe file,

Click here to download the windows 95b version of the MSCDEX.exe file, ...more win95b files, 

Click here to download the Windows 98 version of the MSCDEX.exe file 

The file is normally located at .... c:\windows\command\ folder

A typical entry is as follows:

C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:NCI000

And the matching (and required) file in the config.sys has the following format:

DEVICE=C:\CDROM\SomeName.SYS /D:NCI000

Notice that in order for the above 2 files to properly work, the parameter (in this example the name "NCI000") matches in both files. This is required.

The Name "NCI000" is only an example and will VARY from one CD-ROM to another. The only way to know what to use in place of Name is by looking at your documentation for the CD-ROM drive.

Almost without exception every drive comes with a floppy disk which has   some installation program that WILL make the appropriate entries in the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files.

You can modify the autoexec.bat file from within Windows or from DOS.

• How to modify the autoexec.bat file from within Windows.
• How to modify the autoexec.bat file from DOS use the EDIT command at the DOS prompt

 

The parameters

...also see KB article Q87165 @ Microsoft Link, 

/D:device-name

The name of the CD-ROM drive, the default is /D:MSCD001

/L:drive-letter

This is the drive letter which should be assigned to the CD-ROM drive. The default is the next available drive and this will be assigned if the parameter is not used.

/E

This parameter tells the system to use Expanded Memory, if available, and only applies when the Expanded Memory Manager LIM 3.2 or higher is used.

/M:xxx

Number Of Buffers - The range is from 2 to 30 and assigns how many buffers should be used to cache data. Each buffer uses 2K of low memory space.

/V

This parameter shows during boot the amount of RAM and expanded memory that the driver is using.

/S

This parameter allows the CD-ROM drive to be shared over a network.

Links

• Setting up a CD-ROM drive in DOS and examples (using Autoexec.bat and config.sys )

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