CD-ROM driver help
Introduction
This page contains additional information on how to get your computer CD-ROM detected and working from an MS-DOS prompt and Windows 3.x. Below is a listing of the major disc drive manufacturers and their related driver files. If you're running Windows 95 or later get your drivers' from our disc drivers section.
| Manufacturer | Driver |
|---|---|
| Aztech | sgide268.sys sgidecd.sys |
| BTC | btccdrom.sys |
| Goldstar and LG Electronics | gscdrom.sys |
| Funai | cde25a.sys |
| Lite-on | ltnide.sys |
| Max | ide-cd.sys |
| Mitsumi | mtmcdai.sys |
| NEC | nec_ide.sys |
| Panasonic | cr_atapi.sys cdmke.sys mtmcdd.sys sbcd.sys sgcdu.sys |
| Samsung | sscdrom.sys |
| Sanyo | d011v109.sys |
| Sony | atapi_cd.sys |
| Sound Blaster and Creative Labs | sbide.sys |
| Toshiba | taisatap.sys d011v109.sys |
Examples
For a CD-ROM drive to work in MS-DOS and Windows 3.x, it's required that the CD-ROM drivers be loaded in the Autoexec.bat and Config.sys. Below are examples of the format of how the drivers should be loaded in your autoexec.bat and config.sys. Below is an example of a line used to load the NEC CD-ROM drive.
Autoexec.bat
LOADHIGH=C:\Windows\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
Config.sys
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CD-ROM\NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD001
Although the above examples are not used with all computers autoexec.bat and config.sys, it shows the following.
- You do not want a space between the LOADHIGH or DEVICEHIGH; these are one word.
- When using "LOADHIGH" and "DEVICEHIGH," make sure the "=" immediately follows these statements.
- The MSCDEX line in the autoexec.bat may be in C:\DOS instead of C:\Windows\COMMAND.
- The /D: MSCD0001 is the device name, not the driver, and can be anything. However, this name must match what's in autoexec.bat. If these names don't match, your CD-ROM drive will not load.
- Finally, the NEC_IDE.SYS in the above example, is the name of the driver. The name can be anything and located anywhere. Ensure it's pointing to the appropriate location.
Common mistakes
REM
Occasionally, Windows or other software may place REM (remark) in front of the CD-ROM lines in either the autoexec.bat or the config.sys. A remark skips the line as the computer boots and if in front of any CD-ROM line causes the CD-ROM not to work.
Two or more lines
Some programs or operating systems may place the CD-ROM drive line in your autoexec.bat or config.sys more than once, causing errors. Verify you only have one line loading.
LOADHIGH and DEVICEHIGH
Mistakenly a user or a program may place the LOADHIGH command with a space in the line. If there is a space in the line, the computer will not load this line. The same goes for the DEVICEHIGH statement.
No high memory
If you are using the LOADHIGH or DEVICEHIGH statements, ensure your computer is loading the memory manager (EMM386.exe and HIMEM.SYS).
Second, if the high memory managers are being loaded, ensure the computer has enough memory to load these devices into the high memory portion of your memory. You should receive a memory error message if not enough memory is available.
Additional switches
Some CD-ROM manufacturers may place additional switches on the CD-ROM lines. While these lines may sometimes be needed for the CD-ROM to work properly, they may also cause the CD-ROM not to load or cause an error with other drivers. If you have extra switches on either line, attempt to temporarily remove these lines to see if the CD-ROM works.
Hardware issues
While these lines may be loading properly, the CD-ROM may not be working because of a hardware issue with the drive. Ensure you reviewed our CD-ROM help section for possible CD-ROM troubleshooting steps and information.
Common questions
Where can I locate MSCD0001 or MSCD001?
MSCD0001 is not a driver; it's a common name of the driver. After the driver loads successfully it's named MSCD0001 to be referenced by MSCDEX. The driver for your CD-ROM is dependent on what CD-ROM drive you have in the computer. Some common driver names are located in different types of CD-ROM drivers.
Where can I get the driver for my CD-ROM?
Visit our hardware downloads section to obtain a generic CD-ROM driver (oakcdrom.sys) and mscdex.exe if needed. These are files used with earlier versions of Windows (Windows 95 and Windows 3.11) and MS-DOS.
If you are looking for a specific driver for your CD-ROM drive or a firmware update, see the CD-ROM drivers page.
I am getting the error "Not enough drive letters available" after loading the CD-ROM drivers, why?
This error is usually caused by the LASTDRIVE missing or not specifying enough letters for the CD-ROM to load. In your config.sys, add LASTDRIVE=Z before the CD-ROM driver line.