I'm trying to make a boot disk so I can do a fresh install of Windows 95, 
but am having trouble with getting the CDROM recognized.  I have followed 
the previous discussions and the correct configuration in config.sys and 
autoexec.bat (see below for mine).

My system:
Rhino 12 motherboard (VIA Chipset) Award Bios
Pentium 166
80 meg memory
3 G hard drive partitioned C: - 2 G and D: 1 G (on Primary Master)
Old Toro CDROM (4X) on Secondary Master
Windows 95b

Let me give you a synopsis of what has occurred up to now.  I had a corrupt 
registry and could not recover.  I didn't have a current reg backup so had 
to go back to one of the original registry backups (1 ½ yr. old).  I could 
boot now and so I started fixing stuff to get by until I had time to format 
and re-install Windows.  I was able to get everything back in working order 
except for the cdrom (no drive letter in Windows).  As first attempt to 
fix, I added the DOS support in the Autoexec.bat and config.sys.  The drive 
letter appeared now in Windows but I got an “Error reading Drive E:, Abort, 
Retry, Fail” message. I then saw that the IDE controller had error in 
Device Manager.  I installed the VIA chipset controller drivers and now the 
cdrom worked in Windows.

Next I tried to create a windows boot disk. I have the required files on 
the boot disk (MSCDEX.EXE, TSYCDROM.SYS, EMM386.exe, and HIMEM.exe).  The 
autoexec.exe and config.sys lines are from the TORI manual.  (P: SM is for 
Master on Secondary controller.)

Now booting to windows command prompt from the floppy boot disk, the BIOS 
detects the cdrom, and the drivers appear to load from the floppy.  I can 
enter “CD E:” at the >A: prompt and the >E: appears OK. When I try to do a 
“dir E:” with any cd, I get the “Error reading Drive E:, Abort, Retry, 
Fail” message.

Does anyone see something that would let the boot disk recognize the cdrom 
but not make it readable, or have any suggestions for further looking for 
problems?  The cdrom still works in full GUI Windows, but I don't want to 
format C: if I can't boot and load Windows from the cdrom.

Config.sys

device=a:\himem.sys /testmem:off
DEVICE=a:\EMM386.EXE
DEVICE=a:\TSYCDROM.SYS /D:TSYCD1 /P:SM

Autoexec.bat

a:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:TSYCD1 /M:20

Doug Simmons

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