# Virtual PC loading MS-DOS cannot access cd drive



## adanedhel728 (Apr 4, 2007)

I'm not completely certain that this is the right forum to put this in; it's both MS-DOS and Windows XP. I can't quite identify it, and it doesn't help that I don't know if the problem is in MS-DOS or XP's emulation of it. But anyway, here's what the problem is, sorry if it's in the wrong forum.

I just discovered Virtual PC and downloaded it. I found a website from which I downloaded a Windows 98 bootdisk and I installed Windows 98 from an old disk I dug up.

Now, while using the bootdisk, it loads the d drive with no problem. I enter d: and it brings me right to the drive where I enter "setup" and off we go. AND, while I'm actually _in_ Windows 98, I can access the d drive with no problem.

Here's where the problem starts: If I exit to MS-DOS in Windows 98, I cannot access the d drive. I enter d: and it says "Invalid drive specification."

I thought maybe if I were to make another virtual machine made for DOS, I wouldn't have that problem. So I made another virtual machine and installed MS-DOS 6.01. Now I've got the exact same problem. It says "Invalid drive specification" if I enter d:

To sum up, I can access my cd drive only in a Windows 98 boot disk, but if I try to access it through "exit to MS-DOS" or through MS-DOS 6.02, it says "Invalid drive specification."

I really don't know a lot about DOS; it's a little before my time (the only thing I ever did with DOS was type "win"). Is there something special I need to do to get DOS to recognize the cd drive? Or is there anything else I can do to fix this?

Thanks to anyone who can help.


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## Elvandil (Aug 1, 2003)

It needs a DOS driver. You can see how the driver is installed by studying the config,sys and autoexec.bat files in Notepad from the Win 98 disk. The driver will also be on that disk. You may even be able to transfer the config.sys and driver files directly and have them work.


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## TheOutcaste (Aug 8, 2007)

You need to install the DOS Virtual Machine Additions from Virtual PC 2004 (They aren't included with the 2007 version as DOS and Win95 are no longer supported, but they do work)
see here for install instructions:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833146

This article has the link and instructions for getting the DOS additions from MS and extracting the files Installing DOS additions under VPC 2007
Once that's installed you shouldn't have any problems. I've got Windows for Workgroups running on a VPC just fine now. If that isn't a trip down memory lane...
Now if I can get my hands on a copy of Windows 1.0 and 2.0...

HTH

Jerry


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## adanedhel728 (Apr 4, 2007)

Thanks, when I have the time, I'll get around to doing that


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