MSCDEX

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions" redirects here. For Microsoft's extension to the ISO 9660 format, see
Joliet (file system)
.

MSCDEX
Developer(s)Microsoft
Initial release1986, 37–38 years ago
Stable release
2.25 / 1995; 29 years ago (1995)
Operating systemDOS, Windows
Platformx86
TypeCommand
LicenseProprietary commercial software

MSCDEX or Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions is a

MS-DOS 3.1 and higher.[3][4]

Overview

The program is a driver executable which allows

High Sierra and – since version 2.0 as of 1988 – also the ISO 9660 file systems.[5][6] This requires the previous loading of an appropriate CD-ROM device driver (example: OAKCDROM.SYS), usually from CONFIG.SYS
.

The final version of the MSCDEX program was 2.25,[citation needed] included with Windows 95 and used when creating bootable floppy disks with CD-ROM support. Starting with Windows 95, CD-ROM access became possible through a 32-bit CDFS driver.

The driver uses the Microsoft networks interface in MS-DOS. This is the reason that at least version 3.1 of MS-DOS is required. The driver essentially looks similar to a network drive from the system perspective. It is implemented as a terminate-and-stay-resident program[6] and an extension to the redirector interface (CDEX).

ROM-DOS includes an implementation of MSCDEX.[7]

Alternatives

INSTALLLAST
.

Based on NWCDEX,

Concurrent DOS, provides a similar driver named IMSCDEX.[8]

A cloaked variant of MSCDEX was provided as part of

386
and higher processors.

Corel offered CORELCDX.COM as alternative to MSCDEX.[13]

There's a free alternative called SHSUCDX

ATA driver UIDE.SYS[15] first released in 2005.[16] It is often used with FreeDOS
and works with other DOSes as well.

In 1998,

FAT32 volumes on DOS versions otherwise not natively supporting FAT32. DRFAT32 uses a variation and extension of the CDEX API in order to achieve this and work with older DOS versions.[17]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 0-7356-1812-7
    .
  2. Microsoft Corporation. 2000-01-18. Q123408. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2007-11-24. [1]
    (NB. Has information on MSCDEX versions 2.1, 2.2, 2.21, 2.22, 2.23.)
  3. ^ Barney, Douglas (1986-09-22). "Microsoft lets micros read CD-ROMs". Computerworld: 13. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
  4. ^ Mace, Scott (1986-09-22). "Extensions to MS-DOS Run CD-ROM". InfoWorld. 8 (38): 1, 8. Retrieved 2016-11-09.
  5. ^ Johnston, Stuart J. (1988-03-07). "Microsoft Steals Show At Its CD ROM Meeting - Firm Unveils Two Business Titles". InfoWorld: 198.
  6. ^ a b "Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions 2.1" (MSCDEX21.DOC). Version 2.10 Beta. Microsoft. 1994-03-16 [1992-05-30]. 000080010-100-O00-1186. Archived from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2018-05-11. [2]
  7. Datalight, Inc. April 2005. Part No. 3010-0200-0716. Archived
    (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2021-01-02. (268 pages)
  8. ^
    OpenDOS 7.01, including the description of many undocumented features and internals. It is part of the author's yet larger MPDOSTIP.ZIP collection maintained up to 2001 and distributed on many sites at the time. The provided link points to a HTML-converted older version of the NWDOSTIP.TXT file.) [3]
  9. ISBN 0-201-63287-X. (xviii+856+vi pages, 3.5"-floppy) Errata: [4][5]
  10. UMB
    -RAM during installation […] better highloading memory consuming redirector drivers […] install […] other drivers […] from CD-ROM during execution of CONFIG.SYS […] setting the local CD-ROM flag […]
  11. LASTDRIVE= is one of those directives taking effect only *after* CONFIG.SYS, and the CDS array will be moved to its target position and will be reduced down to the LASTDRIVE= (or other minimum) or will be expanded up to 32 entries. […] INSTCDEX […] free already assigned drive slots for NWCDEX and thus allows NWCDEX to load in CONFIG.SYS. However, it will be unlinked after CONFIG.SYS, since the CDS-array is moved. INSTCDEX also provides means to save the status of the CDS-entry in CONFIG.SYS and relink […] NWCDEX to the new CDS in AUTOEXEC.BAT
    . […]
  12. ^ a b Paul, Matthias R. (1997-10-02). "Caldera OpenDOS 7.01/7.02 Update Alpha 3 IBMBIO.COM README.TXT". Archived from the original on 2003-10-04. Retrieved 2009-03-29. [6]
  13. ^ Mention of CORELCDX, retrieved 2023-12-31
  14. ^ Platt, Robert; Spiegl, W. (2008) [2003]. "Command: shsucdx". FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO. Archived from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  15. ^ Ellis, Jack; Spiegl, W. (2011) [2007]. "Command: uide.sys / uidejr.sys". FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO. Archived from the original on 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
  16. ^ "SHSUCDX V3.03A CD-ROM Interface Driver". 2005-12-26. SHCDX33A.ZIP. Archived from the original on 2006-10-12.
  17. Ralf D. Brown. Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, INTER61 as of 2000-07-16 ([7]
    )

Further reading

External links

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Guide to Windows Commands
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