CertiGuide to A+ (A+ 4 Real)  9  Chapter 1: What are Operating Systems and How Do They Work?       9  CDI System Commands

Batch Files 1 The Registry

When Windows 95 and 98 boots up, they look for a specially named batch file called AUTOEXEC.BAT, and execute any commands contained within it. This is an easy way to ensure the same programs and environment settings are used on every boot.

A common command found in the Autoexec.bat file is MSCDEX.EXE. This obscure filename is actually short for “Microsoft CD Extensions”. It extends the ability of DOS to handle the CDFS (CD FILE SYSTEM) file format, and thus be able to access CD-ROM discs. Several switches are available for MSCDEX.EXE. The “/D:” switch is mandatory, which tells MSCDEX to find and use the device driver previously loaded in the config.sys file.

Several optional switches also exist, one of the most useful being the “/L:” switch. This assigns a drive letter to the CD-ROM device, therefore specifying it in the Autoexec.bat will ensure the CD-ROM drive is always available on the same drive letter.

Batch Files 1 The Registry