This can be tricky when you don't know how to go about it. Fortunately
I do know how to go about it, if you read this then you will to.
Its a two part procedure, firstly you'll need a CD-ROM driver provided
by the CD-ROM manufacturer* and
secondly you will require a program to load it.
If you are lucky the CD-ROM driver will come with an install program,
if so then follow the provided instructions; if not then read on.
Firstly you must set up the driver in your CONFIG.SYS file using a DEVICE or
DEVICEHIGH statement.
A line that looks something like this should be added:
DEVICE=C:\CD_ROM\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD000
You should have a file with a ".SYS" extension,
you need to replace "C:\CD_ROM\OAKCDROM.SYS" with the path of your ".SYS"
file.
The final step depends on your OS, MS-DOS uses MSCDEX.EXE whereas others
like DR-DOS use NWCDEX.EXE.
If you are using MSCDEX then you need to add this line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file:
MSCDEX /D:MSCD000
If you are using NWCDEX then you need to add this line:
NWCDEX /D:MSCD000
Note that the "MSCD000" is the same as that used in the CONFIG.SYS file.
If you now restart your computer the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive should be
accessible.
*About CD-ROM Drivers
As well as using the exact driver for your CD-ROM drive its often possible
to use a generic one, many boot disks include a generic driver already
set up. If you do want the exact driver then go to the manufacturers site,
a good place to help you find it is WinDrivers.com.