INVALID DRIVE SPECIFICATION

[brandon12]

I have a problem that I just noticed today. If I try to access my cd-rom drives or zip drive in DOS I get "invalid drive specification." I tried to use registry checker to restore a previous backup, but it has been 40 days since it last backed it up. I thought it did it every time you started your computer? My zip drive is 'd', cd-rom is 'e', and cd-rom burner is 'f'. My config.sys file only has 2 entries: files=100 and buffers=10. I installed the software for a new hard drive and I think that it messed up my system. I know that I had other entries in config.sys. If anyone knows what exactly should be in the config.sys file or how to get registry checker to backup daily please let me know.

Thanks

 

[brandon12]

Forgot to say that I am running WIN98.

 

[edfair]

If you are running pure DOS (not DOS under Win98) then your config.sys will need several drivers for the zip and at least 1 for the CD. Your autoexec.bat will also need to load several, including mscdex pointing to the cd driver loaded in config.sys. And all these drivers are normally put on the hard drive and the sys files modified by install software from install disks provided with the hardware.
If you are running a DOS window under W98 then both should be available every time you call msdos.
Can't speak for 98 but it should be the same as for 95. System.dat and user.dat is backed up every time 95 cranks up. Destination files are the same name but .da0 extension. And all 4 files are SHR so you need to run attrib to get to them.
I've generally found that by the time I realize I need the backups I've already corrupted them. But then I compute dangerously.

Ed Fair
efair@atlnet.com

Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply.

Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[madian]

Don't forget the "lastdrive=z" setting in config.sys. Instead of "z" you may use a drive letter higher than the last drive letter of your system (if g then use h). For the cd-rom dos drivers use the original drivers or use the generic atapi driver provided by the win98 startup disk and copy those settings in config and autoexec. the *.sys should be in config.sys while the mscdex should be in autoexec.bat.