i need to know how to install a cdrom in windows 3.1. it doesnt recognize the cdrom if you can tell me where i could get drivers for it?

Software for CD-ROMs in Windows 3.1 is normally installed in DOS. If you have a newer CD-ROM drive, it is fairly straightforward and you will be able to download a DOS driver from the CD-ROM manufacturer's website or use a generic CD-ROM driver from alternate sites on the Internet. If you are have an older type CD-ROM drive that is cabled directly to your soundcard or a CD-ROM controller card you will have to find the specific driver for that setup. You will need to open the computer and look at the stuff inside and write down some info. 1. Is your CD-ROM drive on the same cable as your hard drive, connected by a 40 pin ribbon cable? 2. Is your CD-ROM drive connected straight to the motherboard with a 40 pin ribbon cable? 3. Is your CD-ROM drive connected to a soundcard via a 40 or 34 or (other number) ribbon cable? 4. Is your CD-ROM drive connected to a controller card via some number ribbon cable. 5. What is the Make and model number of your soundcard? 6. If question 3 or 4 was true-what is the make and model of the soundcard or controller card and what is the make and model of the CD-ROM drive? Post back and someone should be able to point you in the right direction.

First, you need the file "mscdex.exe" and a driver, such as "oakcdrom.sys". If you have them both, copy them to a folder (such as C:\CDROM\) on your harddrive somewhere. Then, modify your config.sys as follows: DEVICE=C:\CDROM\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:MSCD000 DEVICE=C:\CDROM\MSCDEX.exe /D:MSCD000 /L:F If all works well, your CDROM should now be drive F.

In actual fact, the mscdex line belongs in autoexec.bat and usually the file is already in the DOS directory: lh C:\DOS\MSCDEX.exe /D:mscd000 (the 'lh' merely saves low memory - likewise you could use 'devicehigh' for the config.sys line) The /L:F switch would specify the drive letter, but if left off the drive would automatically be assigned an available letter, you might need to add a lastdrive statement in config.sys though: LASTDRIVE=F or whatever. Only necessary if you have drives up to 'E:' prior to adding the CD drive. This assumes that your underlying DOS version is M$-DOS 6xx - principles are the same for other versions, although the specifics might be different.

By the way, bus speed will default to slowest device on ribbon cable. If cd-rom is like a four speed (4 x 150 KB of data per second), then that's the fastest that data will run even if a really fast hard drive is on the cable too. At least this is my understanding. Preferably, a cd-rom should be on end of its own ribbon cable (ide2).

A little correction to the last post. Data transfer will slow to the slowest device on the IDE cable, but not to the speed of the CD-ROM's read speed. it will slow to the device speed ie. ATA33 for a standard CD-ROM device.