Miata Mailing List: January 1999, Message #35

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Okay, I know this isn't alt.windows.fubar, but I know there are some
VERY computer-knowledgable folks on this List.

Platform: Gateway 233 mhz Pentium II w/ Mitsumi FX240S !B CD-ROM drive
D.
System: Windows 95 as delivered by Gateway.  I have the Gateway system
CD.

Problem: I get a lot of lockups with necessity to reboot, and several
apps are acting goofy even after reboot.  Virus check of all files is
negative.  I speculate that perhaps Windows files are corrupt, and I
know there are some bits and pieces of incompletely uninstalled
programs here and there, since many so-called uninstalls only do a
partial job.  I think I want to back up my docs, take this bear all
the way down with a format C:, and reinstall the most minimal Windows
95 it will let me get away with - plus all my apps again.

I've created a bootable system floppy for drive A.  BUT, trial boots
tell me that when booted with the floppy, it doesn't recognize the
CD-ROM, so I know I wouldn't be able to load Windows from the CD
disc.  My last Gateway computer had a Sony CD-ROM drive, and I had
found the exe and driver files and put them on the boot floppy so and
notated the autoexec.bat and config.sys files so I could run the
CD-ROM.  You'd think I could do the same thing this time, but I can't
find the exe and the necessary drivers for this CD-ROM.  If I go to My
Computer, Properties, Device Manager, CD-ROM, CD-ROM Drive, Drivers,
it says no driver files are required or have been loaded for this
device.  I don't believe it - especially since it says that for all
devices, some of which almost certainly have drivers installed.

I've used the FIND utility, looking for MITSU, etc.  Ios.ini says
there are four mtmcdXX.sys files associated with the CD-ROM, but
searches for them indicate they aren't present.  I do have a CD-ROM
folder with one driver in it - mtmcdai.sys.  Putting it on the floppy
does nothing, probably because there are no call-outs on the
autoexec.bat and config.sys file, 'cause I don't know what to call
out.  The C: drive autoexec.bat file mentions CD-ROM only in a useless
REM, with no active statement.  Yet the device works.  Clearly,
there's much here I don't understand.  What tells the computer the
CD-ROM is there?

I created the needed floppy for the old computer, but this one throws
me.  Can anyone enlighten me?

Many thanks in advance.

Required Miata content: Crazy Red Italian leather seat installation is
proceeding well, in between bouts with the computer.
  
-- 
Bill Gusky and Petunia
Red '91, license "MOMENTS"
http://www.totcon.com/users/moments
DeLand, Florida
"Too soon oldt, und too late schmart!"