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Shamefully stolen from Bootdisk.com

There are several ways folks are getting their USB CD-ROMs, Hard Drives, and other drives to work in DOS. One is using what's known as DUSE driver system. The second method is using what looks somewhat like standard CDrom driver files and a USB driver. Both methods appear to require loading an usbaspiX.sys file first in config.sys in most cases. The third method is a bootdisk from a USB vendor.

METHOD 1 - The DUSE System

Example 1 Using DUSE

[config.sys]
device=a:\himem.sys
devicehigh=a:\emm386.exe
device=a:\usbaspi.sys
dos=high,umb

[autoexec.bat]
@echo off
duseldr a:\duse.exe
MSCDEX /D:USBCDROM /S /M:15 /V

Example 2 Using DUSE

[config.sys]
device=a:\himem.sys
DEVICE=a:\duse.exe

[autoexec.bat]
MSCDEX /D:USBCDROM /S /M:15 /V

METHOD 2 - The usbaspi.sys/usbcd.sys System

Example 1

USBASPI.SYS file in /F2H.

As noted, this method seems just like loading IDE drivers, with the added entry of the usbaspiX file. The following are the relevant portions taken from a modified config.sys and autoexec.bat file which was designed to work with a Windows 98 OEM Bootdisk with the ramdrive.

The complete config.sys and autoexec.bat replacement files are available for download below, and you might want to start first with just copying them to your OEM bootdisk along with the relevant drivers and then experiment later with getting them to work on your Customized disk.

[config.sys]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=usbaspiX.sys
device=usbcdX.sys /D:mscd001

[config.sys example 2 - USB Floppy in only port, "sometimes" allows switching to CDrom after boot]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=ramfd.sys
device=usbaspiX.sys /W
device=usbcdX.sys /D:mscd001

[autoexec.bat]
LH %ramd%:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:%CDROM%

Example 2

"I finally got my Belkin external drive enclosure with a WD 120gb drive to work in DOS, and then perform a GHOST image", wrote don b. "Here's the files and config.sys that worked."

[config.sys]
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
devicehigh=usbaspi1.sys
devicehigh=di1000dd.sys
devicehigh=usbcd2.sys /d:USBCD001
LASTDRIVE = Z

[autoexec.bat]
don b. noted that either the standard Ghost or Win98X autoexec.bat worked as is.

Example 3

Herbert H. writes: "I Just solved my problem by using the files from the "virtual" DOS drive ghost03 makes when you run interactive mode. It uses IOmega USB drivers and Guest.exe. It alowed me to use my Western Digital external USB HD in DOS.

[config.sys]
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE = usbaspi4.sys /int /all
DEVICE = usbaspi5.sys /int /all
DEVICE = usbaspi5.sys /int /all /D1
DEVICE = usbcdX.sys /D:cd2
DEVICE = OAKCDROM.SYS /D:cd1 [[For his IDE CD-ROM]

Files:

The key driver files I've put together for you in the USB driver collection include:

  • ramfd.sys 22,012 bytes
  • usbaspi1.sys 37,903
  • usbaspi2.sys 43,528
  • usbaspi3.sys 37,090
  • usbaspi4.sys 49,242
  • usbaspi5.sys 50,606
  • usbcd1.sys 5,509
  • usbcd2.sys 35,456
  • di1000dd.sys 16,368

Please keep in mind that DOS USB CDrom/HDD/zip/etc. drivers is a brand new area. These drivers will work with some PCs and lock up others.

A related article from theinquirer.net

Note that the files referred to in the article are included in my usb driver file download.

METHOD 3 - The datoptic System

A USB 4 DOS bootdisk has been posted here called dat.exe

The key driver files in dat.exe include:

  • usbaspi.sys 37,090 bytes
  • nj32disk.sys 15,808
  • sbp2aspi.sys 28,836

datoptic.com recommends the following config.sys for it's USB/1394 products. It's been reported tho that their drivers also work for other brands as well.

[menu]
menuitem=USB,USB Boot
menuitem=1394,1394 Boot
menudefault=USB,30
menucolor=7,0

[USB]
DEVICE = USBASPI.SYS

[1394]
DEVICE = SBP2ASPI.SYS

[COMMON]
DEVICE = NJ32DISK.SYS /R
LASTDRIVE=Z

METHOD 4.

You can use - A DOS USB boot disk Heres how:

  • download the MSDOS 6.22 boot image:

    • extract it to a floppy - you will need to remove several files to make room for the USB driver and edit a few other files
    • Remove the following files from the disk:attrib.exe, deltree.exe, qbasic.exe share.exe, setver.exe restore.exe, tree.exe,cd1.sys, cd2.sys, cd3.sys, cd4.sys

  • download the DOS USB driver in zip format

    • load di1000dd.sys and usbaspi.sys to the disk from mhairudos.zip
    • load Notepad and open CONFIG.SYS, change it to read:
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS /testmem:off
FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
devicehigh=USBASPI.SYS /w /v
devicehigh=DI1000DD.SYS
LASTDRIVE=Z

** open AUTOEXEC.BAT and delete its contents

  • REBOOT, BOOT from drive A
  • follow onscreen instructions

NOTE: the drivers dont seem to work with VIA USB chipsets but I have had success with many other chipsets; also if the system is a laptop and the USB is on a PCMCIA card you may need DOS drivers for the PCM bus/controller.

Note that the files posted here are pretty much the most complete collection of USB drivers around. Oddly enough, if you have a USB floppy drive connected to your PC some of these cdrom/hard/zip drive drivers will fail to load or the above bootdisk will fail to work.

In fact, I'd remove ANY USB device you dont need (eg cams, mice, printers, etc.) when using the above files to get DOS access to your Drives.

Note that after you get your business done in DOS with the USB drivers that they really should be remmed out when you've done what you needed to and now want Windows to use the drive correctly using Windows drivers.

See also :