DOS USB Drivers

There are several ways folks are getting their USB CDroms, 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 4 is getting good reviews also.

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

Note: You can find a usbspi.sys on the internet or use on of the five different versions I've found in the Download Files section at the bottom of the page

[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

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 - example 1]
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%