What is Mscdex?

MicroSoft CD-rom EXtension

MicroSoft CD-ROM EXtension enabling computers using MS-DOS 3.1 or higher to access a CD-ROM as a large, read-only hard drive.
Mscdex.exe is a CD-ROM 'redirector.' It hooks into the MS-DOS or other operating system the same way the network redirector does to obtain access to files that are not on a local hard or floppy disks. As far as MS-DOS or Windows is concerned, CD-ROM drives look just like network drives.

Command Line Switches
The following is the command line for MSCDEX.EXE:
MSCDEX.EXE: /D:x /M:n /E /V /L:x /S /K

Definition of MSCDEX.EXE Command-Line Switches
Switch	Definition
/D:[device name]	Allows you to specify a name for the device driver. This name must be identical to the device name used in the CONFIG.SYS file.
/M:[n]	Specifies the number of sector buffers used to cache the path table of a CD-ROM disk. Typically, each drive should have a minimum of four to five buffers. The larger this number is, the less your computer will have to read directly from the CD-ROM drive.
/E	Tells MSCDEX.EXE to use expanded memory if your system is using expanded memory.
/V	Displays information on memory usage when you boot your PC.
/L:[drive letter]	Allows you to specify the letter you want to assign to the first CD-ROM drive.
/S	Allows the CD-ROM to be shared on MS-NET based systems.
/K	Tells MSCDEX.EXE to use any KANJI (Japanese) file structures, if present, rather than the default of alphanumeric file structures.

autoexec.bat:
LH C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

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