CompuServe Thread

#SONY CDROM & OS/2

5 messages in this thread
#30955From: Ed RossNov 14, 1992 2:21 PM
HELP I have a Sony CD-Rom with a CDB-240 Adapter Card and a Sony CDU535 Drive unit. I can not get this thing to work with OS/2 or under the DOS sessions of OS/2. The IBM CDROM device driver does not work, nor does the "Generic" CDROM (CDROM_G.SYS) driver work with this card,( least I cann't seem to make it work). Under the DOS sessions, I can load the sony driver (sony_cdu.sys) but the MSCDEX.EXE always reports wrong version (great design). Setting the version number in the DOS Settings seems to have no effect. If I make a startup disk, the unit starts to work (for about 30 seconds) then my machine starts to beep, the session and the session is locked (can not close it). Does anyone have a driver that will work under OS/2, or one that will work in DOS mode of OS/2 version 2, or a phone number for SONY, Or is there a new version of MSCDEX.EXE.
#30968From: J.T. McQuittyNov 14, 1992 6:08 PM
This may be a more general problem than you know. My el cheapo BSR 6800MX mail ordered from DAK doesn't work under OS/2 despite reconfigurings, changes in config.sys, etc. Neither OS/2 nor DOS window recognized the device. This is about to preclude my using OS/2.
#30992From: Clarke FerberNov 15, 1992 1:00 AM
1-800-222-0878 Sony Periphials group
#31011From: Paul J. BodinNov 15, 1992 12:24 PM
OS/2 supports only SCSI CD-ROM drives. The CDU535 is not a SCSI drive; it uses a proprietary Sony bus interface. Sony has so far refused to write a driver for this interface, so at this point it will not work directly under OS/2. MSCDEX does not work under OS/2 in a DOS session, not because of the version (which is the message that MSCDEX writes when it doesn't load) but because it uses techniques which threaten system integrity in a multi-tasking environment which OS/2 will not allow. When its calls are refused, MSCDEX terminates with the wrong version error message. You *can* use your drive in a specific DOS session under OS/2. The drive will be accessible only from the VBM in which your driver software is running, but I have been able to operate both DOS applications and Windows applications (using WinOS2 instead of MS WIN.COM) in this way. You must create a DOS boot diskette with all the necessary items in CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT, tweak it until it works as a "Dos from Drive A" boot diskette, and then create a boot diskette image file. The process is described in the OS/2 2.0 Installation Guide, pages 97-104. This is a usable work-around, but is sufficiently limited that I sold my Sony drive and bought a Toshiba 3301 SCSI drive to replace it. I am much happier with the Toshiba. Paul
#31122From: Ed RossNov 17, 1992 8:15 AM
Thanks for the help – Maybe the best advice yet is to sell the sony and get a drive that works