[Solved] Need help modding inf that installs cd-rom during 95 install

[johnyept]

I'm trying to install Windows 95 on VirtualBox with a homemade floppy and an original CD. I know that the emulated chipset is not supported by Windows 95, so the first part of the installation "sees" the CD drive because of the drivers loaded by the floppy, but the second part of the installation doesn't see the cd drive because it's no longer booting from the floppy, and fails to copy files.

Some years ago I used this workaround with VirtualPC, which also works with VirtualBox. It basically copies the cd drivers to the Windows folder during Windows installation, and adds the required lines to config.sys and autoexec.bat:
- copy cd drivers to \WIN95 folder (aspi*.sys, bt*.sys, flashpt.sys and oakcdrom.sys)
- create \WIN95\CD.INF with the following content:

[version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"
SetupClass=BASE
LayoutFile=layout.inf

[Setup]
EBD=0

[Printers]

[Install]
CopyFiles=Files.cdrom
UpdateCfgSys=Update_config.sys
UpdateAutoBat=Update_autoexec.bat

[Files.cdrom]
OAKCDROM.SYS
BTDOSM.SYS
FLASHPT.SYS
BTCDROM.SYS
ASPI2DOS.SYS
ASPI8DOS.SYS
ASPI4DOS.SYS
ASPI8U2.SYS
ASPICD.SYS

[DestinationDirs]
;10=WINDOWS
;11=SYSTEM
;13=COMMAND
;17=INF
files.cdrom=10

[Update_config.sys]
DevAddDev=OAKCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"
DevAddDev=BTDOSM.SYS,device
DevAddDev=FLASHPT.SYS,device
DevAddDev=BTCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"
DevAddDev=ASPI2DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI8DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI4DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI8U2.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPICD.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"

[Update_autoexec.bat]
CmdAdd=MSCDEX.EXE,"/D:MSCD001 /L:D"

- recreate ISO with thie new files
- boot from floppy
- start installation with SETUP.EXE CD.INF.

But now I want to use CD.INF from the floppy, ie SETUP.EXE A:\CD.INF because the cd drivers are already in the floppy and so I don't have to use a modified ISO. Can CD.INF be modified so it searches for the files in the floppy? I tried it as is, and at 23% the installation stopped and asked me where the *.sys files were, pointing to D:\WIN95, which is where they obviously are not.

Edited April 19, 2017 by johnyept
Problem solved!

[johnyept]

Tried this modification, install ran up to 99% then it asked me where "Windows 95 Boot Floppy" files where located, I typed "A:\" followed by ENTER and installation continued without any more hiccups. Almost there... no idea how to fix it.

[version]
signature="$CHICAGO$"

[DestinationDirs]
files.cdrom=10

[Install]
CopyFiles=Files.floppy
UpdateCfgSys=Update_config.sys
UpdateAutoBat=Update_autoexec.bat

[Files.floppy]
ASPI2DOS.SYS
ASPI4DOS.SYS
ASPI8DOS.SYS
ASPI8U2.SYS
ASPICD.SYS
BTCDROM.SYS
BTDOSM.SYS
FLASHPT.SYS
OAKCDROM.SYS

[SourceDisksNames]
99 = %DiskName%,BOOT95,0

[SourceDisksFiles]
ASPI2DOS.SYS = 1
ASPI4DOS.SYS = 1
ASPI8DOS.SYS = 1
ASPI8U2.SYS = 1
ASPICD.SYS = 1
BTCDROM.SYS = 1
BTDOSM.SYS = 1
FLASHPT.SYS = 1
OAKCDROM.SYS = 1

[Strings]
DiskName = "Windows 95 Boot Floppy"

[Update_config.sys]
DevAddDev=OAKCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"
DevAddDev=BTDOSM.SYS,device
DevAddDev=FLASHPT.SYS,device
DevAddDev=BTCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"
DevAddDev=ASPI2DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI8DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI4DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI8U2.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPICD.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"

[Update_autoexec.bat]
CmdAdd=MSCDEX.EXE,"/D:MSCD001 /L:D"

[jaclaz]

NOT what you asked, but maybe (and with all due respect ), you are going the "wrong" way. 

In the good ol'times (when floppies were floppy and Cd-Roms were 1x and making all kind of noises when attempting to load files) people " in the know" copied the installation files to hard disk from cd-rom and then ran the installation from hard disk (this had two advantages, it was faster overall and left the installation files on the hard disk, so that when/if a file was needed you didn't have to find the cd-rom and insert it in the drive).

And it seems like this good ol' method works fine for Virtualbox as well:
http://thecuriousgeek.org/2012/03/installing-windows-95-in-virtualbox/

In the old times you needed to have SMARTDRV enabled, but I believe that since everything is virtual you won't have the same long times as with "real" hardware (of the time):
http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/itn107mb/installing_windows_95.htm

jaclaz

[johnyept]

Yes I know about copying files to HDD, I'm from that time too

But in this case I'm trying to find a method that uses the original CD and a floppy, where the only thing the user has to do is answer the usual questions and the floppy just runs OEMSETUP.EXE with an INF files for the cd drivers, leaving the rest with Windows itself.

EDIT: it's funny how the world is round and we always come back to the place we started... I was trying to find an "untouched" Windows 95 boot floppy and I discovered 2 things: upgrade CDs counted on ms-dos or Windows 3.x already having cd drivers installed so they didn't have a boot floppy; OEM CDs included a boot floppy that was based on a prototype floppy included in the Windows 95 "OEM Adaption Kit" (OAK), where they would add their own CD drivers and modify a file named DRVCOPY.INF which does exactly what I want! And you (jaclaz) posted links to it in another topic! Ain't life funny? I'll post the modified DRVCOPY.INF as soon as I get time to take a look at it

EDIT2: Here's the working INF!

; DRVCOPY.INF
;
; This is the Driver Copy information file for
; real-mode CD-ROM drivers.
;
; These driver(s) are copied to the root of the hard disk
; during setup, and are installed in config.sys and autoexec.bat
;
; This file MUST be modified by the OEM prior to shipping
; to end users.
;
; OEMs will need to modify this to add the proper name(s)
; for their real-mode CD ROM drivers.
; Lines that must be modified are marked OEM_Modify
; You can also copy additional drivers and add lines to autoexec.bat
; and config.sys using this file.


[version]
; Do not change this section
signature=$chicago$

[DestinationDirs]
; Do not change this section
RM.driver.dest.copy = 30 ; root directory

[install]
; Do not change this section
copyfiles=RM.driver.dest.copy
updatecfgsys=RM.Sys.upd
updateautobat=RM.Auto.upd

[RM.driver.dest.copy]
; OEM_Modify - Change the name from SAMPLE.SYS to your CD ROM drivers.
; - You can insert additional filenames for your real
; mode driver(s).
; This file name will be copied to the hard disk.
OAKCDROM.SYS
BTDOSM.SYS
FLASHPT.SYS
BTCDROM.SYS
ASPI2DOS.SYS
ASPI8DOS.SYS
ASPI4DOS.SYS
ASPI8U2.SYS
ASPICD.SYS

[RM.Sys.upd]
; OEM_Modify - Change the name from SAMPLE.SYS to your CD ROM drivers.
: - You can also change the driver name here and below.
; This line will be added to the user's CONFIG.SYS.
DevAddDev=OAKCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"
DevAddDev=BTDOSM.SYS,device
DevAddDev=FLASHPT.SYS,device
DevAddDev=BTCDROM.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"
DevAddDev=ASPI2DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI8DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI4DOS.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPI8U2.SYS,device
DevAddDev=ASPICD.SYS,device,,"/D:MSCD001"

[RM.Auto.upd]
; OEM_Modify - Change the "D" in L:D to represent the default drive
; letter for your CD ROM.
; - The OEMCD001 parameter should agree with the
; config.sys parameter above.
; This line will be added to the user's AUTOEXEC.BAT
CmdAdd=MSCDEX.EXE,"/D:MSCD001 /L:D"

[SourceDisksNames]
; Do not change this section
100="%oem.boot.desc%",,5,A:\

[SourceDisksFiles]
; OEM_Modify - Change the name from SAMPLE.SYS to your CD ROM drivers.
; Do not change the 100,,2000
; This file will be copied to the hard disk root directory.
OAKCDROM.SYS=100,,2000
BTDOSM.SYS=100,,2000
FLASHPT.SYS=100,,2000
BTCDROM.SYS=100,,2000
ASPI2DOS.SYS=100,,2000
ASPI8DOS.SYS=100,,2000
ASPI4DOS.SYS=100,,2000
ASPI8U2.SYS=100,,2000
ASPICD.SYS=100,,2000

[Strings]
; This string is displayed to the user. It can be localized as
; necessary.
oem.boot.desc="Setup Boot Disk"

Edited April 19, 2017 by johnyept
Solution found; typos fixed