WINDOWS 95 DOS PROMPT

Samuel,

Completely in DOS? No Windows at all? Like with a boot-diskette or so? Then you're supposed to have a config.sys file, a text file in the root of your boot-disk(ette). It is supposed to load the driver for your CD, and later MSCDEX will be using that driver. In config.sys you should have a line like the following:
DEVICE=C:\CDROM\MYDRIVER.SYS /D:CDROM01
Uppercase doesn't make a difference, just make sure you have the correct path and driver. "/D:CDROM01" is just a name you give, that will be used later by MSCDEX.

And about MSCDEX not being found: it is supposed to be in your path, or you have to refer to it giving its complete path. So in autoexec.bat you could have a line like:
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX /D:CDROM01
If you boot from a diskette for example, DOS will not know about a directory called C:\Windows\Command, or any other directory. Unless you tell it to look in those directories, using the PATH statement:
PATH=C:\;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND;C:\UTILS
Every directory you want to include, should be separated by a ";". After that line, you don't have to give the full path for every command or program that is in one of the directories in your path.

By the way, if you don't load anything for the ZIP, your CD will be the first available drive, which may then be D:. If you want to force MSCDEX to use another than the first available, you can use a parameter, like the following:
C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\MSCDEX /D:CDROM01 /L:E
This line will put your CDon E:.

Jim