Beneath operating systems(OS) like Windows95 and Windows 98 lies DOS. It needs the same drivers that it did long before '95.
How to actually implement these real-mode drivers?

1. You actually need to possess real-mode drivers. Most of the time, these are going to be specific to the manufacturer/make/model of you CD-ROM drive. You can usually find these at either the CD-ROM manufacturer's home page or if you bought your computer as a whole unit, from your PC manufacturer's web site.
2. Once you have the drivers, you'll have two choices in how you want to load them. Each has their advantages and disadvantages as explained below:
   • Via AUTOEXEC.BAT/CONFIG.SYS - This is done in much the same way as it has been in previous versions of DOS. The real advantage here is that they will be resident at all times. This means that you can choose "Command Prompt Only" from the Windows95 Boot Menu (F8 when you see "Starting Windows95...") and have them loaded and ready to go.
     The main disadvantage is that the drivers can eat up Conventional Memory.
   • Via the "EXIT TO DOS.PIF" - This file can be found in the \WINDOWS directory/folder. When you Start, Shutdown, "Restart in MS-DOS Mode", this is the executable that actually loads the DOS prompt. In this scenario, the real-mode drivers actually load only when you choose the option to "Restart in MS-DOS Mode."
     The main advantage of this real-mode strategy is that your conventional memory is spared while in Windows. The disadvantage here is that they only load when restarting in MS-DOS mode. This means that every time you want to use a DOS-based CD, you'll have to load Windows95 and then exit to DOS.

The Windows 98 Startup disk includes a set of generic real-mode CD-ROM drivers. These drivers work with most Integrated Device Electronics (IDE) ATAPI-compliant and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) CD-ROM drives.

Before you configure your computer to use the real-mode CD-ROM drivers from the Startup disk, verify that the drivers work with your CD-ROM drive. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Restart your computer using the Windows 98 Startup disk. On the Startup menu, choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support.
2. Insert a CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
3. Type "dir drive:" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER, where drive is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive. Note that the CD-ROM drive letter may be one letter higher than you expect.

To configure your computer to use the real-mode drivers from the Startup disk, follow these steps:

1. If you have not already done so, restart your computer using the Windows 98 Startup disk.
2. Create a new folder on your hard disk and then copy files to the new folder. To do so, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line:

   c: mkdir rmcd
   cd rmcd
   a:
   copy aspi2dos.sys c:
   copy aspi4dos.sys c:
   copy aspi8dos.sys c:
   copy aspi8u2.sys c:
   copy aspicd.sys c:
   copy btdosm.sys c:
   copy btcdrom.sys c:
   copy flashpt.sys c:
   copy himem.sys c:
   copy oakcdrom.sys c:
   copy c:\windows\command\mscdex.exe c:\rmcd
   c:
   dir

   There should be 11 files in the new folder.
3. Make backup copies of your Autoexec.bat and Config.sys files (if they exist). To do so, type the following lines at the command prompt, pressing ENTER after each command:

   c:
   cd \
   copy autoexec.bat autoexec.sav
   copy config.sys config.sav

4. Type "edit autoexec.bat" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
5. Add the following line to the Autoexec.bat file:

   lh c:\rmcd\mscdex.exe /d:mscd001

6. On the File menu, click Save, and then click Exit on the File menu.
7. Type "edit config.sys" (without quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
8. Add the following line to the Config.sys file:

   device=c:\rmcd\himem.sys /testmem:off

   NOTE: If the Himem.sys line already exists, do not add the line above.
   Add the following lines to the Config.sys file:

   device=c:\rmcd\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
   device=c:\rmcd\btdosm.sys
   device=c:\rmcd\flashpt.sys
   device=c:\rmcd\btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
   device=c:\rmcd\aspi2dos.sys
   device=c:\rmcd\aspi8dos.sys
   device=c:\rmcd\aspi4dos.sys
   device=c:\rmcd\aspi8u2.sys
   device=c:\rmcd\aspicd.sys /D:mscd001
   device=c:\rmcd\flashpt.sys
   files=10
   buffers=10
   dos=high,umb
   stacks=9,256
   lastdrive=z

9. On the File menu, click Save, and then click Exit on the File menu.
10. Remove the Startup disk and then restart your computer normally.