USB Drivers For DOS [Archive]

Thor

July 17th, 2003, 18:01 PM

HAVING AN EXTERNAL USB cd-writer or hard disk works wonders as long as your operating system is in good shape. But if someday the system stops booting, you are lost. Booting from good old MS-DOS or Windows boot diskettes - even fitted with the needed third party NTFSDOS or EXTFS drivers - gives you access to your fixed hard disk only, but none of the USB peripherals can be accessed from the DOS command line.

Imagine that you want to use Paragon Drive Backup, Powerquest's Drive Image, or Norton Ghost, to backup your hard disk partitions to that nice 120gb external USB 2.0 hard disk you just bought. You can't do it. Or if your wife/husband has managed to mess up her/his system so badly that it can't boot anymore, yet she/he wants you to have a copy of those nice digital pictures stored on a compactflash card plugged into the compactflash reader?. No way, Jose. Not from DOS, used to be the phrase.

Well, now you CAN.

The minor miracle here is using a driver file called "USBASPI.SYS" ("Panasonic v2.06 ASPI Manager for USB mass storage"). Given the right parameter incantations, this 16-bit Panasonic-developed DOS driver will let your system boot good-old DOS -any flavour, maybe even Caldera's OpenDOS and recognize all USB devices connected to the respective controllers. So this USB device identification is also useful for debugging/troubleshooting purposes.

The Panasonic DOS drivers seem to work on most USB chipset implementations, including Intel and NEC, as well as NVidia, VIA, and SIS. It seems Panasonic engineers didn't want to have to write a driver every time for every different chipset, so they wrote this "universal" driver to work with all possible USB controllers.

The rest can be read here: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=10215

The driver link that the article refers to http://panasonic.co.jp/pcc/products/drive/cdrrw/kxlrw40an/driver/kxlrw40an.exe which will save hunting through two pages of japanese text, whether you've got the fonts installed or you can read the language.

Big Booger

July 30th, 2003, 13:40 PM

This README file concerns the method of installing Panasonic portable CD-R/RW drive KXL-RW40AN making use of, the Microsoft (R) the Windows (R) the XP Professional/Home Edition (the or less Windows XP). The upgrade kit of the Windows XP preinstallation personal computer and personal computer manufacturer offer as for method of using, please refer to the instruction manual which belongs to that personal computer or kit. ============================================================================ * Microsoft and the Windows, it is the registered trade mark in the United States and other countries of the American Microsoft Corporation. * In addition, each company name and each trade name are trade mark or registered trade mark of each company. * As for contents of in context without notice there are times when it is modified. * Being to be unable to owe responsibility altogether, in regard to the result of using the contents of in context, please acknowledge.
(C) Panasonic Communications CO and Ltd. 2002-2003

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The contents which are stated in this README file are as follows. 1. Before introducing the Windows XP, 3. existing Windows are upgraded in the Windows XP concerning preparation 2. Windows XP installation method (superscription installation) from 4. existing Windows, 5. hard disks which install the Windows XP anew after the format, 6. supplemental explanations which install the Windows XP anew
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before introducing 1. Windows XP, preparation
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(1) Windows XP corresponding circumstance is verified. Please verify the Windows XP corresponding circumstance of the personal computer / the peripheral device of errand, with the Web sight and the like. In addition, downloading the driver in advance depending upon the personal computer / the peripheral device of errand, there are times when it is necessary to retain in the floppy disk and the like. (2) It backs up the necessary data. Before starting the installation of the Windows XP, as for the necessary data please take backup making provision for in case of 10001. (3) The BIOS is updated in up-to-date version. The BIOS is the basic software which controls the hardware of the personal computer. Depending upon the type of personal computer, at the time of Windows XP introduction there are times when update of the BIOS is necessary. Concerning the personal computer of use, if you verify up-to-date BIOS version with the production original Web sight and the like and it is necessary, please execute the update of the BIOS. Furthermore, before updating the BIOS, after reading help and the like well, please execute. (4) In case of new installation, the setup startup disk for the Windows XP is drawn up. With the knitting machine the CD-ROM the Windows XP is installed anew in the personal computer which cannot be booted, please use the setup starting floppy disk for the Windows XP. As for this setup startup disk, downloading the boot disk compilation tool from the Web sight of the Microsoft corporation, it is possible to draw up. (The format being completed empty floppy disk 6 is necessary)
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concerning 2. Windows XP installation methods
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The Windows XP is installed, there is a method of the next 3 types. The existing Windows is upgraded (superscription installation) is the installation system which takes over existing Windows environment that way in the Windows XP. Concrete, application, the data of the Outlook Express and setting of the Internet Explorer are taken over. But, when it fails in installation, there is danger which loses original environment entirely. (From Windows 2000 it cannot upgrade to the Windows XP Home Edition) From the existing Windows, the existing OS environment which installs the Windows XP anew that way, installs the Windows XP to another partition anew and with 1 personal computer ¢ dual boot " it is possible to be able to point. The hard disk after the format, the format doing the personal computer namely the hard disk where the OS which installs the Windows XP anew is not installed, it is the method of installing the Windows XP anew. When == the Windows XP it is installed with the personal computer which has the request == * built-in CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive, using built-in drive not to be the knitting machine if possible, please do the installation of the Windows XP. == the news ==, there is a FAT and a NTFS in the file system of the Windows XP. The NTFS file system there is no compatibility with the Windows 98SE/ME. Using the NTFS file system, after installing the Windows XP, when it recovers the personal computer to original environment, there are times when it is necessary to modify the format of the hard disk in FAT type.

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3. existing Windows are upgraded in the Windows XP (superscription installation)
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When the existing Windows is upgraded in the Windows XP, please follow to the procedure below. (1) The CD-ROM of the Windows XP is set to the knitting machine. The installation selective picture of the Windows XP is indicated. (2) Following to the indication of the picture, it installs. When == the news == from the Windows 98SE it upgrades in the Windows XP, when it keeps advancing installation, the ¢ upgrade report £ picture appears midway, the among these the device driver for the knitting machine (the CDRRW10 USB CD-R/RW Adpter (the hard disk controller)) is indicated, but clicking to the ¢ £ that way next, please advance to ahead.

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from 4. existing Windows,
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where the Windows XP is installed anew When from the existing Windows, the Windows XP is installed to another partition anew, please follow to the procedure below. (1) The personal computer is started with the existing Windows. (2) The CD-ROM of the Windows XP is set to the knitting machine. The installation selective picture of the Windows XP is indicated. (3) [ The Windows XP clicks is installed ]. (4) [ In type of installation ], ¢ new installation (details setting) the £ is selected. Following to the indication of the picture, when it keeps advancing operation, after the ¢ license contract £ and the ¢ product key-in picture £, the ¢ setup option £ picture is indicated. (5) ¢ setup option £

That is the readme as translated by babelfish. I would ask my wife to translate this, but this is just too much information. I think the babel fish translation, in this case, is sufficient.

Enjoy.