Thoughts:

• You should be able to access the CD-ROM from a DOS prompt in Win9x (if the drive works in Win9x itself), as they provide an MSCDEX compatibility layer. If not, then check the DOS prompt shortcut's options and such.
• If you want to run pure DOS and Win9x on the same machine, I highly recommend using boot menus. The DOS included with Win9x has support for these built-in, but you'll have to find the documentation on how to do it since it's been too long for me to remember. I do remember that you will want to disable Win9x auto-boot so that you can launch it manually from autoexec.bat in the case that you choose to boot Win9x instead of (actually on top of, which is how it normally works - just like Win 3.x!) DOS.
• If you don't want to mess with menus, you can also make a floppy boot disk that boots you to DOS and loads CD-ROM drivers and such. The setup utility for some games will even help you make one.
• Remember that in pure DOS there are 2 pieces to CD-ROM support: the .sys driver and MSCDEX. Win9x emulates both of these for you in a DOS prompt, so you don't want to load them in config.sys/autoexec.bat when running Win9x if you don't absolutely need to.

While this doesn't address your problem face on, a handy way to manage Win-Dos is to make a desktop shortcut to c:\windows\command.com and edit the autoecxec.bat config.sys lines in the Advanced tab of the shortcut. Clicking on the shortcut will re-boot you into pure DOS using the settings you just made. Your machine will continue to re-boot into this DOS session until you type Exit at a dos prompt, at which time you are booted into your normal W98 mode. Nice thing about this is that whatever customized configs you do in the Dos shortcut stays in the shortcut - it doesn't overwrite your W98 boot configs. And you can make any number of these shortcuts for any desired Dos config.

To create a Windows 98 boot diskette, click Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click the Add Remove programs icon, click the Startup Disk and create disk.

then copy the cd support lines from autoexec.bat and config.sys on the floppy to autoexec.bat and config.sys on your hard drive.

In order to keep things simple and avoid different boot configs, floppies and so on, I use a standard CONFIG.SYS file with HIMEM.SYS, UMBPCI.SYS, a CD-ROM driver (usually Acer v2.14 driver) and the typical stuff. My AUTOEXEC.BAT has a SET BLASTER line and almost nothing else. I put CD-ROM extension file (MSCDEX.EXE / SHSUCDX.EXE), mouse driver (CTMOUSE.EXE), Aureal Vortex2 driver (AU30DOS.COM) and disk caching driver (SMARTDRV.EXE) in DOSSTART.BAT instead of AUTOEXEC.BAT, so they are loaded only when needed, that is, when I select "Restart in MS-DOS mode".

Thank you all for your input!

As of right now, I can see the CD-ROM in the MS-DOS prompt under Windows 98. But... get this -- I was able to run the Tie Fighter installation from the disc, install to c:/tiecd -- did the max install. However, when I attempt to run "tie.exe" from "c:/tiecd", it will hang at the "Please Wait... loading Tie Fighter CD-ROM" with the "DOS/4GW information and whatnot; like it is looking for the disc but can't see it.

Batracio: Would you happen to have the text lines for the files available? Thanks!

Sorry but no, my Win 9x computer (which is an almost exact clone of yours, did I tell you already?) is hundreds of miles away from my actual place.

here:
http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/artsit/info/technic … oscddrivers.htm

Thanks guys! I finally got the CD-ROM working by doing Davros guide.

I know however have another issue. The mouse isn't working! I was able to get the mouse.com and mouse.sys driver loaded, however the mouse is REALLY fast... can't even use it! I am using a PS/2 optical mouse.

Any tips?

Mouse.com and mouse.sys? I don't know what you're using, but you probably only need one or the other.

Actually, the generally-recommended mouse driver is CuteMouse (aka ctmouse), which should do everything you need and do it well.

I saw a guide online that Mouse.com needs to be loaded via Autoexec and Mouse.sys in the config.sys.

You mean this guide?

http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000007.htm

Once the file has been located on the computer, depending upon what file is found, use one of the below examples. […]
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Once the file has been located on the computer, depending upon what file is found, use one of the below examples.

IN AUTOEXEC.BAT:
LH C:\Windows\MOUSE.COM

IN CONFIG.SYS:
DEVICE=C:\Windows\MOUSE.SYS

It clearly says that you should use either one or the other, not both. But the ultimate mouse driver for DOS is CuteMouse. Just use it.

Assuming you are talking about the Microsoft mouse.com, the first page I found says that mouse.com or mouse.sys can be used.
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000007.htm

There is probably some command-line switch that can be used with mouse.com to control the mouse cursor speed, but I cannot seem to find it. Regardless, you should try using CuteMouse instead.

Yeah... I screwed that up. Funny what lack of sleep and frustration does! I got it working great now... only loaded "Mouse.exe" from the autoexec!

Thank everyone for all the help!

OK -- so I'm having issues again. Mainly with EMS and XMS. I'm trying to get Wing Commander 2 to run on my system; booting into pure DOS mode. I have my config and autoexec files loading up emm386 and himem; tried emm386 with parameters "NOEMS" and "RAM", the game will either say there is not enough memory or no EMS found. Any suggestions? I should also note this is running DOS, not being run from Win98.

Wing Commander 2 can be very picky about having enough conventional memory. I suspect http://www.wcnews.com/ may have some useful information.

You're using SHSUCDX.EXE for your CD-ROM, right?

I am using MSCDEX.EXE for my CD-ROM driver and loading the oak driver.

Okay, so try SHSUCDX instead. It takes up less RAM than MSCDEX and is otherwise indistinguishable. You can also replace the Oak driver with this one from Toshiba, which also takes up less RAM; apparently QCDROM.SYS is even better.

See also the other useful suggestions in Conventional memory problem .

If you want more details, then please paste the contents of your autoexec.bat and config.sys, as well as the output of the command "mem /c /p".