InTheAir - sorry but putting REM in front of any line in the autoexec.bat or config.sys actually remarks the line out i.e. it does not carry out the action.
Island Jock, if you boot up with the windows startup disk and select with cd-rom support does it work.
If a line has been inserted by some software into the autoexec of config files that has added the mscdex command you may need to rem it out as the ide controllers that are loaded by windows do not like this at all. With the BIOS set to autodetect primary/secondary ide devices does the cd show up in the boot screen. Otherwise it sounds like your battery needs changing, or even a BIOS update.