DOS Conventional Memory in Win98

[nightowl51ks]

I have a DOS program that won't run in Win98. I've tried the Properties, Program, Advanced, Run in Dos Mode, in any number of combinations! The problem is that the program needs at least 520K conventional memory to run and my system says it only has 508K. How can I increase conventional memory for DOS under Win98?

[Igor M]

Hi,

To free more conventional memory you need to modify startup files. To the top of Config.sys file add the lines (or modify them if they already exist):

Dos=High,Umb
Device=C:\Windows\Himem.sys
Device=C:\Windows\Emm386.exe RAM M3

(assuminng you have your Windows files in C:\Windows directory).

Then replace all other Device statements in Config.sys with Devicehigh.

In Autoexec.bat file before any exacutable program add lh modifier. For exampe:

Lh Mouse.com

Usually in such configuration you can get as much as 606K of free conventional memory.

------------------
Good luck, Igor M

[nightowl51ks]

I really appreciate your reply, but it didn't work, perhaps because I've not done it properly. I have both config.dos & config.sys and autoexec.dos & autoexec.dos. Just about everything is REM'd in all 4 files.

Here is my config.sys file:

REM [Header]
device=c:\realmode\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
[common]
dos=high,umb
files=199
buffers=32,0
device=c:\windows\himem.sys /testmem http://discussions.virtualdr.com/redface.gifff
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE
REM -------------------
REM [Miscellaneous]
REM [SCSI Controllers]
REM [Display]
REM [Sound, MIDI, or Video Capture Card]
REM [Mouse]
REM -------------------

Here is my config.dos file:

REM [Header]
REM [CD-ROM Drive]
[common]
dos=high,umb
files=30
buffers=40
lastdrive=z
device=c:\realmode\himem.sys /testmem http://discussions.virtualdr.com/redface.gifff
REM -------------------
REM [Miscellaneous]
REM [SCSI Controllers]
REM [Display]
REM [Sound, MIDI, or Video Capture Card]
REM [Mouse]
REM -------------------

Here is my Autoexec.bat file:

SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
REM [Header]
@ECHO OFF
REM [CD-ROM Drive]
REM [Miscellaneous]
REM [Display]
REM [Sound, MIDI, or Video Capture Card]
REM [Mouse]
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS

Here is my autoexec.dos file:

REM [Header]
@ECHO OFF
REM [Miscellaneous]
REM [Display]
REM [Sound, MIDI, or Video Capture Card]
REM [Mouse]

Here are the changes I made and the results:

1. Changed Config.sys line device=c:\realmode\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001 to devicehigh=c:\realmode\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
2. Changed Config.sys line DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE to DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM M3
3. No change to Autoexec.bat

RESULT: Windows wouldn't load and gave an error message to rebooted to SAFEMODE, so I restored the previous configuration.

4. Changed config.dos by inserting between dos-high,umb and files=30 these two lines: Device=C:\Windows\Himem.sys; and Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.exe RAM M3

5. No change to Autoexec.dos

RESULT: Changed conventional memory from 635k total, 274k used, 361k free to 632k total, 124k used, 508k free. Also changed largest executable program size from 317k to 508k, which is where I started before any changes.

NEXT QUESTIONS:

1. Which files do I change: config.sys/autoexec.bat or config.dos/autoexec.dos or does it make any difference?

2. What is RAM M3 and why did it cause reboot to SAFEMODE?

3. Why all the REM's instead of device= lines and/or can I substitute for them, i.e. lh mouse.com, etc?

4. What do I try next?

Thanks again

[Steve R Jones]

Forget about the dot dos files. Use Igor's three lines and REM out everything else. The REM or REMarks, turn things off or allows to to type messages to yourself/others.

[Igor M]

1. Steve is right about *.dos files. They are used to boot in previous DOS only and you can leave them alone.

2. REM means the line is not used and you can safely remove such line.

3. As for RAM M3 switches: RAM switch used to create both UMB (Upper Memory Block) and EMS memory. M3 places EMS page in C800 segment which in most computers located just above video BIOS thus preventing UMB to break into 2 non-continuos areas. In some rear cases it really can caused some conflicts with video or some other BIOS.
In such case I can recommend you the next configuration:

Config.sys:

dos=high,umb
files=199
buffers=32,0
device=c:\windows\himem.sys /testmem:0ff
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE RAM
devicehigh=c:\realmode\oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001

Autoexec.bat

@ECHO OFF
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T2
SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS

If you still not have enough memory try:

1) To remove Files=199 line from Config.sys file (by default Windows use Files=60 value and I think you hardly need more then that)

2) To replace RAM switch with NOEMS in Emm386 line. In that case you will not have EMS memory but the size of UMB will increase.

3) To remove Oakcdrom.sys line. You don't need that real mode driver to access cdrom drive from Windows.

------------------
Good luck, Igor M

[This message has been edited by Igor M (edited 10-03-99).]

[Eeyore]

I have not used Win98. But in older DOS you must put
device=c:\windows\himem.sys
device=c:\windows\emm386.exe
dos=high,umb
devicehigh=c:\realmode\oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001
They must be in that order. Yours showed the CDROM loaded before the memory managers.
Eeyore

[nightowl51ks]

Thanks to info posted, I've been able to increase my DOS conventional memory to an amount that will run my program. Now I wish I hadn't got rid of my DOS manuals! I'm going to try the same procedure in the properties dialog for this program, just to see if it will work there. I wasn't able to use the RAM M3 parameter, but the line Device=C:Windows\Emm386.exe RAM works. Thank you all for replying. I will be watching this site in hopes I can help someone, too.