Running Win31 with lots of RAM

[cbrnerd]

Hi,

I generally run one machine for multiple OSes and use removable HDD caddies to swap between them.

I've upgraded the machine to an Athlon 2600 with 512MB of RAM, and my Window 3.1 installation is really unstable. Most apps produce divide errors or black screens.

I don't care if Win3.1 can't see all the memory, I just want it to work.

Anyone out there have any luck getting Win31 to work with this much memory?

Thanks,
Peter.

[Platypus]

The problem is probably the speed of the CPU rather than the amount of memory, the divide errors suggest this. If you are not running WFW (Windows For Workgroups), try starting in Standard Mode (use WIN /S) as a test. If it works OK that way, then the memory amount may be the problem, or one of the Protected Mode drivers on the system may be getting divide errors from the high CPU speed.

See this article for more explanation:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...en-us%3Bq84388

If it proves to be memory size rather than CPU speed causing your problem, you may be able to find a DOS-based ramdrive that can create a very large drive and use up the excess memory space.

[cbrnerd]

Hi, thanks for the reply.

win /s blacks the screen out and returns to the command prompt. It doesn't even give me any errors.

Hmmm...

[cbrnerd]

p.s.

Sorry, a bit hasty with the submit button.

The article is good, one I've found while playing with this problem.

I've tried the RAMDRIVE path, but I'm not sure about it.

DOS 6.22 only sees 64MB of the ram, when I use the mem command. When I create a 32MB RAMDRIVE it uses this memory, and not the memory I want soaked up.

It did change system behaviour a little, but probably for the worse. This could partly be down to me changing EMM386 to ram from noems (to get RAMDRIVE to work).

Thanks for the CPU speed suggestion. I may have a combination of problems.

[Platypus]

If you're not using a later HIMEM.SYS to get access to over 64M, then it certainly looks like the CPU speed as the culprit. Maybe try one of those little memory resident utilities that swallows CPU cycles to let games run at usable speeds on fast systems?

[Eeyore]

See Ramdrives for the FRANCK UBERTO--LARGE RAMDISK UTILITY
You can do an internet search for fu_rd19i. It is available on many sites. This will create up to 2gb drives and includes a utility that allows you older HIMEM.SYS to see all of your memory.

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Dennis
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[104456]

Try changing the DOS to version 7.1 several of the DOS sites recommend it for modern systems with Win3x installs.

[Vernon Frazee]

http://newdos.yginfo.net/msdos71.htm

[104456]

Yes thats the site I was looking at but erred on the cautious side in providing a link