W4W 3.11 and EMM386 (C:DOS).

[Jeffrey Becker]

I am doing some database work for a client who has two 486 pcs (1-33MHZ
and 1-66MHZ). I got a call one day from the client and he said his machine
(66) would not start windows. I got there and ran MSAV and found nothing
and then ran scandisk which found 10 megs in lost chains (both MSDOS 6.2).
I looked at the (2) saved files from scan disk and figured that one was a
Windows program (3 megs), the first line in the recovered file was "This
Program requires Microsoft Windows", the second was all binary (7 megs) and I
assume was a temp file. Anyway, evrything I tried to get W4W to start
would not work. It would keep on hanging after pshift.386 in the
system.ini loaded. I tried taking it out but that caused windows to lock
up also. I tried starting windows with all of the commandline arg but they
didn't work and at the moment I don't remember where bootlog.txt finished.
I finally got his system running by remming out device=c:\DOS\emm386 and
windows loaded. I tried using emm386 in the windows directory but that
caused a lock up on load as well. A week later the clients other machine
produced the same problem with the exception of the other pc did not have
any lost chains. I took out emm386 and the machine appears to be working.

Has anyone seen or heard of this, is this something that may be fixed by
DOS 6.22.

HELP,

(O 0) Jeff Becker
<______o00 (_) 00o______> st93...@dunx1.ocs.drexel.edu
/////////////////////// Drexel University
<_______________________>
/////////////////////// I have a hard enough time speaking for myself,
<_______________________> .........................let alone anyone else
| | |
(_/ \_)

[A Reece]

I am afraid I cannot help you, but I also have had huge problems with
EMM386.EXE. My system is:
486DX2/66 (Intel)
4MB RAM
Phoenix BIOS 1.01
VLB Motherboard
DOS 6.22, windows 3.11
EMM386 version 4.49

Whenever I try to start windows with the NOEMS argument specified in EMM386, I
get winlogo.rle, then the cursor blinks a few seconds in the upper left hand
corner, and I get the message "Not enough file handles to enable MS-DOS
support." WTH? My config.sys reads "FILES=40"; Just on a hunch, I changed
this to "FILES=255" (the maximum allowable value) and still got the error.
Windows, it appears, will not run on my machine without expanded memory
support; in fact, the real problem, I found after trying every permutation of
EMM386 parameters, was that I had not specified RAM (which of course excludes
the use of NOEMS).
On the other hand, I can get windows to run when I comment out the EMM386.EXE
line altogether! This makes no sense. I don't know if this is significant,
but without the RAM line, standard mode hangs the computer without expanded
memory support.
This wouldn't nother me nearly as much, but every machine I use at work (4)
runs windows fine with NOEMS specified. Damn.

Promising my firstborn for a fix,
-Aaron

[B. E. Johnson]

In <376gj7$7...@news.acns.nwu.edu> are...@merle.acns.nwu.edu (A Reece) writes:

>
>
>I am afraid I cannot help you, but I also have had huge problems with
>EMM386.EXE. My system is:
>486DX2/66 (Intel)
>4MB RAM
>Phoenix BIOS 1.01
>VLB Motherboard
>DOS 6.22, windows 3.11
>EMM386 version 4.49
>
>Whenever I try to start windows with the NOEMS argument specified in EMM386, I
>get winlogo.rle, then the cursor blinks a few seconds in the upper left hand
>corner, and I get the message "Not enough file handles to enable MS-DOS
>support." WTH? My config.sys reads "FILES=40"; Just on a hunch, I changed

SNIP>

>Promising my firstborn for a fix,
>-Aaron
>

Can you supply your startup files?
--
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:_:|=|:_: American Air&Space Artist : We navigate by the stars.
: :|.|: : :
:-/|.|\-: : Only now...
:/ |.| \: : They are our destination,
(__|.|__) bjs...@ix.netcom.com : And understanding;
:_:(|):_: bjs...@delphi.com : Our priceless treasure.
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/\/\/ /\/\/

[Barry A Barr]

>>I am afraid I cannot help you, but I also have had huge problems with
>>EMM386.EXE. My system is:
>>486DX2/66 (Intel)
>>4MB RAM
>>Phoenix BIOS 1.01
>>VLB Motherboard
>>DOS 6.22, windows 3.11
>>EMM386 version 4.49
>>
>>Whenever I try to start windows with the NOEMS argument specified in EMM386, I
>>get winlogo.rle, then the cursor blinks a few seconds in the upper left hand
>>corner, and I get the message "Not enough file handles to enable MS-DOS
>>support." WTH? My config.sys reads "FILES=40"; Just on a hunch, I changed
>SNIP>
>>Promising my firstborn for a fix,
>>-Aaron
>>

Just a possibility, but, make sure you are using emm386 and himem.sys from the
same place. If it is form dos, make sure they are form the same version of
dos. If they aren't, it can cause problems.

==============================================================
Barry A Barr Chicago ba...@mcs.com
==============================================================

[Bill Clay]

In article <376gj7$7...@news.acns.nwu.edu> are...@merle.acns.nwu.edu (A Reece) writes:
#
#I am afraid I cannot help you, but I also have had huge problems with
#EMM386.EXE. My system is:
#486DX2/66 (Intel)
#4MB RAM
#Phoenix BIOS 1.01
#VLB Motherboard
#DOS 6.22, windows 3.11
#EMM386 version 4.49
#
#Whenever I try to start windows with the NOEMS argument specified in EMM386, I
#get winlogo.rle, then the cursor blinks a few seconds in the upper left hand
#corner, and I get the message "Not enough file handles to enable MS-DOS
#support." WTH? My config.sys reads "FILES=40"; Just on a hunch, I changed
#this to "FILES=255" (the maximum allowable value) and still got the error.
#Windows, it appears, will not run on my machine without expanded memory
#support; in fact, the real problem, I found after trying every permutation of
#EMM386 parameters, was that I had not specified RAM (which of course excludes
#the use of NOEMS).
#On the other hand, I can get windows to run when I comment out the EMM386.EXE
#line altogether! This makes no sense. I don't know if this is significant,
#but without the RAM line, standard mode hangs the computer without expanded
#memory support.
#This wouldn't nother me nearly as much, but every machine I use at work (4)
#runs windows fine with NOEMS specified. Damn.
#
#Promising my firstborn for a fix,
#-Aaron

Aaron,

First, if your system is running ok without EMM386 loaded, just leave
it out. Windows should actually run a little better without it because of
the extra extended memory that will be available. You only need to load
EMM386 if you run DOS apps under Windows that need the extra conventional
memory that EMM386 frees up.

If you do need EMM386, try checking these items:

- Make sure you are loading the latest copies of HIMEM.SYS and
EMM386.EXE. If you have DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.11 then I think the
latest will be the ones in the DOS directory. If you have Windows
for Workgroups 3.11, then the Windows directory may be newer.

- Try loading EMM386 with the HIGHSCAN option.

- Try loading EMM386 with the X=C000-C7FF option to exclude
video memory.

Good luck.

-- Bill