need to free more conventional memory
Andrew Harford
I have a program that requires 590k of free conventional memory.
My computer has 640k total memory but only 544k of it is free
(I also have 15Mb free extended memory)
How can I configure my computer to use less conventional
memory?
Torsten Boegershausen
Try the following config.sys:
Before this, save your old one.
all Lines starting with REM are commented out.
This needs dos 5 or higher.
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
FILES=80
BUFFERS=10
LASTDRIVE = Z
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FCBS=16,0
STACKS=8,512
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:4096 /P
REM devicehigh = MOUSE.SYS /Y
REM DEVICE=C:\WIN311\SMARTDRV.EXE /DOUBLE_BUFFER
REM device=C:\DOS\display.sys con=(ega,,1)
REM Country=049,850,C:\DOS\country.sys
Good luck
/Torsten
TBO...@SWIPNET.SE
James Hall
Andrew Harford wrote:
>
> I have a program that requires 590k of free conventional memory.
> My computer has 640k total memory but only 544k of it is free
> (I also have 15Mb free extended memory)
> How can I configure my computer to use less conventional
> memory?
What are you loading in CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT? It would help a
lot if you posted them, so others could comment on them.
But in general, make sure you have at least this in CONFIG.SYS:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Any other DEVICE= lines in CONFIG should generally be DEVICEHIGH= (note:
some device drivers for odd hardware do not like to be loaded high.)
Also, in AUTOEXEC.BAT, you should load high all your TSRs. Do this
with:
LH yourtsr.com
or
LOADHIGH yourtsr.com
Andrew Harford
Andrew Harford wrote in message <6dura2$rt0$1...@mercury.medianet.ie>...
>I have a program that requires 590k of free conventional memory.
>My computer has 640k total memory but only 544k of it is free
>(I also have 15Mb free extended memory)
>How can I configure my computer to use less conventional
>memory?
>
>
Thanks for the e-mails I received in response to this posting.
I am now able to free 559k of conventional memory,
unfortunately this is still not enough.
Here are the config.sys & autoexec.bat files I am using
from a boot disk:
(lines marked * are essential for the program)
CONFIG.SYS:
device=c:\windows\himem.sys
device=c:\windows\emm386.exe ram 1024 I=B000-B7FF I=E000-EFFF
dos=high,umb
* files=30
* buffers=20
devicehigh=a:\tmouse.sys
AUTOEXEC.BAT
@echo off
set compspec=c:\windows\command.com
path=c:\;c:\windows;c:\windows\system;c:\windows\command
lh a:\tmouse.com
HaRRy
On Sun, 8 Mar 1998 19:23:56 -0000, "Andrew Harford" <ahar...@clubi.ie>
expounded:
»I have a program that requires 590k of free conventional memory.
»My computer has 640k total memory but only 544k of it is free
»(I also have 15Mb free extended memory)
»How can I configure my computer to use less conventional
»memory?
Insufficient information. What DOS version do you have? What is your current
configuration in detail?
Assuming MS-DOS 6.0 or later, type HELP MEMMAKER at a DOS prompt. Be sure to
read the <Notes> section of the Help article. Then run MEMMAKER as described
in the article. It's wise to boot clean first (press F5 when "Starting
MS-DOS..." appears).
It's also wise to remove anything from CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT that is
unnecessary -- if you post the files here (do not retype them --
troubleshooting typos is annoying) someone can probably help you with them.
But try MEMMAKER first.
If you have an older version of MS-DOS, post the startup files here and we'll
tell you how to optimize them.
Please understand that one can only stuff 1 gallon of "stuff" in a 1 gallon
jug. If you have a lot of drivers and TSRs in the startup files you aren't
going to get a lot of conventional memory to work with.
Regards, HaRRy, San Diego
--
(http://pages.prodigy.com/railHaRRy/)
(Anti-spam actions are required.
To e-mail reply change nospam.com to prodigy dot net)
Jon Visick
> I am now able to free 559k of conventional memory,
> unfortunately this is still not enough.
>
> CONFIG.SYS:
>
> device=c:\windows\himem.sys
> device=c:\windows\emm386.exe ram 1024 I=B000-B7FF I=E000-EFFF
> dos=high,umb
> * files=30
> * buffers=20
> devicehigh=a:\tmouse.sys
>
> AUTOEXEC.BAT
>
> @echo off
> set compspec=c:\windows\command.com
> path=c:\;c:\windows;c:\windows\system;c:\windows\command
> lh a:\tmouse.com
>
Hmmmm...
Well, it's unlikely that you need to load a mouse driver *both* in
config.sys and autoexec.bat, so for starters you can get rid of one of the
tmouse lines.
However, this appears to be the *only* driver you're loading, so
it's not obvious from this where your memory is going. Unless you have
the world's biggest mouse driver, I can't see it taking 80K--or being too
big to actually load in upper memory, even without optimization.
I suggest using the MEM command to find out what programs are
actually taking up conventional, and whether the mouse driver is indeed
getting loaded into upper memory. I think it's MEM /CLASSIFY (sorry; I'm
at work and using the Mac, so I can't verify) that gives you the complete
listing of what's using memory. If you want to post or e-mail the
results, I'm sure we can think of more suggetions.
Jon Visick
vis...@ewald.mbi.ucla.edu
Sailou
> I suggest using the MEM command to find out what programs are
>actually taking up conventional, and whether the mouse driver is indeed
>getting loaded into upper memory. I think it's MEM /CLASSIFY (sorry; I'm
>at work and using the Mac, so I can't
Pretty close....The command is mem/c this will give a breakdown of memory
areas
Lou Wasmund
KE6LZS
san diego,ca
"one if by land...two if by sea"
HaRRy
On Tue, 10 Mar 1998 00:31:23 -0000, "Andrew Harford" <ahar...@clubi.ie>
expounded:
»CONFIG.SYS:
»
» device=c:\windows\himem.sys
» device=c:\windows\emm386.exe ram 1024 I=B000-B7FF I=E000-EFFF
Do you need the RAM parameter? It activates EMS (Expanded Memory System) which
eats up a large chunk of the Upper Memory Block space. If you don't need EMS,
use the NOEMS parameter instead. Both of these parameters provide UMBs;
without one of them, no UMBs notwithstanding the next command.
» dos=high,umb
»* files=30
»* buffers=20
Most of the time when an application asks for a certain number of files and
buffers, it will operate fine with substantially fewer. But 30/20 is pretty
normal and not excessive.
» devicehigh=a:\tmouse.sys
»
»AUTOEXEC.BAT
»
» @echo off
» set compspec=c:\windows\command.com
This command is misspelled. "compspec" should be COMSPEC. However, I don't
recommend this anyway. You should be using a SHELL= command in CONFIG.SYS
instead. If using MS-DOS 6.x, use HELP COMMAND.COM and HELP SHELL to read
about how to do that (same info is in the MS-DOS 5.0 and earlier printed
manual).
Also, and possibly VERY important, the copy of COMMAND.COM in your WINDOWS
directory may not be the correct copy to use. Much more likely is the copy in
your C:\DOS (or C:\) directories. This could be true for HIMEM.SYS and
EMM386.EXE also, depending on which version of MS-DOS and which version of
Windows you are using. Check the version dates/times. Use the most recent,
either in C:\DOS or C:\WINDOWS.
» path=c:\;c:\windows;c:\windows\system;c:\windows\command
Should include your DOS directory, as the second item normally:
path=c:\;c:\dos...
» lh a:\tmouse.com
If a:\tmouse.sys is properly loading in CONFIG.SYS, then lh a:\tmouse.com is
completely wrong. Are the files tmouse.sys and tmouse.com both on the "A:"
diskette? You definitely don't want to load both. Also, the mouse driver does
NOT need to be on the "A:" diskette; you can equally well load it from your
hard disk, just
If using MS-DOS 6.0 or later, run MEMMAKER correcting startup files above (and
rebooting of course). It is apparent that your mouse driver is NOT currently
being loaded in upper memory even though you have used the devicehigh and lh
commands.
Pai Yili
Hello,
The inclusion of the c:\windows\command folder in the PATH
would indicate that this is a Windows 95 system, and as such, most
likely has no c:\dos folder. In any case, if there indeed *is* a
c:\dos folder, it should not be in the PATH in this system. The fact
that it is a Win95 system presents the possibility that it is an OSR2
system, causing a couple of "special case" issues and techniques for
clearing conventional memory.
According to the MS Knowledge Base, Article ID: Q156332, there may be
a lack of conventional memory in Windows 95, (the article specifically
mentioned OSR2), due to the fact that the BUFFERS were loading there.
"When a "buffers=" value is not specified in the Config.sys file,
buffers are set to 23. Buffers are loaded into the High Memory Area
(HMA) if space allows. Io.sys and Msdos.sys are also normally loaded
into the HMA, leaving insufficient room to store 23 buffers. The
buffers are therefore loaded into conventional memory, creating the
low memory situation."
I suggest changing the line:
buffers=20
to:
BUFFERSHIGH=13
I also suggest the addition of the line:
LASTDRIVEHIGH=F
(substitute the letter of the actual last drive on the system)
I agree that the RAM switch in the EMM386.EXE line is probably not
necessary, especially since it is being used without any
limit([RAM=mmmm-nnnn]), and is using all adapter space to form upper
memory blocks and a page frame for expanded memory. Huge waste of
memory. I keep seeing this used this way in pre-built systems like
Packard-Bell. I wonder if they know what it does.
I recommend the removal of all mouse, sound, and cd-rom driver lines
from autoexec.bat and config.sys in Win95 systems. Win95 itself does
not need them (usually), and provides functionality for loading them
when the user desires to leave the GUI and operate in MS-DOS mode.
The user can arrange for the DOS configuration in autoexec.bat
and config.sys to be over-ridden with a new DOS configuration when the
"Restart in MS-DOS Mode" option is selected from the Shutdown menu.
Simple enough. One should right-click the file "Exit To DOS" in the
c:\windows folder, and select Properties from the context menu. (this
is a PIF file). Select the Program Tab, then the Advanced Button.
Select "MS-DOS Mode". Select "Specify a new MS-DOS Configuration"
and copy the contents of config.sys and autoexec.bat into the proper
windows.
One should then "Restart in MS-DOS Mode", and install the DOS drivers
for sound, mouse, CD-ROM, network card, and any other device one would
like to have available during a DOS session. These drivers will be
installed in files that will replace autoexec.bat and config.sys at
"Restart in MS-DOS Mode", but will not be automatically loaded at each
boot.
Pai Yili Pai Lum Kung Fu
Co-Moderator: rec.martial-arts.moderated
http://www.users.fast.net/~paiyili/ Windows/DOS Tips and Tweaks!
"When negotiating without social distinction, truth emerges."
(Rawles Veil of Ignorance)
PC Chan
>>I have a program that requires 590k of free conventional memory.
>>My computer has 640k total memory but only 544k of it is free
>>(I also have 15Mb free extended memory)
>>How can I configure my computer to use less conventional
>>memory?
>>
>>
memory, or you can use QEMM to get you the most memory.
PC Chan
>
HaRRy
On Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:25:52 GMT, pai...@fast.net (Pai Yili) expounded:
» The inclusion of the c:\windows\command folder in the PATH
»would indicate that this is a Windows 95 system, and as such, most
»likely has no c:\dos folder.
As an absolute minimum, folks asking questions should say what operating system
they are using. While everything else in the original message looks like
MS-DOS 6.x, I agree that the windows\command directory implies Win95. Thanks
for catching that.
Pai Yili
In article <350c547e...@news.prodigy.net>, rail...@nospam.com wrote:
>On Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:25:52 GMT, pai...@fast.net (Pai Yili) expounded:
>
>»likely has no c:\dos folder.
>
>they are using. While everything else in the original message looks like
>MS-DOS 6.x, I agree that the windows\command directory implies Win95. Thanks
>for catching that.
It would be nice if they'd let us know, wouldn't it?