when i try to run msdos programs : specifically No$gboy a gameboy emulator. it tells me i have to free more conventional memory or install emm386, i already have emm386 so how do i free more memory??

Try making a DOS bootdisk just to run your game and only load the drivers required for it.

By editing autoexec.bat and config.sys you can load items "high" i.e. above 640K conventional memory. E.g. add the "LH" in
LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECD001 /L:D
and similarly in config.sys use
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Make a boot disk first in case you make errors which stop the HDD booting.

If you have later than MS-DOS 5 then you may have memmaker.exe which you can run to do the above mods for you.

If you still don't have enough try downloading QEMM as a replacement for EMM386

John

Not sure if this will help also, but for a DOS game that needed 560 K conventional, besides the CD driver I also had to load the mouse driver in high mem. the last line of my autoexec.bat is

LH C:\mouse.com

I was also advised to edit my config.sys with the lines:

DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\EMM386.exe noems
DeviceHigh = C:\CDROM\WCD.SYS /D:WP_CDROM /V

(I guess enabling ems even took too much conventional memory)

I have a problem with ms-dos 5.0 my floppy disk tutor and it will not boot up. IT tell me emm386 detected address fooo:948d. application. check your documentation

You cannot loat emm386.exe in high mem. because no high mem exist untill it loads. also you need to load himen sys first. If you put the noems switch it means no-extended-memory. so you won't get any w/ that switch.

Look here for setting up system with 600k+ free conventional memory? http://www.knowplace.org/memory.html
Had a prgm which required 597K to load ... and the old DX66 / 20M RAM machine runs it successfully.