Hi,

I'm trying to use extended memory and have added lines in my config.sys file (himem.sys and emm386.exe) which both seem to execute okay except before autoexec.bat has started it then comes up with the following:
89

Exception # 0D
.....(lots of info)
The system has encountered a serious problem and cannot continue...

I have tried adding various extra parameters to the emm386 command line but to no avail. If anyone has any ideas for the solution to this problem I'd be incredibly grateful!

Thanks,
Claire

Using dos help, check out EMM386 and HIMEM. You do not need to worry too much about the options as just calling these during boot will invoke.

It is important the order in which they are input, and their placing in config. sys.

When installing dos, it asks if you are likely to be using expanded memory and if yes it installs driver for you.

It is my understanding, that expanded memory relates back to the days of steam computing when to increase memory above 512k or 640k you could add an expansion (hence expanded memory) card and install memory chips on this card as required. I thought only very old programs use this type of memory now.
Whereas extended memory, was extended on the mobo to that already there. Hope this helps.

Good luck - keep us posted.

Yeah, expanded mem is really only needed for fairly old apps/games - emm386 can provide this using extended memory if necessary - but I don't really see any reference to it in the original post.

Claire, it would be easier to identify the problem if you could post your config.sys here, and give a better idea of the exact error messages.

Not that familiar with ROM-DOS I'm afraid, but hopefully something will suggest itself. Also, I'm really not too sure about your system specs - ElanSC520 - what is that? CPU (386, 486, pentium etc) and the amount of memory would be more helpful.

MS-DOS Help is a great resource, but might not be entirely applicable here.

Your Config.sys line for EMM386.EXE should read like when using MS-DOS. ROM dos may be a little different but normally this line would give you expanded or extended as required.The 4096 Mb figure relates to the amount of memory present on the board but even if you were wrong it will fall back to what is present (if smaller).The first line has to be for himem.sys, the second for emm386.exe and dos=high,umb may be third or anywhere but must be present.
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe 4096 ram
Good luck.

Hi again,

Thanks for all your comments. I do need to install a program in the extended memory. Information below as requested:

CPU = AMD ElanSC520 (see http://www.amd.com/epd/processors/4.32bitcont/14.lan5xxfam/24.lansc520/)

Memory:
Memory type, total = used + free:
Conventional: 631K = 250K + 381K
Upper: 0K
Adapter RAM/ROM:393K = 393K + 0K
Extended(XMS): 15,360K = 64K + 15,296K

Config.sys:
device=himem.sys
dos=high,umb
device=emm386.exe

I have tried adding all sorts to the last line (emm386.exe) as suggested by MS-DOS and many help pages, but whilst none of these lines show any errors, if emm386 is executed then it results in the following error when autoexec.bat is attempting to execute (the first line of which I have done as a comment so therefore shouldn't be causing a problem):

Exception #0D
eax=00090000, esi=08060200 etc. etc. (I'll expand this if anyone thinks it'd help)
followed by "The system has encountered a serious problem and cannot continue. Press t to terminate the current application and r to reboot the computer"-it doesn't respond to r or t, but has to have ctrl-alt-del.

Thanks once again for your comments.

Cheers,
Claire

Are you sure the drivers are being loaded. With config.sys set up as you advise, they need to be in the root directory, which is a bit unusual.
I would expect to see the first three lines to be something like:-
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE or DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE
DOS=HIGH,UMB

They were in both the root directory and another one for some reason, and it doesn't make a difference - they seem to be loading okay.

You advise you have to use extended memory.

In that case you should not call the EMM386 driver, unless the program you wish to run requires expanded memory. In which case it must be very old.

Do you have the facility to step through config.sys one line at a time to see at what point the fail messages occur?

As a matter of interest, where are you based? I am in Hammersmith, West London.

Good luck - keep us posted.

Hi all,

Thanks again for all your help. As it happens the way my system has been configured by the manufacturer, it is not possible to use himem.sys or emm386.exe!

Regards,
Claire