XMS is extended memory (memory past the first 1,024M). To free up the XMS as you suggest, you're alternative would be to load the program in conventional memory (first 640K). That is working in reverse of the current of computer history. Where in memory is this 65,535k you are trying to free up? Is it in conventional memory? How much memory does the computer have? Run the MEM command and report back on what it says. If your XMS memory is used up, you either have to run fewer programs or add more memory to your computer.

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Thanx for your help...but i'm getting quite confused with this..so here's my story and my problem stated clearly: (btw, i use windows ME) The following is the info given to me by my computer once i use Ms-Dos to boot up my system and use the 'mem' command: Memory Type Total = Used + Free ------------ ------------------- Conventional 639k 62k 577k Upper 0k 0k 0k Reserved 0k 0k 0k Extended (XMS) 65 535k 65 535l 0k Alright, now what i need help on is how to free up the Extended (XMS) memroy (the 65535k one). In my config.sys, i've put the these two lines in: DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.SYS is this information that i entered in the config correct? and what do i have to do to free up the XMS memory space in my computer? thank you for your help!!

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thanx again! the 65 535k of memory is udner teh XMS memory, and that is what i'm trying to free up. spot, like you said, the alternative to freeing up XMB space woudl be to run programs under the Conventional memory rather than the XMS, how would i determine which program uses the conventional memory and which uses the XMS memory? as for my computer memory? i assume you mean the DOS memroy correct? i ran the Mem command in dos...and i think the total memory in DOS that my computer has is 66 174k plz reply and thanx once more

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'Cute' - you don't have a problem (or at least you didn't) The memory is fine, Windows is managing it, that's all. You really don't need a config.sys or autoexec.bat to manage memory for Windows, they are for any DOS programs that you may run. I would trash those two mistaken lines in the config.sys for starters. Something is using up a fair amount of your conventional mem tho' - probably something in autoexec.bat (?) about 600k free is typical. Have you experienced any problems, or did you just not like the look of '0 free'?

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lol ^^ i have been experiencing problems with my computer, that is the reason to why i decided to find out teh DOS memory You mentioned that my conentional memory should be 600k? is that right? i only have 577k right now, and it looks liek i should change the autoexec.bat...how can you tell what you don't need in that file? The reason i got into this DOS problem started hwen i wanted to format my drive c using the boot up disk, typing the command "format c:/s" after i attempted to run fdisk and failed then a message popped up as i tried to format drive c, it said "insufficent memory to load system files. Format termianted". So i only used the command "format c:" to get my drive formatted. Yet becasue of that message and the fact that i coudln't format my drive with system files. Anyhow, i used Ghost to put back my system after that, and for a period of time, ghost didn't run (either did fdisk). I loaded my backup system in my computer after i set the jumper setting to cable select. Even though...i still think i should free up the Dos memory. Still bothers me lis that i can't format my drive with system files i hope i didn't confuse you ^^, and thanx for all your help (i'm just telling the storyt form beginning to the end, and cuz i'm not sure what you'll need to know, i put a lot fo details in...hope u gusy don't mind)

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Well, details are important. 600K is a typical amount of free conventional mem for a system running Win9x - but that's not written in stone - as long as there are no 'insufficient memory' warnings everything should be OK. Not sure why you got that error message when formatting - perhaps the Win9x or ME page could provide an answer. You could examine your autoexec.bat to see if it is loading something 'low' into conventional memory, but generally Windows gets along fine without autoexec.bat or config.sys, they're only to load or set up older programs for DOS, old soundcard, that kind of thing, as well as provide for MS-DOS mode. Not sure (again *g*) what you mean by could not format drive with system files - does this mean that you can't boot from the HDD? Anyways, don't feel bad - I've seen posts before about 'no free memory' - it's a common enough occurrence. If you are having problems tho' you might try a post on the Win9x page with a Detailed Description of your machine and your difficulties. Hope this helped a little.

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Are you trying to restore Windows ME?

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hmmm, okay, thanx again for you help. ^^ i must be very confusing lol, when i said could not format with system files, that was hwen i tried to use the command "format c:/s" to clear away my drive. But unforunately, when i did so, a message came up that said "insufficient memory to load system files. Format terminated". And becasue of this, i can't seem to format my drive using the command "format c:/s" so instead, i must use "format c:" alone to format my drive. (perhaps you can shed some light on this ^^) I'll take your suggestion and chcek out the windows website later on, perhaps they can provide me with a bit more info...although i dunno fi my problem really involves window...but who knows? Also, i'll chcek out the autoexec.bat and find out hwo to take out some stuff so i can get my conventional to be 600k. Maybe that'll help me. ^^ hehehe, or maybe u were right...i jsut didn't liek the looks of '0k free' on my XMS memory. oo, one last question that i have for you! is it normal to have your XMS memory full? as in to the point where it says "0k free"? nehow, i'm gonna call it a day for 2day...gonna come back 2morrow on thsi site and maybe get a bit more info on this whole topic. THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!! going on this board was better than me trying ot read books that make the amtter worse lol ^^ p.s. (spot) nope, i'm not trying to restore windows ME...but i understand that my posts can get a bit confusing hehehe

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It might be different for WinMe, but here's my mem output for Win95: Memory Type Total Used Free ---------------- -------- -------- -------- Conventional 640K 44K 596K Upper 155K 155K 0K Reserved 384K 384K 0K Extended (XMS) 15,205K 1,341K 13,864K ---------------- -------- -------- -------- Total memory 16,384K 1,924K 14,460K Total under 1 MB 795K 199K 596K Windows manages the memory, and makes it available to 'Windows' type programs as required. To get a more complete breakdown of memory allocation, try: mem/c /p

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alright i c...but your XMS memory isn't all taken up by something...and you acutally have upper and reserved memory. For some reason, my upper and reserved memroy say 0k! hmmm and your conventional memory is practally 600k, while mine's only 577k... okay, so should i try to free up my XMS memory space and my conventional memory space? apparently, my XMS space is completely full and i really don't like the look of 0k free on the upper, reserved, and XMS memory space. thanx 4 ur help again

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I might make a comment that Spot is wrong - XMS is NOT Extended memory. Extended memory is the memory physically located above 1 meg, accessed through interrupt 15h. XMS is the logical type memory that is how extended memory is accessed through hardware gate A20. Extended is a physical division, whereas XMS is a logical area.

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'Cute', your Operating System is Windows It allocates memory dynamically - it's always changing depending on what's running in the 'background' The DOS mem command (not even DOS7) does not give an accurate view of overall memory usage. Here is another mem output from my machine - it's different again. Memory Type Total Used Free ---------------- -------- -------- -------- Conventional 640K 44K 596K Upper 155K 155K 0K Reserved 384K 384K 0K Extended (XMS) 15,205K ? 19,104K ---------------- -------- -------- -------- Total memory 16,384K ? 19,700K I would guess that you have some memory intensive Windows program loaded which is chewing up your extended ram. Upper mem will always be zero under Windows because it fills up any available memory there. Do a mem/c /p to see what DOS programs are loaded, and see if they are high or low if you want to free up some conventional mem. The insufficient memory error you received while formatting - that is (imo) a different issue entirely, you won't solve it by changing your startup files.

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It does seem strange that mem reports no upper memory period. When you run the mem command, does it say that DOS is loaded high? The DOS setup lines in the config.sys would be (one way, anyways): device=c:\windows\himem.sys device=c:\windows\emm386.exe ram dos=high,umb (the himem line comes first) I don't know if this will change anything, but it might - mem IS a DOS command.

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Sorry, (I guess I need to sleep more) the line: device=c:\windows\emm386.exe ram is OK, but a bit wasteful of upper mem Better would be: device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems

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Your problem is that FORMAT won't load because you lack XMS memory? Error messages do not always say what they mean. This could mean you should not format windows ME. What does your mem command give if you boot with a MS-DOS disk? Before ver 6.20 DOS did not use any XMS memory. At that point it started using some for DISKCOPY and a few things. However, all memory could be viewed as XMS memory if the contacts on your memory chips need cleaning.

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[1] Upper Memory reporting zero byte http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q118/9/53.asp Mine, leaving windows managing it reports zero byte even booting to command prompt. So there might be no problem here. [2] Extended Memory all used up http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q72/1/12.ASP This ref is not for windows. But, it shows the general idea. It is known that in certain circumstances, wrong version of io.sys and himem.sys even amoung windows series above 9x can cause big trouble. So I would suggest CuteCotton thinks back if he has/had at some time re-do a 'sys c:' with bootdisk of wrong version and replace himem.sys of doubtful origin rather than winME original. Suggest all to look into this possibility?

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Insightful as always tsuji. I was beginning to suspect a version mismatch of some sort - fdisk or sys - something like that, because of the earlier reference to DOS6. I do not think that it's a DOS problem - it just seems odd that no upper mem is reported at all - of course Windows will leave zero free - that's how it works.

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Can understand the frustration, jboy. CuteCotton tells the true story but not the whole truth, and bit by bit. To now, I can't even figure out what he has on his machine : a) Is the winMe working OS? or he tries to make it working again? b) Is mem/c data he posted what reported by booting with a bootdisk in a:? or winME c:? c) What happens to the aborted format? d) What are Dos elements comes in the picture? What have they replaced? e) Is the system now dual-boot or what? f) What does he actually want? Format the c: and erase the winME or what. Sure how memory is used could not be of his primary purpose. As long as everything works, who care if xms is used up or sitting there idle---somebody cares but not from this angle. I see a lot of incoherent here!

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Very Good Questions. The answer to the original request, how to free up XMS mem, would not prove to be all that helpful - other (WinME) issues were involved. Although many questions concerning DOS under Win9x can be answered here, the situation is not the same as having DOS as an OS. Still, curious to find out the details to this one.

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