Hi.

Is there a program, (for DOS) which would allow me to set how much memory would be available in low memory and in high memory?

Thanks

You can use the EMM386 exclude statements to prevent specific blocks of memory from being made available by EMM386 that tries to make as much available as possible. Normally used to resolve conflicts with memory mapped devices that EMM386 does not correctly detect. But can be used to limit memory available to DOS and DOS programs.

Not really clear on what you're asking - low memory is what's left of the 640K after your OS etc loads up - and, sure, you can set emm386 to not make full use of upper memory, but why?

Programs that automatically load high, like smartdrive, can be configured not to (in that case, by setting the /L switch).

Did you have something specific in mind?

I am running a pure DOS enviroment. This post is part of my "dream" post:

http://www.computing.net/dos/wwwboard/forum/12574.html

After I load the drivers for my NIC card and sound card,(EMS active), there is not enough low memory to run the Arachne Web Browser. I was just wondering if there was a way to somehow specifiy how much memory the computer could put into high memory and keep the rest in low so that I could run other programs like the browser and maybe some games.

I hope I explained it better this time. If not, let me know and I'll keep trying.

After I walked away, I thought of, I think, a better way to explain my problem. I need EMS actived by MemMaker to load my NIC and Sound Card drivers but I don't have enough low memory to run other programs like the Arachne Browser.

Low or conventional memory is fixed at 640K.

Can't really increase# it, just make sparing use of it by loading apps & drivers high with the devicehigh & loadhigh statements.

#If you're willing to sacrifice graphics (just run in text mode) then you can bump conventional up over 700K by making the graphics memory addresses contiguous with low memory.

I *think* QEMM has this feature (it's been a while) - possibly other utilities can do it as well. It does work, but it's not easy living without graphics mode : (

Actually, QEMM is the way to go if you want to make the best use of your memory resources.

afaik memmaker doesn't 'activate' anything - it just shuffles your devices/TSRs around to maximise available conventional memory. Expanded/extended memory services are controlled by himem & emm386.

Maybe post your autoexec & config - might be able to tweak'em - or else get a copy of QEMM.

Thanks for the replies. Here are my Autoexec.bat and Config.sys entries. If anyone can tweak them, thanks.

AUTOEXEC.BAT

LH /L:0;2,1728;1,28224 /S C:\NET\net initialize
LH /L:0 C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE /X
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $P$G
PATH C:\NET;C:\DOS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
LH /L:1,36224 C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:10
C:\NET\netbind.com
LH /L:0;1,736 /S C:\NET\umb.com
C:\NET\tcptsr.exe
LH /L:0;1,2640 /S C:\NET\tinyrfc.exe
C:\NET\nmtsr.exe
LH /L:0;1,1184 /S C:\NET\emsbfr.exe
C:\NET\net start
SET SBPCI=C:\SOUND
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H7 P330 T1
C:\sound\sbinit.com
ÿ

CONFIG.SYS

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /NUMHANDLES=128 /TESTMEM:OFF /Q
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
BUFFERS=10,0
FILES=80
DOS=UMB
LASTDRIVE=M
FCBS=1,0
DOS=HIGH
DOS=HIGH
STACKS=9256
DEVICEHIGH /L:2,12048 =C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
[common]
DEVICE=C:\CDROM\CDTECH.SYS /D:MSCD001 /UDMA2 /V
DEVICEHIGH /L:2,4656 =C:\NET\IFSHLP.SYS

Ok, I removed all memmaker settings - best to rerun it.

CONFIG.SYS

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /NUMHANDLES=128 / TESTMEM:OFF
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
DOS=high,umb
BUFFERS=10
FILES=80
FCBS=1
STACKS=9,256
LASTDRIVE=M
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\CDTECH.SYS /D:MSCD001 / UDMA2 /V
DEVICEHIGH=C:\NET\IFSHLP.SYS

Explanation & Comments:

The /numhandles=128 parameter - do you really need that many? You might, but that's the maximum setting, uses 6 bytes per handle. There is no /Q switch that I'm aware of using 6.22 (quiet? - just don't specify /verbose).

Combined the DOS=high,umb - doesn't save, but it's neater

Removed SETVER - chances are, not needed (save about 1K)

Buffers=10 No need to specify a zero amount as secondary buffer (default anyways) - this setting uses about 5K - you might need more actually, but if everything's fine, just leave it.

Files=80 Seems like a lot, but maybe something needs that many. If files/buffers are set too high, DOS will load in conventional, rather than the high memory area (HMA) which would use up quite a bit of low memory.

FCBS=1 Not really used much - default is 4 (no secondary setting) - could be safely set to 0 unless something needs it.

STACKS=9,256 Ok - you were missing a comma(!) - 9256 is an invalid parameter, you would have gotten the default (9,128). You might be able to use the setting 0,0 and save some memory there.

Lastdrive=M Each drive letter uses memory - if you don't need that many, set it lower (default is E)

DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\CDTECH.SYS Loaded this high - should save some low mem.

I also removed the [common] section heading - only useful if you're running multiconfiguration with the [menu] heading - although you might have been - memmaker chokes when it hits that.

AUTOEXEC.BAT

@echo off
lh C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 / M:10
C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE /X
PATH=c:\net;c:\dos
set temp=c:\dos
SET SBPCI=C:\SOUND
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 H7 P330 T1
lh C:\NET\net initialize
C:\NET\netbind.com
lh C:\NET\umb.com
C:\NET\tcptsr.exe
lh C:\NET\tinyrfc.exe
C:\NET\nmtsr.exe
lh C:\NET\emsbfr.exe
C:\NET\net start
C:\sound\sbinit.com

Ok - loading mscdex before smartdrv allows your CD drive to be cached (it wasn't in the old autoexec). You could try reducing the # of buffers (/ M:10) to save on memory.
Smartdrv automatically loads high - you don't specify the size of your disk cache so you get the default (2 Mb).
Removed the prompt setting $p$g is the default anyways.

I'd suggest creating a c:\temp (or similar) directory and use that instead of C:\DOS for temp files - it's neater, and easier to delete them.

I can't say for sure, but I'd at least try 'LH' in front of all those C:\NET commands - could save a lot of low memory, but some commands don't 'like' being loaded high. Experiment. If your system locks up you can reboot using F5 (clean boot) or F8 (line by line confirmation).

You can check on available memory by using mem/c/p and see if there's any savings.
Also mem/f will show you how much upper memory you have available for loading high. You can specify which regions of upper memory to load a driver or TSR in using the /L parameter (this is pretty much what memmaker does).
EMM386.EXE doesn't always find all the upper mem that's safe to use. There's a small utility called umascan that can report if you have any free 'holes' available to load TSRs in.

Whew! Another option might be to use the multiconfig feature in 622 and create various configurations. Perhaps you don't need your soundcard and/or CD driver loaded all of the time. Experiment.

It's also possible that DOS isn't seeing all of your 80Mb - see this post

Hope that helps - don't take it as gospel, I might have missed something ; )

If you leave an email, I could send you a couple of utilities that could help you fine tune your system under DOS.

_________________________________________________________

Thanks for the tweakin' jboy. If you don't mind sending them, I'll take those apps for DOS. Again, if its not too much trouble. I keep setting my e-mail address in the My Computing.Net Section but for some reason, it doesn’t save it. Might have something to do with IE’s cookies. Hmm. . cookies :-). I'll have to keep playing around with it. Thanks again.

Jboy, never mind about those apps. Whatever you tweaked in my Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files freed up enough memory to allow me to run Arachne. Now, I just got to get Arachne to connect to the Internet and that might be another post :-).

Thanks.

Sure thing - I'll send them later tonight, when I get home.

Heh - missed your last post by about a minute.

No big, apps are sent anyways - they're tiny little DOS programs, might come in handy : )