Please help me on this one: I have this dos-based program which I need to run on Windows XP using a notebook. As it needs 600k of memory I am unable to reach this. Strangly enough I have this program running in Windows 2000 environment with no probs. Even on an XP machine different then mine. The problem (i think) is dosx.... my autoexec.nt tells to load high but as a result it loads both high and in the upper mem. I tried editing the the _default.pif but to no avail. Using a REM causes the entire program not to start. Also changing the OS to a fresh win2000 pro was no solution. Strangly enough the mem/c environment on my win20000 machines (dell desktops) which have this program running is the same as my XP machine (dell notebook) both the autoexec.nt & config.nt files are the same but dosx is NOT loaded in the conventional mem but instead in the upper mem. Conventional mem: msdos (15.2k) kbd (3.2k) himem (1.2k) command (3.3k) dosx (33.9k) free (583k) Upper mem: system (180k) dosx (0.1k) mouse (12.2k) mscdexnt (0.5k) redir (2.6k) free (27.7k) autoexec.nt lh %systemroot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe lh %systemroot%\system32\redir lh %systemroot%\system32\dosx config.nt dos=high, umb device=%systemroot%\system32\himem.sys files=40 As I try to gain as much info as possible on this problem even microsoft KB does not have an answer. Any advise/information/solution would be HIGHLY appreciated. Thank you, Michel

config.nt dos=high, umb device=%systemroot%\system32\himem.sys files=80 buffer=120 try this it worked for me

Andy, Thanx for your reply. Unfortunately it didnt work. Although I am able to gain an extra 2k on the total free mem. What I need is to get rid of the dosx in my conventional mem. (whithout using REM) As it loads both high and conventional. At the command prompt does your mem /c load your dosx in your conventional mem also? and if so what amount of k? thanx Michel

REM Windows MS-DOS Startup File REM REM CONFIG.SYS vs CONFIG.NT REM CONFIG.SYS is not used to initialize the MS-DOS environment. REM CONFIG.NT is used to initialize the MS-DOS environment unless a REM different startup file is specified in an application's PIF. REM REM ECHOCONFIG REM By default, no information is displayed when the MS-DOS environment REM is initialized. To display CONFIG.NT/AUTOEXEC.NT information, add REM the command echoconfig to CONFIG.NT or other startup file. REM REM NTCMDPROMPT REM When you return to the command prompt from a TSR or while running an REM MS-DOS-based application, Windows runs COMMAND.COM. This allows the REM TSR to remain active. To run CMD.EXE, the Windows command prompt, REM rather than COMMAND.COM, add the command ntcmdprompt to CONFIG.NT or REM other startup file. REM REM DOSONLY REM By default, you can start any type of application when running REM COMMAND.COM. If you start an application other than an MS-DOS-based REM application, any running TSR may be disrupted. To ensure that only REM MS-DOS-based applications can be started, add the command dosonly to REM CONFIG.NT or other startup file. REM REM EMM REM You can use EMM command line to configure EMM(Expanded Memory Manager). REM The syntax is: REM REM EMM = [A=AltRegSets] [B=BaseSegment] [RAM] REM REM AltRegSets REM specifies the total Alternative Mapping Register Sets you REM want the system to support. 1 <= AltRegSets <= 255. The REM default value is 8. REM BaseSegment REM specifies the starting segment address in the Dos conventional REM memory you want the system to allocate for EMM page frames. REM The value must be given in Hexdecimal. REM 0x1000 <= BaseSegment <= 0x4000. The value is rounded down to REM 16KB boundary. The default value is 0x4000 REM RAM REM specifies that the system should only allocate 64Kb address REM space from the Upper Memory Block(UMB) area for EMM page frames REM and leave the rests(if available) to be used by DOS to support REM loadhigh and devicehigh commands. The system, by default, would REM allocate all possible and available UMB for page frames. REM REM The EMM size is determined by pif file(either the one associated REM with your application or _default.pif). If the size from PIF file REM is zero, EMM will be disabled and the EMM line will be ignored. REM dos=high, umb device=%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys files=120 buffers=75 sorry try copy and pasteing this in your config it works on my xp pc do a search for config you will find this file change it i am running old dos junk now

Andy, Once again thank you, but unfortunately once again no luck.... When u type in a cmd prompt mem /c does it tell dosx is loaded in the conventional memory or in the upper mem. Also is your pc a desktop or a laptop? Do u use home ed or prof ed of XP Also could u tell me the memory settings of your _default.pif file?

mine are xp pro desk top i do have 4 xp laptops that are dell and toshbia i will look at what the pif size is and compare them to my desk top what program you are running? i called the company that made the dos software i use and asked them. they were the one that told me what buffer size and file size to use

Andy, Thanx again for your response. The programm I am running is an administrative dos-based program. It is used on several PC's running under 95,98,NT,2000 and XP The company was the first I contacted. They told me they had the same problem on an XP machine, but was solved by editing the _default.pif This caused DOSX to load only high instead of High and Conventional. Strangly enough it had no effect on my notebook (dell inspiron 2600). The buffer and file size only seems to affect the msdos (loaded conventional) dosx remains untouched. I tried several combos of autoexec/config.nt and _default.pif settings but they only frustrate me even more... ;( Once again, thanx