MemMaker, EMM386, and Memory Management
This file contains the following sections:
2.1 Intel Expanded-Memory Driver (EMM.SYS).
2.2 Running MemMaker on a Computer with PC-NFS.
2.3 You have a Super VGA display and want to conserve memory.
2.4 Using MemMaker with IBM LAN.
2.5 MemMaker and Adaptec SCSI devices.
2.6 Running MemMaker on a computer with PC Tools RAMBoost.
2.7 EMM386 detects an error in an application.
2.8 MemMaker no longer aggressively scans upper memory by default.
2.1 Intel Expanded-Memory Driver (EMM.SYS)
If you use Intel's EMM.SYS driver with Aboveboard, use EMM.SYS
version 4.0 revision E if you an ISA system, or EMM.SYS version 4.0
revision D if you have an MCA or other system. Contact Intel for a
free upgrade.
2.2 Running MemMaker on a Computer with PC-NFS
If you use PC-NFS network software, carry out the following procedure
before you run MemMaker:
1. Open your MEMMAKER.INF file by using any text editor. This file is
in the directory that contains your MS-DOS files.
2. Add the following line to the file:
*NET
3. Save the file, and then run MemMaker.
2.3 You have a Super VGA display and want to conserve memory.
If you use Microsoft Windows on an 80386 computer with extended
memory and a Super VGA display, you can use the MONOUMB.386 file, in
conjunction with MemMaker, to conserve conventional memory for
running programs.
To conserve memory if you have a Super VGA display:
1. Open your Windows SYSTEM.INI file, and find the [386Enh] section.
2. Add a DEVICE command for the MONOUMB.386 file, which is located
in your MS-DOS directory. For example, if your MS-DOS files are in
C:\DOS, add the following line to this section:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\MONOUMB.386
3. Save the file, and restart your computer.
4. After your computer starts, run MemMaker by typing MEMMAKER at the
command prompt.
5. Choose Custom Setup. On the Advanced Options screen, answer Yes to
the question "Use monochrome region (B000-B7FF) for running programs?"
Follow the instructions on your screen.
2.4 Using MemMaker with IBM LAN
Before you run MemMaker, you might need to make adjustments to the
parameters specified for your IBM LAN support driver, DXMC0MOD.SYS. In
your CONFIG.SYS file, make sure that the DEVICE command that loads
DXMC0MOD.SYS includes one of the following before you run MemMaker:
o The first three parameters, as in the following example:
DEVICE=C:\DXMC0MOD.SYS 400000000001,D800,1
o No parameters, as in the following example:
DEVICE=C:\DXMC0MOD.SYS
o Some parameters and enough commas to fill in the first three
parameters, as in the following example:
DEVICE=C:\DXMC0MOD.SYS 400000000001,,
2.5 MemMaker and Adaptec SCSI devices
MemMaker is compatible with Adaptec SCSI devices. However, if you use
the ASPI4DOS.SYS driver to support your SCSI device, MemMaker by default
will exclude this driver from the optimization process. If you don't
use the SCSI device as your startup or boot drive, you can include the
ASPI4DOS.SYS driver in the optimization process. To do so, remove the
^ASPI4DOS entry in the MEMMAKER.INF file, and then run MemMaker.
2.6 Using MemMaker on a computer with PC Tools or PC-DOS RAMBoost
You can use MemMaker or RAMBoost with MS-DOS, but not both at the
same time. MemMaker will prevent RAMBoost from loading, but not
remove its DEVICE= command from your CONFIG.SYS.
2.7 EMM386 detects an error in an application
If EMM386 displays a message such as "EMM386 has detected error
#12 in an application," this indicates that the processor
has reported an exception error to EMM386. An exception error
typically occurs when an application gives the processor an
instruction under invalid or unexpected conditions. In most cases,
these errors are related to a specific program. If you are receiving
an error that does not occur with any particular application, the
error might be caused by a device driver or a memory-resident
(terminate-and-stay-resident) program.
To avoid these errors:
o Try to identify the program involved. One way to do this is
to see if the error occurs when the program is not running.
If you suspect a memory-resident program or device driver,
try bypassing it when your computer starts.
o Try disabling EMM386. If a particular application is to blame,
disabling EMM386 might allow that application to generate an
error message. Disabling EMM386 might also change
your memory configuration so that the error no longer occurs.
o Try changing the order in which you load device drivers and
memory-resident programs. This might help because some
errors occur only under specific memory conditions.
o If error 12 is occurring, this indicates that a stack is being used
incorrectly. Try adding the following command to your CONFIG.SYS
file:
STACKS=18,512
o If error 13 is occurring, the program may be trying to use protected
mode without cooperating with EMM386. You may need to obtain a
VCPI-compliant version of the program, or not load EMM386 when
using this application.
2.8 MemMaker no longer aggressively scans upper memory by default
By default, the MS-DOS 6.22 version of MemMaker does not scan upper
memory aggressively. Instead, the MemMaker option "Scan the upper
memory area aggressively?" is set to No, and MemMaker limits its search
for available UMBs to memory addresses C600 through EFFF. In contrast,
the MS-DOS 6 version of MemMaker did scan upper memory aggressively
by default: in addition to scanning memory in the C600-EFFF range,
it also scanned addresses in the range F000 through F7FF.
To make more memory available for running programs, run MemMaker in
Custom mode and change the "Scan the upper memory area aggressively?"
option to Yes. (Note that, on some computers, putting UMBs in this
range prevents the computer from starting properly.)
Note: If you last ran MemMaker with the "Scan the upper memory
area aggresively" option set to Yes, then the next time
you run MemMaker, it leaves that option set to Yes.
|