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From: joonsong@earthquake.Berkeley.EDU (Suk-Hyun Song)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Running non-windows applications in windows 3.0
Keywords: non-windows, dos, Insufficient memory
Message-ID: <1990Aug7.164058.3849@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: 7 Aug 90 16:40:58 GMT
References: <4319@buff3.UUCP>
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Reply-To: joonsong@earthquake.Berkeley.EDU (Suk-Hyun Song)
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X-Local-Date: 7 Aug 90 09:40:58 PDT

In article <4319@buff3.UUCP> krotz@motcid.UUCP (Scott A. Krotz) writes:
>
>  I am having problems running non-windows applications using
>the 386 enhanced mode of windows 3.0, and it is beginning to
>drive me nuts.  I have a 386SX with 2 meg of ram, AMI Bios, and
>am running with virtual memory off.  When I call up a dos shell
>with the dos icon, I have about 800k of memory left.  However,
>I cant call up another dos window, it tells me I have
>"insufficient memory to start application."  I also tried creating
>my own dos window, one that uses about 200k of memory.  When
>I use that PIF, I can call up about two or three of these "small"
>dos windows, but after that I can't call up any more, even though
>windows says I have 800k free -- same "Insufficient memory to
>start application" error.  What gives?  I am using the program
>manager "About program manager" option to give me how much memory
>is left... is this the true amount of memory left? Why can't I
>start up a dos window that should only take up 200k when I have
>800k free?  I have the PIF set to be text mode, and not to retain
>video memory.  What are the limitations on how many non-windows
>applications windows can run?  The manual is very vague and
>non-technical it seems about this information.  Please forgive
>my ignorance, as I am new to windows.

When you are running in 386 enhanced mode, virtual memory is turned on.
Hence, Windows reports that you have 800k of memory left.  Unforuntunately,
non-windows applications can not run in virtual memory.  Windows must
allocate physical memory to those applications.  On your 2 meg system,
you only have a bit over 1 meg left after Windows is loaded.  So there
is no way for you to run 2 640K dos windows.

    Joon Song
    joonsong@ocf.berkeley.edu