Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!lethe!yunexus!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!usc!wuarchive!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!dorm.rutgers.edu!medici From: medici@dorm.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Performance degradation in 386 enhanced mode Message-ID: Date: 18 Jan 91 22:33:51 GMT References: <4491@mindlink.UUCP> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 31 I know this may sound a little silly, but have you considered trying a different keyboard? What!?! The keyboard? Well, if I understand correctly, DOS systems built around the 286 and 386 use the keyboard controller chip to switch between real mode (the only place you can run DOS) and protected mode (where Win3 in 386 mode lives, and also required for HIMEM.SYS to operate). Windows and/or HIMEM.SYS tell the keyboard to reset the '386 (after setting-up the system so it won't go through a normal reboot sequence) when any DOS or BIOS calls are needed. This happens infrequently in Windows itself, but often when running a DOS window so that other Windows apps get some processing time. Even HIMEM.SYS steals some processing time this way, as it manages XMS memory. So, I'd suggest you try using a different manufacture of keyboard. Ideally, an IBM ehanced keyboard would be the best test. BTW, my IBM PS/2-80 (20MHz) reports the following with Norton's SI version 4.5: Plain old DOS: 22.1 HIMEM.SYS: 21.5 Win3 + HIMEM: 21.0 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Medici ** Systems Programmer III * Rutgers University Computing Services medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu * medici@cancer.BITNET * !rutgers!elbereth!medici My opinions are not necessarily my employers'. *Reality is context-sensitive.