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From: altman@sbstaff2.cs.sunysb.edu (Jeff Altman)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Norton cache and Windows
Message-ID: <1991Mar1.082900.24151@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Date: 1 Mar 91 08:29:00 GMT
References: <1991Feb28.185736.17694@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu>
Sender: usenet@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Usenet poster)
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Lines: 29

In article <1991Feb28.185736.17694@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> jakg1190@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (J. 'Priapus' Kmiecik) writes:
>There has been some talk here about which hard drive cache is best to use
>with Windows 3.  I have Norton Utilities 5 and have used the fast-cache
>version (ncache-f) included in the package for the DOS environment.  How
>well will this cache program work with windows and how does it compare with
>Smartdrive.sys or other Windows-capable caches?  Are there any potential
>problems using ncache-f and windows?

Joe:
	You can't use ncache-f with Windows due to the way it handles 
memory.  ncache-f  requires EMS memory.  If you have EMS memory either
from a board or a driver (such as QEMM) then it will use that memory for the
cache.  If you don't have pre-defined EMS memory then ncache-f loads its own
driver to mamnage the memory.

	So you ask what is the problem.  Well, Windows disables access to
external uncooperative EMS memory drivers when it starts up.  Therefore,
ncache-f is no longer able to access its memory.  And you system will
crash.

	I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to find the 
perfect cache.  So far as I have stated earlier I feel the best package
is Hyperdisk.  PC Week agrees, with one reservation.  Hyperdisk is not
compatible with all drives.  This is because it does not use BIOS calls
but instead goes directly to the hardware.

	hope this helps.
--
- Jeff (jaltman@ccmail.sunysb.edu)