Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!sumax!halcyon!ralphs From: halcyon!ralphs@seattleu.edu (Ralph Sims) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc Subject: Re: DOS 3.3 and large amounts of free memory?? Message-ID: Date: 22 Apr 91 21:20:18 GMT References: <1991Apr22.172252.13351@cs.mcgill.ca> Organization: The 23:00 News and Mail Service Lines: 72 storm@cs.mcgill.ca (Marc WANDSCHNEIDER) writes: > I have been seeing numbers like 655k free conventional memory with people > with DOS 3.3, QEMM, and a pile of TSRs. > *HOW* is this done...? Is it standard, and are there any possible side > effects from the way (however it's done) the conventional memory is increased On a 386 with a CGA monitor and a small handful of RAM (a couple of megs, maybe), you can get 736K before the DOS monster takes over. I use 25 files, 5 of which are loaded in config.sys, and the rest in high memory. I use COMPAQ DOS 3.31 and 4DOS 3.03 and swap 4DOS operating environment out to high memory, also, leaving a 256-byte DOS kernel low (I have renamed 4DOS.COM to COMMAND.COM. The cache (PC-CACHE) is also loaded high. All in all, I have about 689K free to play with. Part of DOS's environment also goes high. Here's the setup REM CONFIG.SYS REM load a things for DOS--the rest go to high memory files=5 buffers=5 REM dynamically allocate stacks as needed stacks=0,0 lastdrive=i REM fire up the ex{ten,pan}ded memory driver DEVICE=E:\DV\QEMM386.SYS RAM ROM MAPS=5 REM 4DOS's shell setup with 2K of environment loaded hi and swapping to EMS shell=c:\4dos.com /e:2048U /U /a:2048 /s:b /p device=e:\dv\loadhi.sys c:\keystack.sys REM AUTOEXEC.BAT @echo off REM halcyon runs under DESQview and uses 4DOS302a... REM your mileage may vary REM command.com == 4dos.com set comspec=c:\command.com REM set the path (what else?) with setpath.bat REM prompt $p$g REM set waffle=e:\waffle\system\static REM set dszlog=e:\waffle\admin\dsz.log REM path=c:\;d:\dos;e:\waffle\bin;d:\tools;[continued on next line] REM d:\pctools;d:\norton;d:\xtg;e:\dv;d:\qedit;e:\dv\rbcomm;d:\perl REM setdos /V0 /M1 REM alias /r c:\aliases call setpath loadhi files 25 loadhi pc-cache /sizexp=1000K REM fdread allows weird floppy configurations, as well REM as offering a boot-thru for A: drive fdread REM turn off those damned scroll-lock and numlock keys lockoff REM speed up the SIPP's a bit with a little refresh speedstr REM load the comm driver (maybe can loadhi, but don't trust this version) bnu /L1=19200 /Z3 /T=128 /R=512 /M- REM fire up DESQview e: cd\dv del *.txt xdv > With DOS 5.00, you can get up to 625k free or so, but it doesn't expand the > 640k barrier.... The DOS applications usually don't but some will take whatever low memory they can grab. -- halcyon!ralphs@seattleu.edu The 23:00 News and Mail Service - +1 206 292 9048 - Seattle, WA USA +++ A Waffle Iron, Model 1.64 +++