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From: slahiri@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Santanu Lahiri)
Subject: HIMEM.SYS problem on 486 machine.
Message-ID: <1991Jun27.202435.16001@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Originator: slahiri@top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
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Organization: The Ohio State University
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Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1991 20:24:35 GMT
Lines: 38

Hi Folks,

I ran into a weird problem installing DOS 5.0, and I'd like to know
if anyone else has experienced this.

I installed 5.0 on a 386 machine, and it worked fine.  Well, that means
DOS loaded into High Memory, although, for the life of me, I could not
get more than 529K free (I am running SmartDrive, RamDrive, SetVer, 
NEC's CD-ROM driver, Mouse Driver, DecNet drivers, MSCDEX and CED, so 
perhaps that's understandable).

Next, heady with the success of an easy (well, relatively) installation,
I offered to help a friend install his 5.0 on his 486 machine.  This monster
sported a 220M drive, and 8M memory, so I figured "No Problem."

Wrong.  The Setup Program ran without a hitch.  However, on rebooting,
the first message I get is

       HIMEM.SYS Extended Memory Manager  (or some signature)
       Cannot control A20 address line, aborting

After that, everything loads low.  I tried setting the A20CONTROL:ON option
that produced the message "A20 Address line already turned on" but no other
effect.  A20CONTROL:Off succeeded in locking up the machine big time.

Disgusted, I tried substituting QEMM386.SYS in place of HIMEM.SYS, and 
voila!  Everything works like a champ,  DOS loads high, Resident programs
load high (including smartdrive, ramdrive, CD-ROM driver, MSCDEX), and I
still have 619K available (after a little tinkering with Optimize).  Even
Windows runs without a hitch.

So what is wrong with HIMEM.SYS?

Does anyone know?
-- 
Santanu
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:: cat flames > /nev/dull                     slahiri@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu