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ZAN How To Use Extended Memory on a 286
###############################################################################
## TI#001 ÄÍðZhit Axis Nation presentsðÍÄ W () W ##
## How To Use Extended Memory on a 286 \||/ ##
## || ##
## Written by: Cockrowch _/ \_ ##
## Dated: 7/25/91 ##
##Greets to: Tiamat, äà, SyberWorks, Celestial HateBreeder, and all reading ##
## ##
## Ying Yang BBS The Baron's Bistro FaR Side BBS ##
## ZAN Promised Land ZAN Mosque#001 ZAN Mosque#002 ##
## SysOp: CoP SysOp: The Baron SysOp: Erasmus ##
###############################################################################
If you have Exteneded Memory on a 286, the chances are that
you can't use it very well. The only good it'll do you without a
but of special software, is allow you to dump DOS 5.0 into a
portion of it.
What you need to use your extra memory:
o QRAM from QEMM
o Above Disc 3.1 from Above Disc Software
These two programs together can use every bit of your
memory to it's fullest degree. From here on out, we'll say that
QRAM is in the directory C:\QEMM and Above Disc is in C:\ABOVE.
QRAM
QRAM should be installed on the hard drive and DO NOT run
the optimization program. It's just a waste of time, and usually
is incorrect. QRAM doesn't need any special installation
instructions, so all it has to do is sit somewhere on your Hard
Drive.
Above Disc 3.1
Above Disc is another story all together. Once you have it
on you Hard Drive, you need to run the Installation program, called
'INSTALL.'
If you already installed the Program onto your Hard Drive,
just Hit F2 to modify your memory setup.
After you say what drive and directory it's on, Hit F9
continue, and the following screen should look like this:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Above DISC |
| |
| Ver. 3.1 |
| Copyright (c) Above SoftWare Inc. 1988, 1989, 1990 |
| Expanded Memory Creator & Manager (EMS 4.0) |
| |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1. Install Above DISC on drive [ C ] |
| 2. Directory for Above DISC files [ \ABOVE ] |
| 3. Specify number of 16K pages [ 64 ] = 1024K of EMS |
| 4. Expanded Memory Location [ Extended Memory ] |
| |
| 5. SPECIAL OPTION (See Manual) [ Allocated on 16k Boundary] |
| |
| 6. Mode of processor operatin [ Normal ] |
| 7. Type of Bus in Computer [ Micro Channel ] |
| |
| -=: Extra Instructions :=- |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Since I have never seen a 286 with more than an extra 1024K, the
assumption is that that is what you have. number 6 and 7 may vary,
but leave them as I have set them, unless it all doesn't work
(freezes, no EMS detected by other programs, etc).
Now that QRAM and Above DISC are set up, you need to make some
(lots of) modifications (total rending changes) to your CONFIG.SYS
and your AUTOEXEC.BAT.
If you're NOT using DOS 5.0, the beginning of your CONFIG.SYS should look
like this:
DEVICE=C:\whereitis\EMSDRVR.SYS r:2
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\whereeveritis\QRAM.SYS r:1
If you use DOS 5.0 the next lines should be:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
DOS=HIGH
Now we continue, if you're NOT using truely ANCIENT software
(1975-), then and the following line:
STACKS=0,0
If you're using a large harddrive, I would suggest the following
lines:
BUFFERS=25 (and if you're using Dos 5, make it: BUFFERS=25,8)
FILES=20
If not, make it BUFFERS=15 and FILES=20
With this set-up, you wouldn't have changed anything yet. In your
AUTOEXEC.BAT you should put near the beginning:
C:\QEMM\LOADHI C:\ABOVE\ABOVE
This will load Above Disc into QRAM's High Memory.
So Far, everything is set up. However, if you're using a RAM
drive, just take it out of the CONFIG.SYS for now.
Next step: For every DEVICE= statement in your CONFIG.SYS, replace
it with :
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS then what you had before
Example:
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
This will load every TSR you own into the memory created by QRAM.
Put the biggest TSR's in first (using MFT.EXE explained later) into
QRAM's High Memory First, then the smaller ones, it is possible to
run out of that memory, but very very hard!
After you do this to your CONFIG.SYS, do the same to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT with any TSRs that you load there, like so:
You originally had:
D:\UTILITY\CTRLATL
Replace it with:
C:\ABOVE\LOADHI (no '.SYS') D:\UTILITY\CTRLALT
If you have any stupid errors, like "Cannot Find ABOVE" or "Cannot
find CTRLALT," just add the EXE or COM extentions to ABOVE and
CTRLALT, and your TSRs.
Once you make these changes, reboot your computer, and see how it
likes it. If you get an error on not being able to 'LOADHI'
ABOVE.EXE, then take out the 'DEVICE=C:\QRAM\LOADHI.SYS' part from
the CONFIG.SYS on some of the TSRs that you have, and keep
rebooting until you have enough room for ABOVE.EXE to be in High
Memory.
To find out how big stuff is in memory, go to C:\QEMM and run a
program called "MFT.EXE." Go to 'First Meg' and hit programs.
It'll tell you what is where, and how big it is.
Next step is to get Above DISC working with the RIGHT amount of
EMS. After you have arranged your TSRs in Memory (Making sure that
you do NOT include your Ram Drive if you had one), go to C:\ABOVE
and run the program called 'EMSTEST.' It'll spit out so garbage
about what EMS memory is alocated when. Pay no attention. Wait 2
minutes, if it still hasn't done anything ELSE, reboot and
re-configure Above DISC with it's INSTALL program, changing numbers
6 and 7 until the EMSTEST program works. It should say something
about bad page numbers. These pages are where your QRAM TSRs have
been dumped. Since QRAM uses that memory, find out what the lowest
page number that wasn't working was, and subtract one. This is
how many 'pages' of 16K EMS you will have. Go run Above DISC's
install, and change number 3 to read however many pages you found
to be good. Example of all of the above:
You have run EMSTEST, and it said:
Bad Page 64, not all 0's (or something like that)
so..page 64 is being used by QRAM, so you can use pages 63 and
down, now go to the Above DISC install program, and change number
three to 63, instead of 64. like so:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Above DISC |
| |
| Ver. 3.1 |
| Copyright (c) Above SoftWare Inc. 1988, 1989, 1990 |
| Expanded Memory Creator & Manager (EMS 4.0) |
| |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1. Install Above DISC on drive [ C ] |
| 2. Directory for Above DISC files [ \ABOVE ] |
| 3. Specify number of 16K pages [ 63 ] = 1008K of EMS |
| 4. Expanded Memory Location [ Extended Memory ] |
| |
| 5. SPECIAL OPTION (See Manual) [ Allocated on 16k Boundary] |
| |
| 6. Mode of processor operatin [ Normal ] |
| 7. Type of Bus in Computer [ Micro Channel ] |
| |
| -=: Extra Instructions :=- |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, re-boot, and run EMSTEST again. No errors? Good! everything
is fine now.
If you had a Ram Drive, it's very simple to put back in. The
RamDrive DEVICE= statement should be the LAST thing in your
CONFIG.SYS file. Just take how big you want your RAM Drive to be
(try and make it a multiple of 16, so you can get every iota of
Memory used up), lets say 256K, and subtract it from how much EMS
you have, in this example, you have 1008K in EMS. That leaves you
with 752K for the EMS, which is (divide 752K by 16) 47 pages of
memory. So, put your RamDrive into your CONFIG.SYS, with a
parameter that tells it to go into Extended Memory (usually /e, or
/x), and go run the Above DISC install again, changing number 3 to
read how many pages you have left (in this example, 47).
That's it! Now that wasn't such a chore now was it?
For extra help here is my ENTIRE setup with my CONFIG.SYS and my
AUTOEXEC.BAT, and my install screen for Above DISC:
Everything that is Relitively Important, with be in CAPS::::
CONFIG.SYS:
DEVICE=C:\ABOVE\EMSDRVR.SYS R:2
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QRAM.SYS R:1
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETCER.EXE <=-For us running DOS 5, don't load
DOS=HIGH this one High. Just leave it be
STACKS=0,0
FILES=25
BUFFERS=30,8 <=-Remember, the ',8' is only for DOS 5!
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS C:\MOUSE\MSCMOUSE.SYS /I
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS C:\DMDRVR.BIN
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 256 /E <=-My RamDrive comes LAST!
AUTOEXEC.BAT:
@echo off
g:
cd\
md swap >nul
c:
CD\QEMM
LOADHI F:\BBS\BNU.COM /R:1024 /T:1024
CD\ABOVE
C:\QEMM\LOADHI ABOVE.EXE
cd\
c:\dos\fastopen.exe c:=30 d:=15 e:=10 f:=30
Echo Setting Prompt . . . .
prompt $P$G
echo Setting Path . . . .
PATH=C:\;C:\DOS;F:\FD;F:\BBS;C:\BATCH;F:\BBS\BATCH;D:\SHRINK;D:\UTILITY;F:\MODEM\ANTIVIRS;d:\GEORGE;C:\MOUSE;e:\WP51
Echo Setting DOS Parameters . . . .
set fastback=c:\fastback
set fbp_user=case
set fbp_ems=500
set lib=f:\bbs
set doorpch=pcb
set fd=f:\fd
SET bgcfg=f:\bbs
set bbs=f:\bbs\
echo Increasing Typematic Rate . . . .
d:
cd\norton
ncc /fast
c:
C:\QEMM\LOADHI C:\DOS\DOSKEY BUFSIZ=512
ver
cd\dos
say good.say
cd\
rebooter
c:
cd\menu
menu
ABOVE DISC Install Page:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Above DISC |
| |
| Ver. 3.1 |
| Copyright (c) Above SoftWare Inc. 1988, 1989, 1990 |
| Expanded Memory Creator & Manager (EMS 4.0) |
| |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1. Install Above DISC on drive [ C ] |
| 2. Directory for Above DISC files [ \ABOVE ] |
| 3. Specify number of 16K pages [ 44 ] = 704K of EMS |
| 4. Expanded Memory Location [ Extended Memory ] |
| |
| 5. SPECIAL OPTION (See Manual) [ Allocated on 16k Boundary] |
| |
| 6. Mode of processor operatin [ Normal ] |
| 7. Type of Bus in Computer [ Micro Channel ] |
| |
| -=: Extra Instructions :=- |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Note: Don't try and add up QRAM, ABOVE's EMS, and your
RAMDRIVE, because, you'll always and up with more memory than you
have. I can't explain it, but it all works, so i don't knock it.
If you have any question, or comments, contact me at:
The Continuum Foundation
(312) 248-0234
'Till next time,
Cockrowch
