############################################################################### ## 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