Please Help! sTUMPED THREE TECHS ALREADY!

[splicky]

here is the error messege I receive when trying to install a PCMCIA ethernet card to my laptop. I have 160MB of ram.
"windows is not able to identify or use the insertyed PC card device because there is no memory area available to communicate with the device. You must make a memory area available before this device can be used. Check your computers CONFIG.SYS file for a memory manager that is excluding upper memory regions between A000 and FFFF. Can anyone help me fix this . I really need to be able to use the DSL line I am payiong 50.00 a month for! I would greatly appreciate any help!:confused:

[smelanson]

You lost me.:confused:

[Rocketmech]

What O/S are you using? Can you post here the contents of your Config.sys and Autoexec.bat ? Did you enable 32 -bit PC card support in Add/Remove Programs ? Did you install the drivers or correct drivers? When do you get the error ?

[splicky]

Here is my config.sys contents
DEVICE=C:\PROGRA~1\NET200~1\N2000.SYS 1950
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS





REM [Header]
REM == PISETUP Begin Delete ==
REM == PISETUP End Delete ==

REM [CD-ROM Drive]

REM [Miscellaneous]

REM [Display]
-------------------------------------
and autoexec.bat

SET DOS16M=2
REM [Header]
@ECHO OFF











REM [CD-ROM Drive]

REM [Miscellaneous]

REM [Display]

SET PATH=C:\PROGRA~1\ORGANI~1;%PATH%
My OS is Win 98

Thanks!

[splicky]

HI, I tried to find "Did you enable 32 -bit PC card support in Add/Remove Programs ? " the place where you can do this in Add/remove however I can't find an option for this. I have the installation disk with the drivers.

[Rocketmech]

Open Device Manager and see if you have a listing for PCMCIA ethernet or socket? Double click it if you do and view the resource tab for memory range . Actually you can go to System Info in Accessories and select Hardware resources and memory for a complete listing and see whats assigned memory regions between A000 and FFFF. Its been awhile since I had a laptop, but I remember enabling this. A wizard I think. The socket does needs to be enabled, and it may already be enabled. Look to see in Device Manager , PCMCIA prop. that its "Enabled in this Configuration". If so , I'd say your ok.

[Imperion1]

Its not referring to physical memory, but the memory range. As Rocketmech has explained.
Go into bios and set any unused ports (ie: comm, lpt, serial ports) to none. Reboot the laptop into safe mode and remove any of these devices from Device Manager. Reboot the system and check the pcmcia card.

[Imperion1]

Also, while in Device Manager, check to see if its sharing the same Memory Range with any other device. Especially the video.

[splicky]

HI Guys!

Here is the memory range info

x00000000 - x0009FFFF System board extension for ACPI BIOS
x000A0000 - x000AFFFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
x000B0000 - x000BFFFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
x000C0000 - x000CBFFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
x000E0000 - x000FFFFF System board extension for ACPI BIOS
x0A000000 - x0A000FFF Texas Instruments PCI-1225 CardBus Controller
x0A001000 - x0A001FFF Texas Instruments PCI-1225 CardBus Controller
x0A002000 - x0A0020FF Actiontec 56K V.90 Modem
xF4100000 - xF4100FFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
xF4100000 - xF5FFFFFF Intel 82443BX Pentium(r) II Processor to AGP controller
xF4120000 - xF413FFFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
xF5000000 - xF5FFFFFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
xF8000000 - xFBFFFFFF Intel 82443BX Pentium(r) II Processor to PCI bridge (with GART support)
xFFF80000 - xFFFFFFFF Motherboard resources
Would you be able to tell if there should be something there that isn't supposed to be. You guys are starting to talk a bit out of my realm of knowledge(sorry) but I am great at following directions!

Thanks for the help, I will keep trying, if you have any more suggestions ...-Karyn

[Imperion1]

Is this memory range list from viewing them from Device Manager? Or clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information, click the + on Hardware Resources, Memory

[herosrest]

Some graphics cards specify and exclude memory regions.
I can't remember if this applies to ATI but offers some food for thought.

More.

You can check system.ini for a quick check.

eg:

[386Enh]
ConservativeSwapfileUsage=1
ebios=*ebios
woafont=app850.fon
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
device=*dynapage
device=*vcd
device=*vpd
device=*int13
keyboard=*vkd
display=*vdd,*vflatd
EMMExclude=C000-CFFF ************ *
;Rem TShoot: MaxPhysPage=137FF
MaxPhysPage=12DFF
PageBuffers=32
DMABufferSize=64
Paging=off
device=dva.386




********** look for this line managing memory ranges
and research the relevant hardware documentation.

[Sterling_Aug]

If you are using anything from Win95 up to WinXP then you can rename your config.sys file to config.old and rename your autoexec.bat file to autoexec.old and reboot.

All Windows will run without these files. I never allow either of these files on my machines. Manually assigning values and loading drivers went out in the DOS only days. I am very suspicious of the line "DEVICE=C:\PROGRA~1\NET200~1\N2000.SYS 1950 ".

[Arizona]

If all else fails return the PCMCIA card and buy a USB network adapter I think I paid $10-20US for mine and it works like a charm.

You may also be able to Install windows over your current installation (DO NOT FORMAT) with the PCMCIA card in your laptop this has fixed numerous issues of this type for me. You may have to install your programs again depending on your OS, but you will be able to save your data in a new location so you do not loose any of it.

Best of luck to ya,
Arizona

[splicky]

Wow! Thanks guys! I will work on your suggestions and post the results. As per this question from an earlier reply

Is this memory range list from viewing them from Device Manager? Or clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information, click the + on Hardware Resources, Memory

The memory range was from Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information, click the + on Hardware Resources, Memory.

Does this tell you anything?

Karyn

You all are much appreciated.

[herosrest]

Do a search for the file system.ini.

Don't alter it.

Check the section headed [386Enh]
for reference to memory ranges.

You may have an entry similar to : EMMExclude=C000-CFFF.

If so, the specified memory is being reserved for a hardware device.

This will or won't indicate an area to focus upon.

[splicky]

HI, This is the contents in my system.ini file under 386enh
[386Enh]
ebios=*ebios
woafont=dosapp.fon
mouse=*vmouse, msmouse.vxd
device=*dynapage
device=*vcd
device=*vpd
device=*int13
device=*enable
keyboard=*vkd
display=*vdd,*vflatd
MaxBPS=768
[NonWindowsApp]
TTInitialSizes=4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 20 22

Do you see anything there that shouldn' be?
K

[splicky]

HI Guys!
I found this in a Hardware readme file on my computer.

"DEC Hi Note Ultra
------------------

There are known problems with PCMCIA under older
BIOS versions on this machine. If your PC Card
(PCMIA) is not correctly recognized, update your
BIOS to a version later than 1.3."


My system is a gateway, but could this possibly be the solution? And if it is, how do I upgrade my Bios?

Anxiously awaiting any reply!

Karyn

[Rocketmech]

The Bios version will be posted during boot up. Gateway will have an update if one is available. I would recommend a tech do it for you, a mishap is not an option you want to deal with. Also, an update may not be the answer.
What is the manuf. and m/n of the pc card? also the driver cd ver.?
Open Device Manager, double click Computer, select Reserved Resources TAB, select Memory, post any results back here. Also, is the PCMCIA card listed ? how is it listed?and does the properties sheets show any indication of a problem of conflicts?
Go to Start> Help> Index> PCMCIA support> select enabling support> click Display> follow the Wizard for enabling the pc card. Post any results back here.

[GatorBait]

According to this line in your memory range info post
x000A0000 - x000AFFFF RAGE MOBILITY AGP (English)
it appears as though your ATI Rage Mobllity video card is already using the resources that your PCMCIA card needs.

For information about your BIOS, I believe what you are looking for can be found here (http://www.compaq.com/legacysupport/digital/epid71.html). I strongly recommend you read the 4th link down on that page. A direct link to it is here (http://www.compaq.com/legacysupport/digital/zips/0000009T.HTM). This is a link to instructions for upgrading your BIOS. The bios file is the third link down. Once downloaded and run, it will extract all of the files you need to a floppy disc (so be sure to have one formatted and ready before hand). The model you listed in your prior post the (DEC Hi Note Ultra) was made by Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC). I typed in the web address www.digital.com and was quickly linked to a portal site for the now merged hp/compaq and whisked away to hp's site. It appears as though Digital Equipment was bought by Compaq which was subsequently merged with HP because at the bottom of Compaq driver downloads, software updates and patches (http://www.compaq.com/support/files/) page is a link to Digital Legacy Support. A BIOS update MAY solve this problem (at any rate, at least the newest BIOS is y2k compliant). :D :D :D

[Michael Chiew]

splicky

Your problem is definable.

The PCMCIA ethernet card device driver has been denied access to an area in ram reserved for other stuff. Typically, the memory range A000 to F000 (the upper memory range from the 640KB line to the first 1MB of memory, making a total of 384KB) is exclusive to the ROM BIOs and other controller cards such as disk and video controllers.

It's not an option. Your ethernet card device driver simply cannot use memory ranges already locked in.

Windows 98 supports PCMCIA ethernet cards and usually loads generic 32-bit device drivers for them. Having installed a legacy device driver, the OS cannot communicate with it because it's trying to use a reserved memory range. Hence, the error message.

The OS would rather load a generic 32-bit device driver for your ethernet card. It provides for more efficient communication, not just between the OS and the device driver, but also between the OS and the BIOS (the OS/BIOS relationship is slightly different).

The problem lies in the first entry of your Config.sys file - DEVICE=C:\PROGRA~1\NET200~\N2000.SYS 1950. I believe this is the driver for your ethernet card. It's the thing causing the bottleneck. The command line tells it to load in upper memory, which, of course, is not possible.

The first entry in Config.sys must always be DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS. Your Config.sys appears to have certain default entries missing. I do feel you should allow Windows 98 to redetect your ethernet card and to load a generic 32-bit driver.

You could achieve this by doing a clean re-installation of Windows 98 when it will redetect your ethernet card and load a generic 32-bit device driver, if it is available. To do a clean reinstallation, use a boot disk. Boot to the A:\ prompt with CD-ROM support, type SETUP and reinstallation will begin.

Before the reinstallation, you should get into the C:\ prompt to rename your Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files as both appear to be quite inadequate. Autoexec.bat is missing the OS' environment variables (default PATH statement is missing). Renaming both files will get Windows 98 to reconstruct Config.sys and Autoexec.bat anew without retaining any of the old command lines.

To rename Config.sys and Autoexec.bat, get into the C:\ prompt and type the following:-

C:\>ren Config.sys Config.old (and enter)

C:\>ren Autoexec.bat Autoexec.old (and enter)

Follow this by going into Device Manager, click NETWORK ADAPTER to highlight it. Click REMOVE to remove your ethernet card.

After doing this, proceed with re-installation. Windows will reinstall, reconstruct your Config.sys and Autoexec.bat and redetect your ethernet card and load an appropriate 32-bit device driver for it. If it turns out that your ethernet card must use its own device driver, readjust your Config.sys file to resemble closely the following:-

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FILES=40
BUFFERS=40
DEVICEHIGH=C:\PROGRA~1\NET200~\N2000.SYS 1950

Using the command line DEVICEHIGH for the driver ensures that it loads in the high memory area, precisely the first 64KB just above the 1MB of memory where third-party 16-bit device drivers are permitted to reside. The command line DOS=HIGH takes care of that.

If you still get the same error message after readjusting the Config.sys file, i.e.,

......Windows is not able to identify or use the inserted PC card device because there is no memory area available to communicate with the device. You must make a memory area available before this device can be used. Check your computers CONFIG.SYS file for a memory manager that is excluding upper memory regions between A000 and FFFF.......

then you probably don't have any other alternative but to configure manually a memory range for the device driver to use.

Here's how you can set a memory range.

Right-click MY COMPUTER icon, select PROPERTIES. In the SYSTEM PROPERTIES dialog box, click DEVICE MANAGER tab. Double-click COMPUTER. In the COMPUTER PROPERTIES SHEET, click RESERVE RESOURCES tab and check MEMORY. Click ADD. In the EDIT RESOURCE SETTING dialog box type CA000 (i.e., the letters C and A followed by 3 zeroes) in the START VALUE BOX and CB000 (i.e., the letters C and B followed by 3 zeroes) in the END VALUE BOX. Click OK and click OK. Click NETWORK ADAPTER card to highlight it. Click REMOVE.

RESTART your computer. Windows 98 will redetect your ethernet and the legacy device driver will have its own memory range to reside in - CA000 to CB000.

As a point of interest, a BIOS upgrade has been known to remedy your problem. I should not discount the possibility of a BIOS upgrade. But do so using a boot disk and the BIOS upgrade copied to it. Recovering from an upgrade failure is easier when it is executed from a floppy disk.

Michael Chiew

[splicky]

HI Guys!

Well I decided to give up and give the USB Network Adapter a try. I weanted to report back and say a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who offered advice and assistance. This is a great and very knowledgable and helpful forum. Glad I found you all!

Thanks again! if you ever need any help with a horse (my field of expertise) let me know so I can reciprocate.

take care all,

Karyn

[herosrest]

Wow.

I've always wondered how to get on top of one of those
Big things.

ttfn