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Thread: For those who know DOS

  1. #1
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    For those who know DOS

    I'm currently trying to get an old DOS game to work (master of magic for those who care) and in full dos mode (not running with windows) it requires at least 2.8 megs of extended memory. Apparently, my DOS version is not configured to provide that, and I don;t know how to change them, any ideas?

  2. #2
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    What version of Dos are u using?

  3. #3
    Administrator Steve R Jones's Avatar
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    2.8 megs of extended memory can't be correct.

    Are you sure it doesn't need 2.8 megs of hard drive space to install?

  4. #4
    Banned [shawn@localhost /home]#'s Avatar
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    i had that same problem on my P1, playing duke nukum2 i would go to dos and type in this:
    cd\ [enter]
    cd games/duke [enter]
    nukum [enter]
    [return] there is not enough free memory to run this program [/return]

    so i went into my trusty slow *** windows95 and selected the same file, omg here is duke nukum2 wtf is goin on?

    anyway i dunno how to solve the problem, sorry for star posting

  5. #5
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    For topsy turvey, my version of DOS (as reported by the ver command) is:

    Windows 98 [Version 4.10.2222]

    It's the version that comes packaged with windows 98 SE

    For Steve R Jones, it's actually 2.7 megs, when I run it in MS-DOS mode (not the windows DOS prompt) I recieve this error message:

    You must have at least 2700k of extended memory.

    and I'm bumped back to the command prompt. The program is installed, and even if it was a hard drive space issue, I doubt any program from 1993 could possibly fill my hard drive (120 gig raid array, for kicks).

    For shawn, I've tried to run with windows 98 and I'm getting some pretty bad bugs (read: hard locks) that I know were not present when I ran it under DOS many years ago, I'm trying to get it to run under DOS in the hopes that these errors will not be present.

    -Thanks for the interest

  6. #6
    Evil Lurks NDD's Avatar
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    Add following lines to your config.sys :

    device=c:\windows\himem.sys
    dos=high,umb

    (be sure you have "himem.sys" file in your "windows" directory, change the path if you've installed it to another one)

    Press F8 key as soon as you see the message "Loading Windows 98...", then choose to load only the drivers you specify (sorry, don't remember how the option is called, 5th, if I correct), don't load Windows GUI, stay with clean DOS prompt. You should have now enough extended (XMS) memory.

    Best Regards ...

  7. #7
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    sorry ND, that didn't solve it, I get the exact same error message, any other ideas?

  8. #8
    Ultimate Member Comage's Avatar
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    Try this:

    DEVICE=C:\[path]\EMM386.EXE AUTO

    Put it in your config.sys.

  9. #9
    Ultimate Member Rocketmech's Avatar
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    ND and Comage are both right. This is how I use to do it.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    [CONFIG.SYS]

    SWITCHES= /E /F

    DOS=HIGH,UMB
    BUFFERS=10,0
    FILES=80
    FCBS=1,0
    LASTDRIVE=F
    STACKS=0,0

    DEVICE=C:\[PATH]\HIMEM.SYS /NUMHANDLES=128 /TESTMEM:OFF /Q
    DEVICE=C:\[PATH]\EMM386.EXE AUTO
    DEVICEHIGH=/L:1 C:\CDROM\VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:IDECDROM
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    [AUTOEXEC.BAT]

    C:\[PATH]\EMM386.EXE AUTO
    LOADHIGH=C:\[PATH]\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECDROM /M:16 /E
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    BTW Win98se comes with Dos 7.xxx . There was a site I use to get my tweaks from which gave alot of info on managing memory and Dos. I'll have to dig it up if your interested in pursuing this further.

  10. #10
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    DOS fanatic user here.

    Create a boot disk as follows:

    Go to a DOS prompt and type:
    FORMAT A: /U /S /V:BOOT
    COPY C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS A:\
    COPY C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE A:\
    (PS:On some systems you should type COPY C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\EMM386.EXE A:\ )

    Create autoexec.bat and config.sys on the disquete like the following examples:

    [CONFIG.SYS]
    DOS=HIGH,UMB
    BUFFERS=20
    FILES=50
    LASTDRIVE=Z
    STACKS=9,256
    DEVICE=C:\[PATH]\HIMEM.SYS /VERBOSE
    DEVICE=C:\[PATH]\EMM386.EXE 4096 VERBOSE
    DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\VIDE-CDD.SYS /D:IDECDROM

    [AUTOEXEC.BAT]
    LOADHIGH=C:\[PATH]\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:IDECDROM /M:16 /E

    Reboot using the disk you just created.

    If the game still does not run stating that no conventional memory is left, after booting with the floppy disk type MEM /F and and MEM /C and post the result here.

  11. #11
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    One note, if you boot to "command prompt only", from the start-up menu, HIMEM is loaded automatically. type mem /c /p you can check which programs eat up which memory; you still need conventional memory to start the program. The safest bet, though, is to make a bootdisk and go with it.


    Funny, after all these years, I am still a junior member...

  12. #12
    Ultimate Member Rocketmech's Avatar
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    alexj

    Got yo ask you... the switch ' verbose' I have'nt heard this one , could you explain?

  13. #13
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    Mak

    Here's a neat little trick that ought to get you playing the game to your heart's content.

    Right-click your GAME'S ICON.

    Select PROPERTIES.

    When PROPERTIES box appears, click MEMORY tab. In the MEMORY tab, you'll find 3 memory boxes - Conventional Memory, Expanded (EMS) Memory and Extended (XMS) Memory.

    In the drop-down box of EXTENDED (XMS) MEMORY, set it from AUTO to 3072 bytes. Make sure that the USES HMA (HIGH MEMORY AREA) box is CHECKED.

    Click APPLY, click OK. You may have to restart your computer for the new settings to take effect. Generally, you don't need to but keep it mind in case your first attempt fails. Get back in there again and fixed Extended Memory once more time. Click APPLY, click OK and restart your computer. This time you ought to be in gamesville with no problems. If not, post back. There is another way.

    Michael Chiew
    Michael Chiew

  14. #14
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    Rocketmech

    The VERBOSE is the oposite of /Q(uiet)

    When you use verbose, HIMEM or EMM386 will display on screen everything they accomplish. (Amount of free/used memory, 64kb pages available, upper memory blocks (UMB) generated, and so on).

    If you use /Q for himem, it won't even tell you weather he is installed or not.

    Two more little things...

    DOS=HIGH,UMB
    --------------------

    This tells the OS to load parts of iself away from the 640Kb base memory, required by older programs.
    The HIGH only has effect if HIMEM.SYS is loaded and UMB only acts if EMM386.EXE is loaded (unless NOUMB is specified).

    The 4096 parammeter in EMM386
    ------------------------------------------

    This is the amout of expanded memory (in KB) you want to be made available. You shouldn't use AUTO since it will not create expanded memory. It will try to find out how much memory the program running requires and produce it only then, which is nice but doesn't usualy work.

    If you want to know a bit more about expanded/extended memory follow the links.

    http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/e/expanded_memory.html
    http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/e/extended_memory.html

    One last note. Avoid using EMM386.EXE in config.sys of your windows OS since it might cause stange things to happen or make your system unnable to boot at all. That's why the boot disk is better.

  15. #15
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    In win95 I usto to still use memmaker.exe from dos 6.22. I had some accounting programs that had serious requirements for dos mode. I think you can set up a dos mode and run memmaker in it then copy the setting for an ideal dos mode on your hardware of of the pif, then use them on your boot disk. I noted that each terminal had a different order and list of ideal settings in the config.sys and autoexec.
    It has been a bit, hope this might help, assuming you have a Dos 6 disk around...

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