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Thread ID: 55974 2005-03-24 03:19:00 mem/c reporting JMoss (7686) Press F1
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337420 2005-03-24 03:19:00 I recently upgraded the memory in my DELL Pentium III from 128MB to 512MB and when I ran a mem/c report, but windows seems to only recognize a portion of my Extended Memory:

Total = 15,635,920 ----- Used = ? ----- Free = 534,802,432

The amount under "Free" seems correct, but what's up with the "Total" number? Shouldn't it be 534,802,432? Shouldn't I see some "Used" memory instead of the "?" ? .
After I installed the new memory I ran the bios setup, and that recognizes 512mb . Under start> run> msconfig> advanced, I entered 512mb as the "limit memory to amount"
for windows .

I entered the following in System . ini [386enh]:
ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1
EMMExclude=C000-CFFF
EMMInclude=B000-B7BFF
MaxPhysPage=1FFFF (msconfig won't let me enter 20000)

[Vcache]
MaxFileCache=524288

I am running Windows 98se and my config . sys file is:
Device=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM . SYS
Device=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386 . EXE x=C000-CFFF i=B000-B7FF noems DOS=HIGH,UMB
LASTDRIVEHIGH=J

I would really appreciate anyone's advice on this .

Jerry Moss 		JMoss (7686)
337421 2005-03-24 04:19:00 MEM is a DOS programme. You'll often see odd results from DOS programmes when they are handling big numbers. Memory was very expensive when W98 came out. It was even more expensive when DOS was written. (Try $120/megabyte in 1991).

I'm not even sure whether W98SE can use half a gigabyte. ;)

Perhaps running MEMMAKER would configure EMM386 for you with the maximum it can cope with. (You can always change back if you don't like what MEMMAKER comes up with). 		Graham L (2)
337422 2005-03-24 06:08:00 I entered the following in System.ini [386enh]:
ConservativeSwapFileUsage=1
EMMExclude=C000-CFFF
EMMInclude=B000-B7BFF
MaxPhysPage=1FFFF (msconfig won't let me enter 20000)

[Vcache]
MaxFileCache=524288

I am running Windows 98se and my config.sys file is:
Device=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
Device=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE x=C000-CFFF i=B000-B7FF noems DOS=HIGH,UMB
LASTDRIVEHIGH=J
Jerry Moss

Win98 uses 512. Just not more than that. Why did you do all those settings? You don't need to. I'd undo all of them inc the startup stuff and let Windows use it as it wants to. The startup stuff is all DOS related anyway. 		pctek (84)
337423 2005-03-24 06:48:00 Both Graham and pctek are basically right.

Firstly, windows has its own memory management, so emm386 and dos=high, umb doesn't do anything in windows. Your mem /c /p command will probably show nothing loaded in Upper Memory, but in anycase is not needed as emm386 is a dos expanded memory manager.

You need the [386enh] conservativeswapfileusage=1 entry to "improve" the win98 memory management by minimising the swap file size, and the [vcache] entry to prevent any problems with using 512MB of RAM, I dont think the other entries are necessary or do anything.

If you run dos programs from booting into dos, and you want to maximise memory for dos, then it is much better to configure autoexec.bat and config.sys for multiple configuration startup, so that you have the choice to boot either into optimised dos, or into optimised windows.

I can post my autoexec.bat and config.sys files if you want to see how this is done.

I would not be too concerned that mem.exe does not give the "right" amount of memory in windows, it doesn't in my Win98SE either :) 		Terry Porritt (14)
337424 2005-03-24 09:13:00 You need the [386enh] conservativeswapfileusage=1 entry to "improve" the win98 memory management by minimising the swap file size, and the [vcache] entry to prevent any problems with using 512MB of RAM, I dont think the other entries are necessary or do anything .

If you run dos programs from booting into dos, and you want to maximise memory for dos, then it is much better to configure autoexec . bat and config . sys for multiple configuration startup, so that you have the choice to boot either into optimised dos, or into optimised windows .


Improve Win98 memory? I never did and ran it for years with 512mb .

Most DOS progs will run fine from within Win98 . I only ever had one that needed a soundcard patch, all the rest were fine . 		pctek (84)
337425 2005-03-24 10:03:00 With the conservativeswapfile entry in system.ini and 512MB of RAM, the swap file size will be zero for most if not all the while. This tends to speed things up as the hard drive is not being used to supplement RAM.

The vcache entry was used if RAM exceeded 512MB, it is not going to do any harm to leave it there.

Dos or windows for running dos progs, well that is an individual choice, I've always used a multi-config since win95. I just prefer to run dos progs from dos. 		Terry Porritt (14)
337426 2005-03-25 06:15:00 I think you all have me pretty well figured out. That is, I am very confused about memory management for dos, verses, memory management for windows. I pretty much took everything I could find on the subject and applied it. Granted some of the entries may not be necessary since I don't use any dos programs, but they have freed up some conventional memory and therefore windows seems to have become more stable. The EMMExclude=C000-CFFF is to exclude the memory manager from trying to use the reserved memory area for my Graphic Card, and the EMMInclude=B000-B7FF is to free upper memory for use because I do not use VGA Monochrome Text Mode Video. Thank you all for helping me sort this out. Jerry Moss JMoss (7686)
337427 2005-03-25 08:37:00 The use of EMM386.EXE, and the commands like EMMInclude =B000-B7FF are aimed specifically at freeing up more conventional memory for dos programs, and for packing 16 bit real mode drivers and TSRs into Upper memory when running Windows.
If you don't run dos programs and games or have 16 bit devices, then really these instructions are not needed, as Windows has its own memory manager.

(As already said, I personally prefer to optimise dos and windows separately.)

On the other hand if you find windows runs better, then leave them in :)

The mem command is specifically for telling you how conventional and upper memory is used, which are dos programs loaded, like command and doskey, 16 bit drivers, and their size and where they are loaded, the largest executable (dos) program size, and so-on.

I think it gets a bit lost when trying to report on all the other RAM, so if all is going well, I'd be inclined to ignore mem /c except for what it tells you about conventional and upper memory. 		Terry Porritt (14)
337428 2005-03-25 16:27:00 Thanks Terry, the truth is also that I performed so many tweaks at one time, I'm not sure which ones specifically proved to have the greatest impact--which I think also helps utimately prove your point--Let Windows handle it .

For the benifit of others reading these posts . One improvement that I did notice immediately was the removal of about 500 fonts that have accumalated over the years . At one time I had 574 fonts installed . Windows really became stable after thinning that down to 74 fonts .

Thanks again Terry

Jerry Moss 		JMoss (7686)
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