MS-DOS 6.22 Application conflicting!

T

thomas234

Big Geek
Hi y'all!

I have a PC (Celeron 2.0GHz 512mb RAM 60gb HDD). It is dual booted with MS-DOS 6.22 and XP, simply because we need some software that is really useful (and it would take too long to port all the data to a windows equivalent).

The PC currently uses a serial connection directly to another PC, but I want to get it to work with the LAN in the shop. I can get it connected to the network and view all files fine. But, the software that we need then stops working, and complains about a lack of memory, or conventional memory.

I have little experience with DOS, and after reading through the DOS 6.22 guide I cannot figure out what may be wrong. I know it's unlikely, but does anyone here have any idea what could be the problem?

Thanks, Thomas
 
ok, MS-DOS uses 3 types of memory internaly
  • Extended memory (XMS)
  • Expanded memory (EMS)
  • Conventional memory (max = 640k)
now if you run out of conventional memory, you need to move some TSRs (terminate & stay resident) programs or drivers to the high memory area (upper memory)

could you please attach your autoexec & config to look @ and see want we can do ?

Edit: or you can run the auto memory management tool, i can't remember it,

BTW: make sure qbasic.exe, help.com & help.hlp are located in the working directory, and type "help" for a full list of commands & their descriptions[ot]i've a headache, dragging that crap out of my head[/ot]
 
Yeah I considered DOSBox, and I also considered MS-DOS in a Virtual PC, but there will no doubt be something that doesn't work (eg the LPT Printer, Curremt Serial Network, the software which requires a reference to clipper in the autoexec etc...).

Maybe if all else fails I will consider DOSBox or VPC. Thanks, Thomas
 
Ok sorry about the delay, there was a problem with the email, google mail rejected the extensions .bat and .sys!

Anyway, here they are:

config.sys
Code: 
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH
COUNTRY=044,,C:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
FILES=40
BUFFERS=20,0
FCBS=4,0
STACKS=9,256
DEVICEHIGH=\CDROM\CDROM.SYS 
DEVICEHIGH=NETUNITS.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=NET00000.SYS

device=C:\NET\ifshlp.sys

autoexec.bat:
Code: 
REM C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE /X
@ECHO OFF
PROMPT $p$g
PATH C:\DOS
SET TEMP=C:\DOS
SET CLIPPER=f041
MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((437) C:\DOS\EGA.CPI)
MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=437
MODE COM1: 9600,N,8,1
KEYB UK,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS
SET PATH=C:\NETWORK;%PATH%;C:\CDROM 
LH MSCDEX /D:12345678 /L:D 
LH MOUSE
LH NET$25 COM1 server SHARE:C
C:\DOS\DOSKEY
C:\LORDS.EXE
CAPSON
MENU

I have no idea which drivers can be loaded into the higher memory. Menu (at the bottom of autoexec) is the software which displays a menu of the software we use. Lords.exe isn't necessary it's just a logo.
 
i was typing a description for what each line does, is that what you want, or do you just want it to work ?
 
A description would be brill donkey, I have very little experience with DOS. Once I know what everything does, I might be able to piece together why there is a conflict or something. Or if not a conflict, and it's actually the software that can't use enough of the 640kb memory, then which drivers / software I can move into higher memory.

Thanks!! Thomas
 
ok, i'll go down each line describing what each command does

config
  • DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS: this is the memory management driver and should be loaded first in the, it basically creates upper memory
  • DEVICEHIGH=EMM386.EXE
  • DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE - Loads the DOS version table into memory.
  • DOS=HIGH, UMB - specify the memory location for DOS. It is used to load DOS into the upper memory area and to specify whether or not the upper memory blocks will be used.
  • COUNTRY=044,,C:\DOS\COUNTRY.SYS - obviously this starts to specify the country
  • LASTDRIVE=Z - this obviously specifies the last drive, the first HDD being C
  • DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\DISPLAY.SYS CON=(EGA,,1)
  • FILES=40 - the number of files that can be simultaneously opened
  • BUFFERS=20,0 - buffers=(number),(read-ahead number) - Sets the number of disk buffers DOS should use (1 to 99). If no value is provided the default value (determined by the amount RAM in the system) will be used. Generally, if you have 512K of memory, the default will be 15.
  • FCBS=4,0 - personally, i never used this setting
  • STACKS=0,0 (zeros) - i just remember it should be: 0,0, unless you recieve stack overflow errors when set at 9,256
  • DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\CDROM.SYS - obviously this prepares the CD to be loaded in the autoexec by mscdex.exe
  • DEVICEHIGH=NETUNITS.SYS
  • DEVICEHIGH=NET00000.SYS - these 2 lines are obviously preparing the network drivers to be loaded
  • DEVICEHIGH=C:\NET\ifshlp.sys - prepares the network protocol to be used

autoexec
  • REM C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE /X - The smartdrv, or smartdrive, is a util that creates a disk cache in conventional or extended memory. many times users will use this utility on boot disks as it can increase the speed of how DOS accesses disk drives.
  • @ECHO OFF - disables the viewing of commands in a batchfile
  • PROMPT $p$g - set options for how the "C/>" prompt is displayed
    the specified locations
  • SET TEMP=C:\DOS - sets the temporary directory, periodically delete all *.tmp files from that directory
  • SET CLIPPER=f041 - i've never heard of this, & google came up with nothing
  • MODE CON CODEPAGE PREPARE=((437) C:\DOS\EGA.CPI)
  • MODE CON CODEPAGE SELECT=437 - these lines finish the country
  • MODE COM1: 9600,N,8,1 - this sets up com1 for the network access @ a baud rate of 9600, no parity, 8 databits, 1 stopbit & XON/XOFF to off, if you added " P" to the end, XON/XOFF would be on
  • KEYB UK,,C:\DOS\KEYBOARD.SYS
  • PATH=C:\DOS;C:\NETWORK;%PATH%;C:\CDROM - all directories in the path will open any file specified in any named file
  • LH MSCDEX /D:12345678 /L:D finish loading the CD & assign it to a drive letter
  • LH MOUSE
  • LH NET$25 COM1 server SHARE:C - this loads the net connection on com1 & shares C: on the network
  • C:\DOS\DOSKEY - this util make easier to issue previously given commands
C:\LORDS.EXE
CAPSON
MENU

items in bold are additions

BTW: to make things easier just type "memmaker" at the command prompt, obviously after REM ing (like on line 1 of the autoexec, REM only work in .bat files) out your program, then the system will reboot, to see what is loading, make changes to autoexec & config and reboot again to test the changes, then the autoexec & config will contain things like "L1 /153342" or "L2 /153342" this is just the location of the item in upper memory level 1 or 2 @ the specified memory address

some of the descriptions are a bit crude & refer to an items function in the real world rather than the crap M$ would like you to think

i think that about it.

Edit: any line can be changed to suit your needs, i'm thinking that FILES=40 may not be enough for your needs, if not try changing it to 51 if necessary, & the BUFFERS=20,1 may need looking @ :unsure:
 
Thanks Donkey I made some of the corrections you suggested, and got rid of the CDROM Driver and we had about 570kb of Conventional memory even with the network software installed!

Thomas
 
np

BTW: my memory is stupid, although, i did a bit of research for some of it, but, most of that crap was typed directly into HWF by me[ot]bet your glad you don't live in my head[/ot]
 
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