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Hank
December 5th 03, 12:25 PM
I have just purchased a new computer with WinXP. For some
very good reasons, which I'll go into if it's really
important to someone, I want to continue to run Lotus 123
for dos on the new computer. (Yes, I have Lotus 123 for
Windows.) The dos program runs fine on the XP computer,
but all but the very smallest of my 646 spreadsheets
say "Error - memory full" when I try to open them. I have
adjusted the command prompt shortcut to provide "Expanded
Memory", with no improvement. Investigation reveals that
XP uses much more of "conventional memory" (the original
640k memory that was all anyone was ever going to need
when the IBM PC system was invented) than Win 98 uses.
Lotus 123 for dos uses conventional memory for the bulk
of each spreadsheet loaded, and there just isn't enough.
In 95 and 98 there were programs you could run
like "himem" and "memmaker" which, IIRC, enhanced
conventional memory.

My question: Does anyone know whether there is a way to
run himem or memmaker in an XP compupter, or a way to
fool XP into using less conventional memory?

Yes, I know I could set up the new computer to dual boot
to XP and 98, or network both computers, but I'd much
rather find a way to run the dos program more
successfully under XP, if there is any way to do so. Yes,
I know I could split up my spreadsheets to make them much
smaller - I have done so for one spreadheet, but I fear
it would make so many spreadsheets to manage that I would
meet myself going to bed when I got up each morning.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Sharon F
December 5th 03, 12:26 PM
On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 11:23:55 -0700, Hank wrote:

> I have just purchased a new computer with WinXP. For some
> very good reasons, which I'll go into if it's really
> important to someone, I want to continue to run Lotus 123
> for dos on the new computer. (Yes, I have Lotus 123 for
> Windows.) The dos program runs fine on the XP computer,
> but all but the very smallest of my 646 spreadsheets
> say "Error - memory full" when I try to open them. I have
> adjusted the command prompt shortcut to provide "Expanded
> Memory", with no improvement. Investigation reveals that
> XP uses much more of "conventional memory" (the original
> 640k memory that was all anyone was ever going to need
> when the IBM PC system was invented) than Win 98 uses.
> Lotus 123 for dos uses conventional memory for the bulk
> of each spreadsheet loaded, and there just isn't enough.
> In 95 and 98 there were programs you could run
> like "himem" and "memmaker" which, IIRC, enhanced
> conventional memory.
>
> My question: Does anyone know whether there is a way to
> run himem or memmaker in an XP compupter, or a way to
> fool XP into using less conventional memory?
>
> Yes, I know I could set up the new computer to dual boot
> to XP and 98, or network both computers, but I'd much
> rather find a way to run the dos program more
> successfully under XP, if there is any way to do so. Yes,
> I know I could split up my spreadsheets to make them much
> smaller - I have done so for one spreadheet, but I fear
> it would make so many spreadsheets to manage that I would
> meet myself going to bed when I got up each morning.
>
> Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hank, you can also add a call for EMS in the config.nt file. Path to this
is: %systemroot%\System32\config.nt (replace %systemroot% with the path to
your Windows folder)

A snippet about configuring memory for DOS programs from MVP Alex Nichol:

(begin quote) "One that I always suggest for DOS programs (not in a games
context) is an edit to config.nt to *enable* EMM and hence allow the LH
items to work, and for that matter the pif settings. What seems best is
the line EMM = B=4000 RAM It seems to need the B=4000 explicitly, even
though that value is the default, and the exact spacing round the first =,
not the second.

Then you get around 612 K conventional memory on running the DOS program
(eg mem.exe) from a shortcut; and I suggest also using explicit values
(generous ones) in the PIF for EMM etc." (end quote)

--
Sharon F
MS-MVP/ Windows XP - Shell/User

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