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Hank
December 5th 03, 12:48 PM
Can anyone else help? No answer from Alex to a message I
posted a couple of days ago:

Dear Alex,

I am trying to get Lotus 123 for dos to open large
spreadsheets on a new XP computer. It runs out of
conventional memory.

You were quoted on this newsgroup as follows:
(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)

I have inserted the EMM line exactly as suggested, and
that has raised the conventional memory available, but
nowhere near to 612K. In the XP computer as received, 123
opened with 369744 bytes available. After adding the EMM
line to config.nt I had 386486 bytes available. I have
retrieved a few more by changing files=40 to files=20,
which gets me to 387152 bytes (I think that means I can
only open 20 dos files at a time. ???)

I have enabled expanded memory using "properties" of the
program shortcut, but still need more conventional.

In my win 98 computer, I had 409808 bytes available, and
could have used more. I have some pretty big
spreadsheets, and would like to avoid having to split them.

Any suggestions to get me closer to the 612K you were
quoted as expecting?

One other question: That "not in a games context" phrase
makes me wonder whether this change will effect the way XP
runs any other programs?

Thanks already, and thanks in advance,

Hank
..

Sharon F
December 5th 03, 12:58 PM
On Tue, 19 Aug 2003 10:33:40 -0700, Hank wrote:

> Can anyone else help? No answer from Alex to a message I
> posted a couple of days ago:
>
> Dear Alex,
>
> I am trying to get Lotus 123 for dos to open large
> spreadsheets on a new XP computer. It runs out of
> conventional memory.
>
> You were quoted on this newsgroup as follows:
> (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)
>
> I have inserted the EMM line exactly as suggested, and
> that has raised the conventional memory available, but
> nowhere near to 612K. In the XP computer as received, 123
> opened with 369744 bytes available. After adding the EMM
> line to config.nt I had 386486 bytes available. I have
> retrieved a few more by changing files=40 to files=20,
> which gets me to 387152 bytes (I think that means I can
> only open 20 dos files at a time. ???)
>
> I have enabled expanded memory using "properties" of the
> program shortcut, but still need more conventional.
>
> In my win 98 computer, I had 409808 bytes available, and
> could have used more. I have some pretty big
> spreadsheets, and would like to avoid having to split them.
>
> Any suggestions to get me closer to the 612K you were
> quoted as expecting?
>
> One other question: That "not in a games context" phrase
> makes me wonder whether this change will effect the way XP
> runs any other programs?
>
> Thanks already, and thanks in advance,
>
> Hank
> .

Hank, Alex just got back from vacation and probably hasn't seen your
message. He is usually in the windowsxp.general group. May want to repost
this question in that group and possibly post in performance/maintenance or
in games too. Even though the program is not a game that you're dealing
with, the dos configuration would be handled very similarly.

A reference for you to peruse while waiting:
Troubleshooting MS-DOS-Based Programs in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314106


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

Hank
December 5th 03, 08:21 PM
>
>Hank, Alex just got back from vacation and probably
hasn't seen your
>message. He is usually in the windowsxp.general group.
May want to repost
>this question in that group and possibly post in
performance/maintenance or
>in games too. Even though the program is not a game that
you're dealing
>with, the dos configuration would be handled very
similarly.
>
>A reference for you to peruse while waiting:
>Troubleshooting MS-DOS-Based Programs in Windows
>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;314106
>
>
>--
>Sharon F

Many thanks, Sharon. I will pursue this on the General
Board, as you suggest. For info, I have gotten things to
an acceptable state by cutting the number of files (from
files = 40 to files =15) in the config.nt file and by
squeezing my spreadsheets down somewhat, but I am still
interested in seeing whether I can get XP to consume a
little less conventional memory.

Hank

Alex Nichol
December 5th 03, 08:22 PM
Hank wrote:

>You were quoted on this newsgroup as follows:
>(begin quote) "One that I always suggest for DOS programs=20
>(not in a games context) is an edit to config.nt to=20
>*enable* EMM and hence allow the LH items to work, and for=20
>that matter the pif settings. What seems best is
>the line EMM =3D B=3D4000 RAM It seems to need the B=3D4000=20
>explicitly, even though that value is the default, and the=20
>exact spacing round the first =3D, not the second.
>
>Then you get around 612 K conventional memory on running=20
>the DOS program (eg mem.exe) from a shortcut; and I=20
>suggest also using explicit values (generous ones) in the=20
>PIF for EMM etc." (end quote)

You may want also to edit the autoexec.nt file and rem out the lh
statements in it *except* the one for dosx. This will give some more
memory. In full: =20
In config.nt have (apart from the large number of REM lines) just
EMM =3D B=3D4000 RAM
(note the exact spaces - either side of the first =3D and before RAM,
none next to the second =3D) and

dos=3Dhigh, umb
device=3D%SystemRoot%\system32\himem.sys
files=3D40
(or higher files=3D if needed)

and in autoexec.nt have

REM Install DPMI support
lh %SystemRoot%\system32\dosx

with other earlier lh lines REM ed out, and then any SET or PATH lines
that may already be present at the end.


--=20
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K.

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