Not enough maximum conventional memory.

Hi i'm having trouble with running DOS games. Its because I don't have enough conventional memory. My main worry is I don't have the maximum 640KB of memory its actually 584KB.  This is odd as it recognises my full 192MB of RAM. So does anyone have any advice on how to fix this?

[Moderator]

I guess you could make a game boot disk.
Try Google -> "game boot disk"

It won't work because every time I use a boot disk it won't recognise drive C:\ because it is too big or something.

[Moderator]

I just googled game boot disk & found a heap of 'other' hints to get you going through windows.

I havn't been having too much luck with bootdisks. So do you know whats causing my computer to think there is only 584KB of maximum base memory rather than 640KB?

[Moderator]

You only have 584KB out of 640KB because you are using the other 56KB.

No that's not what the problem is. The 584KB is the maximum plus more memory is used up. 56KB is being used up so there is actually only 528KB free.

[Moderator]

Post your autoexec.bat and config.sys here...

What games are these BTW ?

patio.  

[Moderator]

Type mem <enter> at your prompt & paste the result in here for us to see.

Okay I've got screenshots from both the mem command and my autoexec.bat and config.sys files.

    http://s25.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=25DRCZKE5E91Z342YGAB85QLMT

Screenshots? The contents of both files are easily posted as simple text. Try that instead of a downloadable .zip file.

"Come into my parlor", said the spider to the fly.

[Moderator]

LOL!  I didn't download them either.  

Put up something like this Rippa

C:\WINNT\system32>mem/c

Conventional Memory :

 Name                Size in Decimal
-------------      ---------------------
 MSDOS              11968      ( 11.7K)
 KBD                 3280      (  3.2K)
 HIMEM               1248      (  1.2K)
 COMMAND             3664      (  3.6K)
 DOSX               34720      ( 33.9K)
 FREE                 112      (  0.1K)
 FREE              600176      (586.1K)

Total  FREE :       600288      (586.2K)

Put the contents of you config.sys & autoexec.bat on this forum. Specify your OS version.

You could try this for config.sys on DOS 6.22 and higher.

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE
FILESHIGH=100
BUFFERSHIGH=33
STACKSHIGH=9,256
FCBSHIGH=4,0
DOS=HIGH,UMB

REM OPTIONAL below...
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROM\OAKCDROM.SYS /D:OAKCDROM
DEVICEHIGH=C:\SOUND\SB16.SYS

=================================
If you are running DOS natively... try memmnaker.

Whats wrong with screenshots?

autoexec.bat

EMM386.EXE ON
SET SBPCI=C:\SBPCI
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H7 P330 T6
LH C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\MOUSE.COM


config.sys

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB



I use Windows 98

Memory Type                Total          Used               Free
-----------------------    -------------    -----------        ---------
Conventional                 586K              56K              528K
Upper                                0K                0K                  0K
Reseved                            0K                0K                  0K
Extended (XMS)        66,535K                 ?        195,216K
------------------------  -------------     -----------         ---------
Total Memory            66,119K                 ?        195,744K

Total Under 1MB            586K             56K               528K

Total Expanded (EMS)                                           64M
Free Expanded (EMS)                                            16M

Largest Executable Program Size                        528K
Largest Free Upper Memory Block                           0K
MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.


I typed it in all properly when I wrote the post and after all that it shows up like this. So if you can't read it properly download the screenshot.

[Moderator]

Do you need expanded memory? If not remove the EMM386 reference from autoexec.bat and in the config sys change to

DOS=HIGH,UMB NOEMS

Now are you using real DOS, or is this command prompt? What version of Windows?