insufficient memory in Windows 98

I have installed windows 98 to a new hard drive as part of a new system build.  When I try to boot to Windows 98 I keep getting an error message that says: "insufficient memory to initialize Windows."

I have tried to the vcache workaround suggested by the Windows support site.  But, no joy.  I still get the insufficient memory error message.any suggestions from you guys about alternate workaround?

Motherboard: ABIT AN52.
Memory: PC2 (DDR2) 6400,2 x 1 GB (4-4-4-12), 2.2v, Patriot brand.
Graphics: Radeon HD4200.
Hard drive: Maxtor 6L120P0 250 GB.
Floppy drive: 1.44.
Optical Drive: LG 18x GSA-H54LI

Since you've found the vcache method,  you've probably also run across this one too.   Just to be sure,  I'll mention it.

Start->Run->msconfig->Advanced

Limit memory to 512M



[file cleanup - saving space - attachment deleted by admin]

Does it also say:

Quit one or more memory-resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities

How much RAM do you have?

thank you both for your prompt replies.
Willie W: 

Since you've found the vcache method,  you've probably also run across this one too.   Just to be sure,  I'll mention it.

Start->Run->msconfig->Advanced

Limit memory to 512M

Yes I found this workaround as well on the Microsoft site.  Unfortunately it seems to require being in Windows to use and as yet I can't get into Windows.  Unless there's a way to get around being in Windows when you use msconfig?

Broni:

Does it also say:

Quit one or more memory-resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities

Yes it does, or something very much like that.

How much RAM do you have?

Memory: PC2 (DDR2) 6400,2 x 1 GB (4-4-4-12), 2.2v, Patriot brand.

Since you've found the vcache method,  you've probably also run across this one too.   Just to be sure,  I'll mention it.

Start->Run->msconfig->Advanced

Limit memory to 512M

Yes I found this workaround as well on the Microsoft site.  Unfortunately it seems to require being in Windows to use and as yet I can't get into Windows.  Unless there's a way to get around being in Windows when you use msconfig?

I suspected that you were not able to get that far.


That's a good question.   I wonder if it is writing to a simple text config file somewhere....   
I don't know.
Maybe somebody else does, and will jump in here.
Otherwise - it'll be Google time.   



"Memory: PC2 (DDR2) 6400,2 x 1 GB (4-4-4-12), 2.2v, Patriot brand."
One idea that comes to mind -    do you happen to have a stick of memory around that is 512M or less?     If so,  remove your 2G, and try it with less memory.
If nothing else,   try it with 1G instead of 2G.



Other idea -  are you sure that the "Win98 more than 512M of memory"  thing is the problem in the first place?      Could it be something else?

I ask, because I ran with over 512M of memory for a long time before I stumbled across the info that it might not be wise to do so with Win98.
Never once did I have a problem.

[Moderator]

Post a copy of your autoexec/bat and config.sys...

Also See What MS Says

Insufficient memory to initialize Windows.
Quit one or more memory-resident programs or remove unnecessary utilities from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and restart your computer.

I asked, because...
That's the error, when you have 1GB, or more RAM installed on Windows 98: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/184447
Of course, it can be done only by Micro$oft, to give you an error about Insufficient memory, while actually, you have too much of it...LOL

Patio:
Here's the Config.sys from the root directory:DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\setver.exe
I couldn't find an autoexec.bat file on the root directory (c:) or in the /windows subdirectory.  Could that be part of the problem, a faulty or incomplete installation of Windows that didn't create an autoexec.bat?   I'm sufficiently ignorant that I don't even know if I need an autoexec.bat to start up Windows.

WillyW

"Memory: PC2 (DDR2) 6400,2 x 1 GB (4-4-4-12), 2.2v, Patriot brand."
One idea that comes to mind -    do you happen to have a stick of memory around that is 512M or less?     If so,  remove your 2G, and try it with less memory.
If nothing else,   try it with 1G instead of 2G.

Sounds like a good idea.  However, the only memory that I have available now is two sticks of PC-100, 64 MB each.  My new motherboard is designed to take DDR-2memory up to 8 MB, and I'm not sure whether that will be backward compatible.  Does anybody know anything about that?  Sounds like it's worth a shot.  I'll give it a try and let you know what happens.

Other idea -  are you sure that the "Win98 more than 512M of memory"  thing is the problem in the first place?      Could it be something else?  I ask, because I ran with over 512M of memory for a long time before I stumbled across the info that it might not be wise to do so with Win98.
Never once did I have a problem.

Yes, I'm fairly certain that is the problem.  I encountered this  issue once before when I tried to add 2 MB of RAM to an existing Windows 98 SE system.  I got the same message and was unable to resolve it then as well.  Additionally, I have a friend who works in IT who says that this is an issue endemic to Windows 98 SE.
This is borne out by the fact that Microsoft support has two workarounds for the problem.

 Broni

Of course, it can be done only by Micro$oft, to give you an error about Insufficient memory, while actually, you have too much of it...LOL

Too true. 

Once again, thank you all for your help and your speedy replies.

Scridley54

Aren't there command-line inputs to "burn" memory?

I wondered why you would ever need them.

I briefly recall them in some revision for the A+ Essentials.

[Moderator]

How exactly did you do this new install of Win98 ? ?

That config.sys is lacking himem.sys for one...
Also i see no other device drivers present either how is this machine functioning at all ? ?
And it should have an autoexec.bat in the root of C: even if it's empty.

Is there another OS installed on this machine ?

Patio:

How exactly did you do this new install of Win98 ? ?

The usual way, I guess.  I physically assembled all the components, went into CMOS and set it all up as per the instructions that came with the motherboard documentation.  Then I used the software that came with the hard drive (MaxBlast 4) to partition and format the hard drive.  I created two equal partitions, one of which, the C drive, was to be bootable.  Then I used my Windows 98SE, CD bootable, to install Windows.  Everything went fine until it rebooted at which point I started getting the insufficient memory message.

That config.sys is lacking himem.sys for one...
Also i see no other device drivers present either how is this machine functioning at all ? ?

Obviously, it ain't functioning very well.     What device drivers should be present in config.sys and at what point are they supposed to be created during the installation process?  It's been a long time since I installed an OS or messed around with the DOS command line./i]

And it should have an autoexec.bat in the root of C: even if it's empty.

That makes sense.  It's starting to sound like the Windows installation was incomplete or flawed, isn't it?  Should I, at this point, be considering a re-installation of Windows, do you think? 
I wasn't able to use the PC 100 memory on this new motherboard as I mentioned I was going to do in my last post.  So I resorted to removing 1 GB and trying to boot to Windows with just 1 GB installed as WillieW suggested.  It did boot up to Windows, but it was pretty twitchy.I did a safe mode boot and got all sorts of really weird messages as it tried to start.  It did get into safe mode but it was super, super slow.  The time between mouse clicking or entering a function could be as long as 45 seconds to never.  When I tried to shut windows down it hung, and I had to do a hard boot.  Does this suggest anything to anyone?

Is there another OS installed on this machine ?

No.  I don't see how there could be.  As mentioned above, the drive was partitioned and formatted which should have destroyed any OS already on the drive.

Thanks for the questions and suggestions.  I'm relearning a lot that I had forgotten, and learning much that I didn't know.  We'll get this sucker fixed yet.

Scridley54

[Moderator]

Well something is wrong with this install that's for sure...
I'd drop the RAM down to just one of your 1G sticks and do a re-install paying attention to all the early prompts.
As far as device drivers they will be present after you have installed them which some should occur during the install....mouse, sound etc.

Start over and have all your drivers ready...
And you're absolutely correct...we'll get this sucker fixed !

I was under the impression that W/98 will not handle more than 512mb of ram.  See here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253912

MS suggests a WORKAROUND, and i also read that you can  edit himemsys to tell it there is a limit beyond the 512MB barrier. And some say that W/98 cannot effectively handle more than 160mb ram

I have an old white box with an AMD 650mhz that  i upped to 320mb ram, and the MSI 6195 mobo says it's limit is 750gb. I ran it intensively for 6 years, and now use it as a Media player, and it is faster in boot up and basic tasks with  than my present Vista with 1.5 gb ram! 

Of course, Vista can do more, and as W/98 easily crashes when out of sys. resources,  i would suggest two safe freeware apps i found very helpful for it. You can configure TClock to show your system resources and memory load at all times, while FreeRAM XP Pro can be configured to alert you when resources drop to a defined level. http://www.pricelesswarehome.org/2005/PL2005ORGANIZERS.php
http://www.yourwaresolutions.com/

...
That config.sys is lacking himem.sys for one...
Also i see no other device drivers present either how is this machine functioning at all ? ?

himem.sys should be loaded in config.sys?
I thought mem management was all handled by Win98.

I thought I remembered that config.sys here (Win98SE) is a 0KB empty file.   Went and checked.
It is.

Check your Win98 install's config.sys.    Anything in it?

And it should have an autoexec.bat in the root of C: even if it's empty.

Here,  autoexec.bat just has a line to run AVG during boot, and one more line to set the path.    I really don't know just how Windows would behave without that path statement,  i.e. empty.

I was under the impression that W/98 will not handle more than 512mb of ram.

The memory manager for Windows won't use more than 512MB, however you should be able to have more memory than that. I was running 1GB when I had Win98. Even though Win98 won't use beyond 512MB, any programs that have built in memory managers (such as Adobe Photoshop) can utilize that extra memory.