     My plain MS-DOS 6.22 command line prompt memory configurations


The following memory screens were obtained by running:
MEM /A /C > C:\path\MEM62.TXT
at the plain DOS prompt, with NO program running, after a MS-DOS 6.22
bootup.

I used DOSMAX, SHELLMAX and ENVIMAX (all part of the DosMax package), to
load BUFFERS, STACKS, FILES, FCBS, LASTDRIVE, the COMMAND interpreter and
the enviroment modules into upper memory blocks.

To see the devices/drivers/TSR-s loaded in MS-DOS mode at bootup time,
open my AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files (included in this archive) with
Notepad in Windows (or with EDIT.COM in MS-DOS mode).
The memory managers' foot prints are of different sizes. QEMM386.SYS has
the smallest foot print of all three managers used here, allowing for more
free conventional memory (629KB). This is possible because QEMM386.SYS's
foot print is so small (both in low and upper RAM), allowing for more room
in upper memory, for loadind devices/drivers/TSR-s high.

WARNING: Beware of the incompatibilities you may run into using QEMM386 or
         NetRoom (RM386) memory managers! Some DOS applications are still
         designed to work exclusively with Microsoft's memory managers
         (HIMEM.SYS and EMM386). So you may get EMM memory allocation or
         memory region violation error messages while trying to start such
         a program, and/or your system may lock up, forcing a reboot!
         If that happens, replace QEMM386's or RM386's lines in your
         CONFIG.SYS with the HIMEM.SYS and EMM386 lines recomended (read
         MEMORY.TXT for details on how to tweak your memory manager to
         provide maximum performance for needs) !

UPDATE: Recently I downloaded and installed Logitech's Mouseware new mouse
        drivers version 7.1 for DOS and Windows 95/31 (freely distributed
        on AOL).
        Logitech's DOS MOUSE.EXE driver loads in extended memory (due to
        the "Cloaking" technology, designed by Helix Software, makers of
        NetRoom memory manager), thus freeing the upper RAM space I was
        using to load my old DOS Mouse driver.
        My Logitech 7.1 lines in AUTOEXEC.BAT:
        LH C:\MAX\CLOAKING
        C:\MAX\MOUSE.EXE 1 MEMA MEMSA CENHANCE AMEDIUM
        This way I gained 17KB of upper RAM, for not using my old MOUSE.COM
        driver anymore.

        NOTE: Logitech's MouseWare for DOS/Windows 31/95, version 7.1, is a
              MUST HAVE FOR ALL DOS/WINDOWS USERS! Download it from:
              1. AOL PC World's Windows 95 area, the "Miscellaneous Apps"
                 page (or type LOGI71 in AOL's File Search keyword box) and
                 DL the file LOGI71.ZIP (1,381,692 bytes).
              2. http://www.logitech.com/TechSupp/2122.htm
                 (where you can find ONLY the old version 6.43 of Logitech
                 DOS/Win31 mouse drivers and the NEW version 7.2 of Win95
                 only Logitech mouse driver).
                 I couldn't find LogiTech v7.1 mouse drivers on any web/ftp
                 site so far. I'd appreciate if you'd send me the URL that
                 posts this driver, if you find it (to make it available
                 for all Windows/DOS interested users). My e-mail address:
                 AXCEL216@aol.com

        Fairly recent, I bought a fast 8x speed internal IDE ATAPI CD-ROM
        drive (Turtle Beach NEC IDE 8000, 256KB buffer, 145msec), which loads
        a smaller device driver (Acer's IDE ATAPI CD-ROM device driver
        VIDE-CDD.SYS) in upper memory (5KB), compared to my ol' 2x speed
        CD-ROM drive, using Creative Labs's proprietary SBCD.SYS CD-ROM driver,
        that was taking 13KB of upper RAM.

        NOTE: VIDE-CDD.SYS can be downloaded from:
              http://www.acer.com/aac/aod/support/ftp.htm
              Click the file 665A210.EXE (a self-extractive zip which
              contains the VIDE-CDD.SYS driver, designed for Acer's 6 speed
              IDE CD-ROM drives). To my knowledge, VIDE-CDD.SYS works great
              with ANY 6-10 speed internal IDE ATAPI CD-ROM-s, that use the
              default 16bit IDE connector (all Pentium motherboards provide
              the 16bit IDE connector interface, for any IDE drive you might
              have on your system).

        So my new memory configuration now shows 625KB of free low RAM, but
        30KB of free upper, compared with my old free upper memory
        configuration of only 16KB (using Microsoft's memory managers:
        HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE).
        ... And Windows is "happier" if you provide it with lots of free
        upper memory (and works faster, too).

        NOTE: On my NetRoom (RM386) screen bellow, notice the absence of
              the CLOAKING device, because NetRoom memory manager has the
              Cloaking technology built-in (Helix Software designed the
              Cloaking technology).

NOTE: Read also MSD62.TXT for technical details about my system, a text
      file created by running Microsoft Diagnostics utility (MSD.EXE).



I used 3 different memory managers (with all drivers/devices/TSR-s loaded
in upper memory):


1. Using MS-DOS 6.22's EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS memory managers:

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

  Name           Total       =   Conventional   +   Upper Memory
  --------  ----------------   ----------------   ----------------
  MSDOS        9,517    (9K)      9,517    (9K)          0    (0K)
  HIMEM        1,168    (1K)      1,168    (1K)          0    (0K)
  EMM386       4,288    (4K)      4,288    (4K)          0    (0K)
  VIDE-CDD     5,104    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,104    (5K)
  CSP          5,264    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,264    (5K)
  IFSHLP       3,904    (4K)          0    (0K)      3,904    (4K)
  ANSI         3,216    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,216    (3K)
  FILES        4,448    (4K)          0    (0K)      4,448    (4K)
  FCBS            96    (0K)          0    (0K)         96    (0K)
  WKBUFFER       528    (1K)          0    (0K)        528    (1K)
  LASTDRIV       640    (1K)          0    (0K)        640    (1K)
  INSTALL        160    (0K)          0    (0K)        160    (0K)
  RECALL       2,368    (2K)          0    (0K)      2,368    (2K)
  MOUSE        1,040    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,040    (1K)
  COMMAND      3,504    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,504    (3K)
  UNIVBE      13,648   (13K)          0    (0K)     13,648   (13K)
  CLOAKING     1,408    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,408    (1K)
  MSCDEX       2,816    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,816    (3K)
  FAST         1,296    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,296    (1K)
  CACHECLK     3,088    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,088    (3K)
  SMARTDRV    34,976   (34K)          0    (0K)     34,976   (34K)
  DOSMAX         240    (0K)          0    (0K)        240    (0K)
  --------     2,880    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,880    (3K)
  Free       670,880  (655K)    639,840  (625K)     31,040   (30K)

Memory Summary:

  Type of Memory       Total   =    Used    +    Free
  ----------------  ----------   ----------   ----------
  Conventional         655,360       15,520      639,840
  Upper                121,664       90,624       31,040
  Reserved             393,216      393,216            0
  Extended (XMS)*   32,384,192    6,565,056   25,819,136
  ----------------  ----------   ----------   ----------
  Total memory      33,554,432    7,064,416   26,490,016

  Total under 1 MB     777,024      106,144      670,880

  Total Expanded (EMS)                32,833,536 (32,064K
  Free Expanded (EMS)*                26,066,944 (25,456K

  * EMM386 is using XMS memory to simulate EMS memory as needed.
    Free EMS memory may change as free XMS memory changes.

  Largest executable program size        639,824   (625K)
  Largest free upper memory block         25,488    (25K)
  Available space in High Memory Area     15,920    (16K)
  MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.


2. Using Helix NetRoom's RM386.EXE version 3.04 updated memory manager:

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

  Name           Total       =   Conventional   +   Upper Memory
  --------  ----------------   ----------------   ----------------
  MSDOS        9,517    (9K)      9,517    (9K)          0    (0K)
  RM386        4,976    (5K)      4,976    (5K)          0    (0K)
  VIDE-CDD     5,104    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,104    (5K)
  CSP          5,264    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,264    (5K)
  IFSHLP       3,904    (4K)          0    (0K)      3,904    (4K)
  ANSI         3,216    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,216    (3K)
  RECALL       2,368    (2K)          0    (0K)      2,368    (2K)
  FAST         1,296    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,296    (1K)
  COMMAND      3,504    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,504    (3K)
  UNIVBE      13,648   (13K)          0    (0K)     13,648   (13K)
  MSCDEX       2,816    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,816    (3K)
  CACHECLK     3,088    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,088    (3K)
  SMARTDRV    34,976   (34K)          0    (0K)     34,976   (34K)
  --------     2,880    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,880    (3K)
  DOSMAX         240    (0K)          0    (0K)        240    (0K)
  FILES        4,448    (4K)          0    (0K)      4,448    (4K)
  FCBS            96    (0K)          0    (0K)         96    (0K)
  WKBUFFER       528    (1K)          0    (0K)        528    (1K)
  LASTDRIV       640    (1K)          0    (0K)        640    (1K)
  INSTALL        160    (0K)          0    (0K)        160    (0K)
  MOUSE        1,040    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,040    (1K)
  Free       676,992  (661K)    639,280  (624K)     37,712   (37K)

Memory Summary:

  Type of Memory       Total   =    Used    +    Free
  ----------------  ----------   ----------   ----------
  Conventional         654,336       15,056      639,280
  Upper                126,928       89,216       37,712
  Reserved                   0            0            0
  Extended (XMS)    32,378,928    6,695,984   25,682,944
  ----------------  ----------   ----------   ----------
  Total memory      33,160,192    6,800,256   26,359,936

  Total under 1 MB     781,264      104,272      676,992

  Total Expanded (EMS)                31,719,424 (30,976K
  Free Expanded (EMS)                 25,673,728 (25,072K
  Largest executable program size        639,264   (624K)
  Largest free upper memory block         25,040    (24K)
  Available space in High Memory Area     19,504    (19K)
  MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.


3. Using QuarterDeck's QEMM386.SYS version 8.01 updated memory manager:

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

  Name           Total       =   Conventional   +   Upper Memory
  --------  ----------------   ----------------   ----------------
  MSDOS        9,517    (9K)      9,517    (9K)          0    (0K)
  QEMM386        912    (1K)        912    (1K)          0    (0K)
  VIDE-CDD     5,104    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,104    (5K)
  CSP          5,264    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,264    (5K)
  IFSHLP       3,904    (4K)          0    (0K)      3,904    (4K)
  ANSI         3,216    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,216    (3K)
  FILES        4,448    (4K)          0    (0K)      4,448    (4K)
  FCBS            96    (0K)          0    (0K)         96    (0K)
  WKBUFFER       528    (1K)          0    (0K)        528    (1K)
  LASTDRIV       640    (1K)          0    (0K)        640    (1K)
  INSTALL        160    (0K)          0    (0K)        160    (0K)
  RECALL       2,368    (2K)          0    (0K)      2,368    (2K)
  MOUSE        1,040    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,040    (1K)
  FAST         1,296    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,296    (1K)
  COMMAND      3,504    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,504    (3K)
  UNIVBE      13,648   (13K)          0    (0K)     13,648   (13K)
  CLOAKING     1,408    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,408    (1K)
  MSCDEX       2,816    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,816    (3K)
  CACHECLK     3,088    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,088    (3K)
  SMARTDRV    34,976   (34K)          0    (0K)     34,976   (34K)
  DOSMAX         240    (0K)          0    (0K)        240    (0K)
  --------     2,880    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,880    (3K)
  Free       676,752  (661K)    644,368  (629K)     32,384   (32K)

Memory Summary:

  Type of Memory       Total   =    Used    +    Free
  ----------------  ----------   ----------   ----------
  Conventional         655,360       10,992      644,368
  Upper                123,008       90,624       32,384
  Reserved             393,216      393,216            0
  Extended (XMS)    32,382,848    6,020,992   26,361,856
  ----------------  ----------   ----------   ----------
  Total memory      33,554,432    6,515,824   27,038,608

  Total under 1 MB     778,368      101,616      676,752

  Total Expanded (EMS)                32,669,696 (31,904K
  Free Expanded (EMS)                 26,361,856 (25,744K
  Largest executable program size        644,352   (629K)
  Largest free upper memory block         26,512    (26K)
  Available space in High Memory Area     19,504    (19K)
  MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.