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1995-09-26
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IBM ThinkPad 755, 750, 360, 355
DOS / Windows Memory Management Tips
August 30, 1995
Scope:
This document provides some suggestions for increasing free memory
below 1 MB in the DOS and Windows 3.1/3.11 operating environments.
Except as noted below, the suggestions apply to the following models
of ThinkPads:
755 - all models
750 - all models
360 - all models
355 - all models
If you are using DOS/Windows and are experiencing memory shortages
or "Insufficient Memory" messages, the following actions may help
to increase the available memory.
1. Mwave DSP Drivers
- Applies to TP755CD/CE/CSE/CX/CV/CDV with Mwave DSP
Version 1.00 Mwave drivers required a large amount of memory below
1MB in the Windows environment, often limiting the number of Windows
applications that could be opened at one time. This is corrected with
version 1.02 or later drivers. The current version is 1.10.
To install the updated drivers, first obtain the MWAVE110.DOC package
from the BBS and follow the instructions for obtaining and installing
the necessary diskettes.
2. Windows Audio Driver
- Applies to TP750 / TP755C/CS / TP360CE/CSE/PE with Codec
Audio card
If you are not using Video for Windows or other full motion video
applications in Windows, you may be able to save a significant
amount of memory in the Windows environment by installing a new
version of the Windows Audio Driver that can be almost entirely
loaded into extended memory. Full motion video with audio is demanding
and best performance can only be achieved when the Windows Audio
Driver is loaded low (below 1 MB).
To install the new driver, IBMMME5.DRV:
a. First obtain and install the Windows Audio support from
ThinkPad Audio Features 1.31. This diskette is in the package
AFTPS131.EXE on the IBM PC Co. BBS.
Note: If Audio Features has been previously installed on
your computer, you may get an error message when
starting Windows that indicates that duplicate entries
of the line:
device=TPAUDVXD.386
are in the SYSTEM.INI. If this occurs, edit SYSTEM.INI
and remove the duplicate entry in the [386Enhance]
section.
b. Make a backup copy of your current IBMMME.DRV, located in
the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory by copying it to a file
such as IBMMME.D00. This step is important to make it easier
to restore the current Audio Driver should you need improved
Audio/Video Sync in the future.
c. Copy IBMMME5.DRV to IBMMME.DRV in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM
subdirectory (OK to over-write the current file if you have
made backup copy as described above).
d. Edit the TPAUDWIN.INI file in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM subdirectory.
Locate the [COMMON] section and add the following line:
LOADHIGH=1
Save the change and exit your editor.
e. Restart Windows for the new Audio Driver to take effect.
>>> WARNING: This audio driver is a BETA release, and although we have
>>> not experienced any problems with it, it is not supported and
>>> you must use it at your own risk.
NOTE: The above procedure installs the Beta Audio Driver with
the ability to load in extended memory, freeing memory for
Windows applications. If, however, you experience problems with for pe
Audio/Video sync in full motion video, you may want to return to
original IBMMME.DRV and use the other memory saving tips in this
document. To return to the original IBMMME.DRV, copy your backup
copy of your original IBMMME.DRV to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IBMMME.DRV.
For example, if you named your backup copy IBMMME.D00, then you
would copy IBMMME.D00 to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\IBMMME.DRV. Restart
Windows for the change to take effect.
3. REM DOS Audio Driver in CONFIG.SYS
- Applies to TP750 / TP755C/CS / TP360CE/CSE/PE with Codec
Audio card
If you are not using audio in DOS applications, you may save more than
50KB of memory by removing the DOS Audio Driver from CONFIG.SYS, or
by placing a "REM " in front of this line. Audio will still function in
Windows.
4. Include Monochrome VGA Video Buffer Area
- Applies to all ThinkPads
If your DOS applications do not use the monochrome VGA video mode,
you can gain an additional 32 KB of memory by doing the following:
a. Make sure MONOUMB.386 is in your C:\DOS subdirectory
b. Add "DEVICE=C:\DOS\MONOUMB.386" to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI [386Enh]
section.
c. Add "I=B000-B7FF" include parameter to EMM386 line in CONFIG.SYS,
such as:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS X=C800-CFFF
becomes DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7FF X=C800-CFFF
d. Reboot the PC to take effect.
5. Include Unused Reserved BIOS Area
- Applies to TP750 / TP755C/CS / TP360 / TP355
- Not necessary for TP755CE/CD/CSE/CX/CV/CDV due to different memory
mapping
Although the entire area E0000 - FFFFF (128KB) is reserved for BIOS,
some of this area may actually be available for use by EMM386, or
other memory managers. The actual area available varies with Machine
Type and Model, and with BIOS level. Video BIOS is included in the
reserved BIOS area above, so the C0000 - DFFFF area is completely
available for use by ISA adapters, SCSI (Dock 1 and Dock 2), PCMCIA,
and by Memory managers such as EMM386. Following are the current areas
available:
BIOS Level
System Program BIOS Reserved
Service Diskette P/N and BIOS Area
Machine Version Date Available
--------- ------------ -------------- ----------------
TP750 except Ce 1.40 91G0716/03-31-95 E000-E5FF (24KB)
TP750Ce 1.40 91G0720/04-26-95 E000-E6FF (28KB)
TP755C/Cs 1.40 91G1218/09-13-95 E000-E5FF (24KB)
All TP360/355 1.40 91G1217/09-13-95 E000-E5FF (24KB)
CAUTION: The memory areas listed above are valid for the corresponding
BIOS P/N's, and are subject to change in future updates of BIOS.
6. Minimize Reserved UMB for PCMCIA Cards
- Applies to all ThinkPads using IBM Card and Socket Services (PC Card
Director)
In the DOS / Windows preloads, a total of 32 KB is reserved for
use by PCMCIA Card Services and PCMCIA cards. However, depending on
the PCMCIA cards you are actually using, this area may be reduced.
Minimum requirements are:
Card Services 4KB
Modem 0KB additional
IBM Token Ring 24KB additional
IBM Ethernet 16KB additional
IBM 3270 8KB additional
IBM 5250 8KB additional
SRAM/ATA 4KB additional
This memory usage is specified by the "/MA= " parameter of the
Resource Map Utility, DICRMU01.SYS in the CONFIG.SYS.
Additional notes are:
- Card Services and PCMCIA cards can use any 4KB area between:
C000 - DFFF (TP750)
C100 - CFFF (TP755 and TP360/355)
D100 - DFFF (TP755 and TP360/355)
C800 - EFFF (TP755CD/CD/CSE/CX/CV/CDV with Video BIOS at
C000-C7FF)
C000 - E7FF (TP755CD/CD/CSE/CX/CV/CDV with Video BIOS at
E800-EFFF)
- Care must be taken to ensure that PCMCIA cards are setup to use
areas within the specified "/MA= " Range, or they may fail to
be enabled. For example, the PROTOCOL.INI or NET.CFG for a
Token Ring PCMCIA card should not specify MMIO or SRAM outside
of the "/MA= " area.
- Any area included in the "/MA= " is designated as available for
Card Services / PCMCIA devices, and therefore, should not be
used by other devices or memory managers. For example, if
/MA=C100-C7FF
then this area should be excluded from EMM386 with the
X=C100-C7FF
parameter on the EMM386 line in CONFIG.SYS.
See the User's Guide section on PCMCIA for more details.
7. Disable Dock 2 SCSI BIOS If Not Required
- Applies to ThinkPads using Dock 2 Docking Station
If you are not actually using any SCSI device in the Dock 2, or are only
using the internal SCSI CDROM, you do not need to load SCSI BIOS. Disabling
the SCSI BIOS in the Dock 2 will free 16 KB of memory.
To disable the SCSI BIOS, do the following:
a. Ensure that either no SCSI device is installed, or that only the
internal SCSI CD ROM is installed.
b. Determine if SCSI BIOS is currently enabled. Boot the ThinkPad while
attached to the Dock 2. If the following message appears, SCSI
BIOS is enabled:
Adaptec IBM Dock II SCSI BIOS
Press <Ctrl><A> for SCSISelect(TM) Utility!
c. If SCSI BIOS is enabled, then you may disable it by removing the
Dock 2 cover and setting the DIP switch block to:
sw1 sw2 sw3 sw4
--- --- --- ---
On On On don't change
This will disable SCSI BIOS, but allow the SCSI controller to
be active for CDROM support. See the Dock 2 User's Guide pages
78 and 79 for location of DIP switches. Reinstall the Dock 2
cover.
d. Attach the ThinkPad to the Dock 2 and reboot. You should no longer
see the "Adaptec IBM Dock II SCSI BIOS" message during boot.
8. Use Point Enablers for PCMCIA
- Applies to all ThinkPads running DOS / Windows with PCMCIA
If you do not need the ability to "hot plug" PCMCIA cards (ie. to
insert / eject cards without powering off / rebooting), you may be
able to use "point enablers" to enable your PCMCIA cards. Point enablers
communicate directly with the PCMCIA controller, and allow you to save
the memory used by the Socket Services, Card Services, PCMCIA Power
Management, and any PCMCIA client drivers.
NOTE: Care should be taken when using more than one Point Enabler,
since there is potential that one may interfere with operation
of another. You may have to try the two enablers together and
be sure no problems occur.
NOTE: Generally, point enablers cannot be used to enable PCMCIA cards
in the PCMCIA slots in the Port Replicator 1 or the Dock 2 unless
they have been specifically modified to do so by the PCMCIA card
manufacturer.
9. Group UMBs used by Devices
- Applies to all ThinkPads running DOS / Windows
The upper memory area, between the 640KB conventional memory and the
1MB limit, is best utilized by EMM386 or other memory managers if all
free upper memory is contiguous. Device drivers and TSR type programs
can then be loaded more easily and efficiently into Upper Memory
Blocks.
To accomplish this, it is best to group all memory used by devices such
as:
PCMCIA Cards (and Card Services)
ISA Adapters (in Dock 1 or Dock 2)
SCSI BIOS (Dock 1 or Dock 2)
together either at the bottom of the available upper memory range
or at the top of the available upper memory range as much as possible.
Limitations of some devices may dictate to what degree this can
actually be accomplished.