====================================================================== Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File) PD0746: MEMMAKER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ====================================================================== Revision Date: 5/93 No Disk The following information applies to Microsoft MS-DOS(R), version 6.0 Upgrade. 1. Q. How can I free conventional memory on my computer? A. You can optimize your computer memory use automatically by running the MS-DOS 6.0 MemMaker program. There are some restrictions on using MemMaker to optimize your system memory. MemMaker works on 80386 and 80486 computer systems only; it does not work on 80286 or 8088 systems. It works with the MS- DOS HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE memory-management utilities only; it does not work with third-party utilities, such as Qemm(TM) and 386MAX(R). MemMaker reviews your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and then optimizes them by loading terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs and installable device drivers into the memory area between 640 kilobytes (K) and 1 megabyte (MB)--which is called the upper memory area (UMA). Before you run MemMaker, verify that all device drivers are being loaded properly and that any hardware they control is also functioning correctly. To run MemMaker, type "memmaker" (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt, and press ENTER. Read each screen and follow the instructions listed. During this process you are prompted to choose either Express Setup or Custom Setup. We recommend using the express mode of MemMaker Setup initially. Setup prompts you to verify that your applications require expanded memory. If you are unsure, refer to your software documentation. MemMaker reboots your machine twice while it determines the optimal configuration. When it has chosen a configuration, a screen reports how much memory was available before you ran MemMaker and how much is available now. If the displayed memory is not what you expect or need, press the ESC key to undo changes made by MemMaker. If you accepted the changes made by MemMaker and now want to undo them, type "memmaker /undo" (without the quotation marks) at the MS-DOS command prompt, and then press ENTER. For more information about MemMaker, please refer to the "Managing Your System" chapter of the "Microsoft MS-DOS 6 User's Guide." 2. Q. After MemMaker rebooted my computer, the computer stopped responding ("hung"). How can I correct this problem? A. MemMaker tries to use UMA locations that it determines are free. If your machine hangs, note any error messages that are displayed, then restart your computer. MemMaker detects that your computer is being restarted before the optimization is complete and displays a screen listing possible reasons for the interruption and instructions for resuming or quitting the optimization. Accept the default options to continue. For more information regarding MemMaker, please refer to the "Making More Memory Available" chapter of the "Microsoft MS-DOS 6 User's Guide." 3. Q. I am using the Multi-config commands and I want to optimize my system. Are there any special precautions I should take? A. MemMaker views the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files as a single unit. When you run MemMaker, it removes all references to memory managers and the FILES, BUFFERS, and DOS commands. It then adds the following commands to the top of the CONFIG.SYS file: device=c:\dos\himem.sys device=c:\dos\emm386.exe buffers= files= dos=umb lastdrive= fcbs= NOTE: The setting values for BUFFERS, FILES, LASTDRIVE, and EMM386.EXE are determined by MemMaker based on your configuration. Because of this design, MemMaker cannot optimize CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files that use Multi-config commands. To optimize multiple configurations using MemMaker, you must have separate configuration files for each item on your multiple configuration menu, and run MemMaker on each set of files. This is a complex process. Refer to the "Making More Memory Available" chapter of the "Microsoft MS-DOS 6 User's Guide" for instructions about using MemMaker with multiple configurations. For more information on the multiple configuration commands, refer to the "Configuring Your System" chapter of the "Microsoft MS-DOS 6 User's Guide." For more information on MemMaker, refer to the "Making More Memory Available" chapter of the "Microsoft MS-DOS 6 User's Guide." 4. Q. I have a SCSI hard disk drive. When I try to run MemMaker, the program hangs. How can I correct this problem? A. This problem may occur if a device driver loads into upper memory before the SMARTDrive double_buffer driver. To work around this problem, use the following steps: 1. Restart your computer (if you haven't already done so). 2. When MemMaker prompts you for input, choose Cancel And Undo Changes. 3. Open your CONFIG.SYS file in MS-DOS Editor and add the following line to the beginning of the file: device=c:\dos\smartdrv.exe /double_buffer NOTE: If this line already appears in your CONFIG.SYS file, make sure it is the first line. 4. Save your CONFIG.SYS file. 5. Try running MemMaker again. If the above procedure does not correct the problem, refer to the "Making More Memory Available" chapter of the "Microsoft MS- DOS 6 User's Guide" for information about troubleshooting problems with MemMaker. 5. Q. MemMaker does not complete its process. What could be causing this problem? A. Your system may be calling a batch file or menu program from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file that is preventing MemMaker from finishing. To work around this problem, use the following steps: 1. Open your AUTOEXEC.BAT file in MS-DOS Editor and use the REM command to remark out any batch files or menu programs. 2. Save your modified AUTOEXEC.BAT file and then quit MS-DOS Editor. 3. Run MemMaker again. NOTE: If you receive the MemMaker error message "Invalid Session ID," delete all MEMMAKER.STS files from drive C, remove any MemMaker commands from the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, and then run MemMaker again. You can search for all MEMMAKER.STS files by typing "dir c:\memmaker.sts /s" (without the quotation marks) at the MS- DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER. r's Guide."