Here's my config.sys. the file is put in it's unaltered state next,
and is followed by what passes for an explanation of what these
heiroglyphics may mean:

C:\CONFIG.SYS

*DEVICE=D:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS R:3 RAM NOSH EXCLUDE=C000-CFFF ST:M
*DEVICE=D:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 D:\WINDOWS\MOUSE.SYS /Y
DOS=HIGH
FILES=50
STACKS=0,0
DEVICE=D:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS /R:2 C:\STACKER\STACKER.COM /P=5 D:\STACVOL.DSK
        C:\STACVOL.DSK A:
DEVICE=c:\STACKER\SSWAP.COM D:\STACVOL.DSK
DEVICE=C:\STACKER\SSWAP.COM C:\STACVOL.DSK /SYNC+
*DEVICE= D:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
*DEVICE=D:\QEMM\LOADHI.SYS C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P
BUFFERS=15

The first line loads my expanded memory manager, QEMM 6.0.
    Basically it tells the PC to load QEMM386.sys as a  TSR (torment and
stay radioactive ...  or terminate and stay resident / U pick 'em).
It loads in the High RAM region "3" (/R:3) and uses the "RAM" parameter
to access all possible high RAM. The "NOSH" os a parameter that disables
my PC's screwey Shadow RAM system in CMOS (NOSH is short-hand for no-
shadow -ram)  Next, I exclude the area of RAM that another program MUST
have tooperate, so I take it out of the control of QEMM and mark it "off
limits". The /ST:M parameter means that QEMM uses it's STEALTH technology
to give me the max RAM areas for loading programs into high RAM.

Line 2 loads my mouse into high RAM.  (Why load a mouse if you use Windows
?)   Well, I like to use it in Paradox 4.0 and others when I shell to DOS.

The order of the DOS=HIGH, FILES, STACKS and BUFFERS are set in that order
because my system works faster that way.  It may not matter on yours.
(actually, I use several utility programs to load tiles, buffers and
lastdrive=z into high RAM.  I eliminated them here because they are really
confusing until you get into QEMM.  If you do, the book explanation is E-Z
to follow and better than what I coudl write here.


The next 2 lines ( 6 & 7) load my stacker device driver into high RAM.
Otherwise, this GREAT utility kills my 640K base RAM.  NOTE:  Line 6 is
not really split.  I had to do it here so you could see it.  it should all
be on only 1 line to work..  Not a prob 'cause stacker writes it for you
anyway...)

Line 8 loads the DOS ansi.sys device driver into high RAM.  Now I can see
all of the pretty pictures on your BBS.  (actually, I use it to create
some spiffy DOS prompts.  C:\> is dull.  Bill the Cat prompt is not).

Line 9 is the setver utility.  Microsoft includes it so that older
programs won't suddenly go brain-dead when they try to load.  After all,
they were written before Gates even dreamed of DOS 6.0 (screw double-
space cause it screwed me).  So, they created a little utility that LIES
for you and tells you old software that it's relly running under DOS 2.0
or 3.0 ( but not 4.0 - it isn't that BIG of a LIAR !  Nothing runs under
DOS 4.0).

In line 10, I install the DOS shell command.com so these RAM hungry
program don't freeze my system when they overwrite my RAM copy of
command.com.  I use an environment space of 512K so I can display all of
those neat dos prompts w/ansi.sys.  The /p means it's in a permanent
location.

Now that you think I'm "real smart" or real dumb - u pick 'em... here's
the secret:   QEMM's utility called OPTIMIZE wrote all of the lines marked
with an asterisk (*) above.  The lines that have the word STACKER or STAC,
were written by the stacker disk compression program. The others were
written by DOS 5.0.  My original config.sys looked like this, before the
Optimize and stacker install....


DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.SYS
DOS=HIGH
FILES=20
BUFFERS=10
STACKS=9,256
DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICE=SETVER.EXE
SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM /P

What's the difference ?    Well, I now have 250 MB of disk storage space
instead of 110Mb.  I used to crash many video games (like anything from
Sierra, 'cause I only had about 490K of useable base RAM.

Here's the lates RAM report (using DOS's mem /c as opposed to QEMM's
Manifest - fantastic utility):
 

Conventional Memory :

  Name                Size in Decimal       Size in Hex
-------------      ---------------------   -------------
  MSDOS              13680      ( 13.4K)       3570
  QEMM386             3088      (  3.0K)        C10
  LOADHI               256      (  0.3K)        100
  LOADHI               352      (  0.3K)        160
  LOADHI               256      (  0.3K)        100
  SETVER               400      (  0.4K)        190
  COMMAND             2944      (  2.9K)        B80
  SHARE               8608      (  8.4K)       21A0
  WILDCAT             4832      (  4.7K)       12E0
  COMMAND             2864      (  2.8K)        B30
  FREE                  64      (  0.1K)         40
  FREE                 160      (  0.2K)         A0
  FREE              617472      (603.0K)      96C00

Total  FREE :       617696      (603.2K)

Total bytes available to programs :                           617696   (603.2K)
Largest executable program size :                             617216   (602.8K)

   3686400 bytes total EMS memory
   1343488 bytes free EMS memory

   3407872 bytes total contiguous extended memory
         0 bytes available contiguous extended memory
   1343488 bytes available XMS memory
           MS-DOS resident in High Memory Area


If this helps, terrific !  If it doesn't - if you change your files and
your system never works again - I never knew you !  All I mean to do here
is to demonstrate how one user runs a BBS under Windows with as much free
RAM as he can get. In no way do I imply that you can copy this config.sys
file and solve all of your problems.  It's an aid to discussion and
understanding and nothing more...
 


ͻ
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ͼ

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Pat Martin.  SYSOP

 