Microsoft KB Archive/275423

= Cannot Configure Expanded Memory Support for an MS-DOS-Based Program =

Article ID: 275423

Article Last Modified on 1/29/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

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This article was previously published under Q275423



SYMPTOMS
You may experience any of the following symptoms:
 * An MS-DOS-based program that requires expanded (EMS) memory may not run in Windows Millennium Edition (Me).
 * The expanded (EMS) memory option is unavailable on the Memory tab when you right-click the shortcut to an MS-DOS based program and then click Properties.
 * Your computer hangs when you start it with a Windows Me Startup disk that attempts to load Emm386.exe from the Windows Me folder by using the Config.sys file on the Startup disk.



CAUSE
There is an EmmExclude or NoEMSDriver statement in your System.ini file, or your system may have insufficient upper memory area available for Windows to provide EMS memory in Windows. Windows Me does not support loading Emm386.exe from the Startup disk.



RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, run your MS-DOS-based program in Windows after disabling any EmmExclude or NoEMSDriver statements in the System.ini file by following these steps:  On the toolbar click Start, click Run, type System.ini, and then click OK. Find the EmmExclude or NoEMSDriver statement in the [386enh] section, and then type a semicolon at the beginning of the line. Save the file and then restart your computer.

NOTE: An example of an EmmExclude entry is &quot;EMMExclude=C000-CFFF&quot;. If this does not resolve the issue, add a &quot;ReservePageFrame=yes&quot; statement to the [386enh] section of the System.ini file. If this does not resolve the issue, your system may have insufficient upper memory blocks available for Windows Me to provide EMS memory in Windows. Due to the removal of real mode support in Windows Me, this problem can occur even if Windows 95 or Windows 98 was able to provide EMS memory in Windows.For additional information about the removal of real mode support in Windows Me, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

269524 Overview of Real Mode Removal from Windows Millennium Edition



NOTE: If you are unable to obtain EMS support in Windows Me by using the preceding steps, then you can run your MS-DOS-based program in real mode after starting your computer with a Windows 95B (OEM Service Release 2), Windows 95C (OEM Service Release 2.5), Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition Startup disk that provides EMS support by using the versions of Himem.sys and Emm386.exe that are included with one of these previous versions of Windows. Also, MS-DOS and Windows 95 versions prior to Windows 95B do not support the FAT32 file system. If the hard drive on your Windows Me computer is using the FAT32 file system, you will not be able to use it if you boot with an MS-DOS or Windows 95 Startup Disk.

Additional query words: winmedos pif

Keywords: kbenv kbprb kbprod2web KB275423

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