Microsoft KB Archive/66402

Invalid HIMEM.SYS Error When Installing Excel Working Model PSS ID Number: Q66402 Article last modified on 02-26-1993 PSS database name: W_eXceL

2.10p

WINDOWS

Summary:

The error message “Invalid HIMEM.SYS. Install HIMEM.SYS from the Windows Setup disks” can occur during the Microsoft Excel Working Model installation if the Working Model is installed over Microsoft Windows version 3.00 and the current configuration does not support the WIN command without spaces between the command line switches.

Certain system configurations require that a space be placed between the “WIN” and any command line switches used when starting Windows 3.00. For example, typing “WIN/S” (without the quotation marks) to go into standard mode may cause unexpected results on these configurations.

More Information:

To test this, type “WIN/S” at the DOS prompt and see if Windows will start in standard mode. You will either get an error message or Windows will start in its normal mode if the hardware configuration is set up as described above.

A line on the ENABLER.INF file on the Excel Working Model Disk 2 reads as follows:

execexisting = “/s enabler.exe /x /q:”

The section in quotation marks is added after the WIN command to start Windows in standard mode during setup. If your configuration requires a space between these parameters, the error “Invalid HIMEM.SYS. Install HIMEM.SYS from Windows Setup disks” will occur.

Solution
To resolve this problem, do the following:

  Make a backup copy of the Excel Working Model Disk 2.   Modify the ENABLER.INF file on the backup copy by placing a space before the /s, as follows: execexisting = &quot; /s enabler.exe /x /q:&quot;   Run setup again using the backup copy of Disk 2. 

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1993.