Microsoft KB Archive/106421: Difference between revisions

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Look for the two device commands that load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE. They should appear similar to the lines below and may have other parameters following them:
Look for the two device commands that load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE. They should appear similar to the lines below and may have other parameters following them:


<pre>      device=<drive&gt;:\<directory&gt;\himem.sys
<pre>      device=<drive>:\<directory>\himem.sys
       device=<drive&gt;:\<directory&gt;\emm386.exe</pre>
       device=<drive>:\<directory>\emm386.exe</pre>
where <drive&gt; is your hard disk drive and <directory&gt; is the directory where HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE reside. For example, if your hard disk drive is drive C and your HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE files are located in the DOS directory, the device commands should look similar to the following:
where <drive> is your hard disk drive and <directory> is the directory where HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE reside. For example, if your hard disk drive is drive C and your HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE files are located in the DOS directory, the device commands should look similar to the following:


<pre>      device=c:\dos\himem.sys
<pre>      device=c:\dos\himem.sys
Line 372: Line 372:
<pre>      edit a:\config.sys</pre></li>
<pre>      edit a:\config.sys</pre></li>
<li><p>Find the command that loads the device driver causing the problem. It should begin with a DEVICEHIGH command</p>
<li><p>Find the command that loads the device driver causing the problem. It should begin with a DEVICEHIGH command</p>
<pre>      devicehigh=c:\<directory&gt;\driver.sys</pre>
<pre>      devicehigh=c:\<directory>\driver.sys</pre>
<p>where <directory&gt; is the directory where DRIVER.SYS currently resides. For example, if your DRIVER.SYS file is located in the DRIVERS directory, the DEVICEHIGH command should resemble the following:</p>
<p>where <directory> is the directory where DRIVER.SYS currently resides. For example, if your DRIVER.SYS file is located in the DRIVERS directory, the DEVICEHIGH command should resemble the following:</p>
<pre>      devicehigh=c:\drivers\driver.sys</pre></li>
<pre>      devicehigh=c:\drivers\driver.sys</pre></li>
<li><p>Replace the DEVICEHIGH command with DEVICE so that the device is loaded into conventional memory. (You may also have to remove a SIZE switch.) For example, you would change this command</p>
<li><p>Replace the DEVICEHIGH command with DEVICE so that the device is loaded into conventional memory. (You may also have to remove a SIZE switch.) For example, you would change this command</p>

Latest revision as of 16:46, 20 July 2020

Microsoft Knowledge Base

PD0470: System Fails When You Are Using EMM386.EXE

Last reviewed: May 1, 1997
Article ID: Q106421

6.00 6.20 6.21 MS-DOS kbtool kbfile kbappnote

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 6.0, 6.2, 6.21

Microsoft has an Application Note titled "System Fails When You Are Using EMM386.EXE" (PD0470) that discusses the symptoms associated with your system failing when you use EMM386.EXE, the cause of this problem, and how to correct this behavior. This information applies to MS-DOS 5 Upgrade, MS- DOS 6 Upgrade, and MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:

  • Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
  • The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
  • Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
  • Microsoft FastTips Technical Library
  • Microsoft Product Support Services

For complete information, see the "To Obtain This Application Note" section at the end of this article.

THE TEXT OF PD0470

  Microsoft(R) Product Support Services Application Note (Text File)
          PD0470: SYSTEM FAILS WHEN YOU ARE USING EMM386.EXE
                                                  Revision Date: 11/93
                                                      No Disk Included

The following information applies to Microsoft MS-DOS, versions 5 Upgrade, 6 Upgrade, and 6.2 Upgrade.

| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY    |
| ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application|
| Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER     |
| EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED     |
| WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR      |
| PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and   |
| the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be     |
| copied and distributed subject to the following conditions:  1) All|
| text must be copied without modification and all pages must be     |
| included;  2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s)    |
| must be copied without modification (the MS-DOS utility diskcopy is|
| appropriate for this purpose);  3) All components of this          |
| Application Note must be distributed together;  and  4) This       |
| Application Note may not be distributed for profit.               |
|                                                                    |
| Copyright (C) 1991-1993 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved|
| Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows is a    |
| trademark of Microsoft Corporation.                               |
| Adaptec is a trademark of Adaptec, Inc.                           |
| 386MAX and Qualitas are registered trademarks of Qualitas, Inc.   |
| Qemm is a trademark of Quarterdeck Office Systems.                |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------|


                             INTRODUCTION
                             ============

This Application Note discusses the symptoms associated with your system failing when you use EMM386.EXE, the cause of this problem, and how to correct this behavior. This information applies to MS-DOS 5 Upgrade, MS-DOS 6 Upgrade, and MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade.

                               SYMPTOMS
                               ========

After you install EMM386.EXE, your computer stops responding (hangs). This occurs when you first start your computer, when network drivers load, when applications start, or when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL.

                                 CAUSE
                                 =====

There are several reasons why your computer might hang when you are using EMM386.EXE:

  • Your hardware may not support EMM386.EXE.
  • You may be using a memory manager that conflicts with EMM386.EXE.
  • If you have an Adaptec(TM) controller card, it may require a device driver to work with EMM386.EXE.
  • You may not be using the correct version of the HIMEM.SYS or EMM386.EXE file.
  • HIMEM.SYS or EMM386.EXE may not be functioning properly.
  • A program or device driver may not be able to function in upper memory.
  • Your disk-caching program may need to be loaded into conventional memory to work with EMM386.EXE.
  • Another program or device driver and EMM386.EXE may be using the same memory.

                                   SOLUTION
                                   ========
    

First, create an MS-DOS Startup disk with your original configuration. If you have any problems starting your computer, you can restore your original configuration by starting your system (that is, booting) from this disk.

Insert a formatted floppy disk in drive A and type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

   sys c: a:
   copy c:\autoexec.bat a:\
   copy c:\config.sys a:\

Perform the following procedures in order. You may have to try several of them before one solves the problem.

MAKE SURE YOUR HARDWARE SUPPORTS EMM386.EXE

You can only use EMM386.EXE on a computer that has an 80386 or higher processor. If you aren't sure what kind of processor your computer has, check your documentation. If you do not have a computer with an 80386 or higher processor, you may want to consider purchasing an expanded-memory board or an 80286 expanded-memory emulator. You should contact your hardware vendor to determine the type of memory support your hardware provides and what kind of additional hardware and software is compatible with your computer.

MAKE SURE YOUR MEMORY MANAGER DOESN'T CONFLICT WITH EMM386.EXE

Check to see if you are loading another expanded-memory manager in your CONFIG.SYS file. If you want to use another 80386 memory manager, such as Quarterdeck Qemm(TM)-386 or Qualitas(R) 386MAX(R), do not use EMM386.EXE. Most 80386 memory managers have 386 or EMM in their filename. You can see if you are loading any memory managers by typing the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER:

   type c:\config.sys | more

MAKE SURE YOUR ADAPTER CONTROLLED CARD HAS A DEVICE DRIVER THAT WORKS WITH EMM386.EXE

If you have an Adaptec controller card, you may not be able to use EMM386.EXE unless you have the ADAPTEC.SYS device driver. Contact Adaptec or Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain this driver.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE USING THE CORRECT VERSION OF THE HIMEM.SYS OR EMM386.EXE FILE

EMM386.EXE uses HIMEM.SYS to access extended memory. To check whether you have the most current versions of these files, do the following:

  NOTE: If you used the MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2 MemMaker program to
  configure your memory, you do not need to follow this procedure
  because MemMaker makes sure that the correct files are in place.

Make sure you are in the root directory of your startup drive by typing the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER after each line:

      c:
      cd\

At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press ENTER

      dir /s himem.sys

and then type the following and press ENTER:

      dir /s emm386.exe

MS-DOS displays the name of each subdirectory that contains a copy of the file you specified, as well as the file size and date. Make a note of which directory contains the file with the latest date, and note the file date.

Check your CONFIG.SYS file by typing the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER:

      type c:\config.sys | more

Look for the two device commands that load HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE. They should appear similar to the lines below and may have other parameters following them:

      device=<drive>:\<directory>\himem.sys
      device=<drive>:\<directory>\emm386.exe

where <drive> is your hard disk drive and <directory> is the directory where HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE reside. For example, if your hard disk drive is drive C and your HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE files are located in the DOS directory, the device commands should look similar to the following:

      device=c:\dos\himem.sys
      device=c:\dos\emm386.exe

Make sure these device commands specify the files with the latest dates that you identified in step 3. If the device commands do not specify the files with the latest dates, follow these steps:

a. Use a text editor to edit the CONFIG.SYS file on your startup

      drive. If you want to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following at
      the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER:
         edit c:\config.sys

   b. Edit the device commands so both show the most recent version of
      HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE.

       NOTE: Both files should have the same date. If they don't,
       proceed to step 8.

   c. Save the CONFIG.SYS file. If you're using MS-DOS Editor, choose
      Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog
      box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes button or
      press ENTER.

If the file dates are later than 04-09-91, you have the most recent version of these files. If you had to make any of the preceding changes, restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. If the problem still exists after you restart your computer, skip to the next procedure.

If the date for the most recent version of HIMEM.SYS or EMM386.EXE is earlier than 04-09-91, you probably have old versions of the files. If you have an old version of either file, you need to transfer the correct version from the MS-DOS installation disks to the directory named in your CONFIG.SYS file. HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE are located on the following MS-DOS installation disks:

   MS-DOS Version and Disk Size               HIMEM.SYS   EMM386.EXE
   MS-DOS 5 Upgrade, 5.25-inch (1.2 MB)       Disk 6      Disk 6
   MS-DOS 5.0a Upgrade, 5.25-inch (1.2 MB)    Disk 1      Disk 1
   MS-DOS 5.0a Upgrade, 3.5-inch (1.44 MB)    Disk 1      Disk 6
   MS-DOS 6 Upgrade, 5.25-inch (1.2 MB)       Disk 2      Disk 4
   MS-DOS 6 Upgrade, 3.5-inch (1.44 MB)       Disk 1      Disk 3
   MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade, 5.25-inch (1.2 MB)     Disk 2      Disk 2
   MS-DOS 6.2 Upgrade, 3.5-inch (1.44 MB)     Disk 1      Disk 2

   a. Insert the appropriate MS-DOS installation disk in your floppy
      disk drive.

   b. Use the EXPAND command to expand and copy the HIMEM.SY_ file
      from your installation disk to the directory specified in your
      CONFIG.SYS file. You can do this by typing the following at the
      MS-DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER:

         expand a:\himem.sy_ c:\dos\himem.sys

      Similarly, to expand and copy EMM386.EX_ from the installation
      disk in drive A to the DOS directory on drive C, type the
      following:

         expand a:\emm386.ex_ c:\dos\emm386.exe

       NOTE: Make sure you specify the same destination directory that
       you found in step 5 for HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE.

   c. Restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. If the problem
      still exists after you restart your computer, follow the next
      procedure.

MAKE SURE HIMEM.SYS AND EMM386.EXE ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY

The following procedure helps you determine what is causing your problem: HIMEM.SYS, EMM386.EXE, or your hardware.

  1. Create a disk to test HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE by doing the following:

    a. Insert a formatted floppy disk in drive A, type the following at

          the MS-DOS command prompt, and press ENTER:
             sys c: a:
    
       b. Copy the CONFIG.SYS file from your startup drive to the floppy
          disk in drive A by typing the following command at the MS-DOS
          command prompt and pressing ENTER:
    
             copy c:\config.sys a:
    
       c. Use a text editor to edit the test CONFIG.SYS file. If you want
          to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following at the MS-DOS command
          prompt and press ENTER:
    
             edit a:\config.sys
    
       d. Remove all the lines in the file except the device commands
          loading HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE.
    
       e. If you have MS-DOS 5.0, change the device command that loads
          EMM386.EXE to resemble the following:
    
             device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=a000-efff nomovexbda
    
           NOTE: The letter a is followed by three zeros (000).
    
          If your computer hangs when you press CTRL+ALT+DEL in step 2,
          change the device command to resemble the following:
    
          device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=a000-efff nomovexbda altboot
    
       f. Save the test CONFIG.SYS file. If you're using MS-DOS Editor,
          choose Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a
          dialog box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes
          button or press ENTER.
    
       g. Create a new AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the test disk for testing
          purposes. If you are using MS-DOS Editor, you can do this by
          typing the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and pressing
          ENTER:
    
             edit a:\autoexec.bat
    
       h. Type the following command lines in the new file:
    
             path=c:\dos
             prompt $p$g
    
       i. Save the test AUTOEXEC.BAT file by choosing Exit from the File
          menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog box prompting you to
          save your file, choose the Yes button or press ENTER.
    
       You now have a test disk with which to test HIMEM.SYS and
       EMM386.EXE. Your original AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files are
       still on your startup drive (usually drive C) and have not been
       changed.
    
  2. Make sure your test disk is in drive A and restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL.
  3. If your computer hangs, refer to step 1e if you have MS-DOS 5.0; otherwise, continue to the next step. If your computer works properly at this point, HIMEM.SYS is working with EMM386.EXE. (Note that some devices, such as your mouse, will not operate during testing due to the test configuration you are using.) You can now check if any other programs conflict with EMM386.EXE. Skip the following step and continue to the next procedure.
  4. If your computer hangs when you used the test disk in drive A, you may have a problem with HIMEM.SYS or your particular hardware. Contact Microsoft Product Support Services for help in solving your problem.

DETERMINE IF YOUR DISK-CACHING PROGRAM NEEDS TO BE LOADED INTO CONVENTIONAL MEMORY

Sometimes loading SMARTDrive into conventional memory solves problems with EMM386.EXE. If you use another disk-caching program, remove it temporarily and replace it with SMARTDrive, using one of the following procedures.

If You Are Using MS-DOS 5.0

If you are running MS-DOS 5.0, do the following:

  NOTE: If you are running Microsoft Windows operating system version
  3.1, see the next section, "If You Are Using Windows 3.1, MS-DOS
  6.0, or MS-DOS 6.2."

Type the following command at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER to copy your original CONFIG.SYS file to the test disk you created in the previous procedure:

      copy c:\config.sys a:
    NOTE: If you are unable to access drive C, restart your computer
    from the hard disk before performing this step by removing the
    floppy disk from drive A and pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL.

Use a text editor to edit the CONFIG.SYS file on the floppy disk in drive A. If you want to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER:

      edit a:\config.sys

Add the following line to the CONFIG.SYS file immediately after the command that loads HIMEM.SYS:

      device=c:\dos\smartdrv.sys /b+

Delete any other lines that load SMARTDRV.SYS or other disk-caching programs.

Save the CONFIG.SYS file. If you're using MS-DOS Editor, choose Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes button or press ENTER.

With the floppy disk in drive A, restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. If your computer works properly now, keep this command in your CONFIG.SYS file. Copy the test CONFIG.SYS file from your floppy disk to your hard disk by doing the following:

a. Make a backup copy of your old CONFIG.SYS file by typing the

      following:
         ren c:\config.sys config.bak

   b. Copy the CONFIG.SYS file from the floppy disk in drive A to your
      hard disk by typing the following:

         copy a:\config.sys c:\

       NOTE: If you usually use a different disk-caching program, it
       may not be working properly with EMM386.EXE. Leave SMARTDrive
       in your CONFIG.SYS file for now, and contact the manufacturer
       of your other disk-caching program for more information about
       using it with EMM386.EXE.

If your computer still hangs, continue to the procedure "Make Sure Your Programs and Device Drivers Function Correctly in Upper Memory." (Do not delete the command you just added to your CONFIG.SYS file. There may be an additional problem that is causing your computer to hang.)

If You Are Using Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 6.0, or MS-DOS 6.2

There is a new version of SMARTDrive in Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 6.0, and MS-DOS 6.2. Its filename is SMARTDRV.EXE (not SMARTDRV.SYS), and it loads from both the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. To load SMARTDrive, do the following:

  1. Copy your original AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files to the test disk you created in the procedure "Make Sure HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE Are Functioning Properly." You can do this by typing the following at the MS-DOS command prompt, pressing ENTER after each line:

          copy c:\autoexec.bat a:\
          copy c:\config.sys a:\
  2. Use a text editor to open the test AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you want to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER:

          edit a:\autoexec.bat
  3. Make sure SMARTDRV.EXE is in the test AUTOEXEC.BAT file and remove any other disk-caching programs you find. If you have Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 5.0 or earlier, the SMARTDrive command line should resemble the following:

          c:\windows\smartdrv.exe

    If you have MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2, the command line should resemble the following

          c:\dos\smartdrv.exe
  4. Save the test AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you are using MS-DOS Editor, choose Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes button or press ENTER.
  5. Open the test CONFIG.SYS file in a text editor. If you want to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER:

          edit a:\config.sys
  6. Remove any disk-caching programs you find except SMARTDRV.EXE. If you have Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 5.0 or earlier, modify the SMARTDrive command line to resemble the following:

          device=c:\windows\smartdrv.exe /double_buffer+

    If you have MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2, the command line should resemble the following:

          device=c:\dos\smartdrv.exe /double_buffer+
  7. Save the test CONFIG.SYS file. If you are using MS-DOS Editor, choose Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes button or press ENTER.
  8. With the floppy disk containing the test CONFIG.SYS file still in drive A, restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. If your computer now works properly, keep the test AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files. Copy them both from the floppy disk in drive A to your hard disk by following the steps below. If your computer still hangs, continue with the procedure "Make Sure Your Programs and Device Drivers Function Correctly in Upper Memory." (Do not delete the changes you just made. There may be an additional problem that is causing your computer to hang.)

    a. Make a backup copy of your old AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files

          by typing the following commands at the MS-DOS command prompt
          and pressing ENTER after each line:
             ren c:\config.sys config.bak
             ren c:\autoexec.bat autoexec.bak
    
       b. Copy the files from the floppy disk in drive A to your hard disk
          by typing the following commands at the MS-DOS command prompt
          and pressing ENTER after each line:
    
             copy a:\config.sys c:\
             copy a:\autoexec.bat c:\
    
           NOTE: If you usually use a different disk-caching program, it
           may not be working properly with EMM386.EXE. Leave SMARTDrive
           installed as it is now, and contact the manufacturer of your
           other disk-caching program for more information about using it
           with EMM386.EXE.
    

MAKE SURE YOUR PROGRAMS AND DEVICE DRIVERS FUNCTION CORRECTLY IN UPPER MEMORY

  NOTE: If you load into upper memory only programs and device drivers
  that come with MS-DOS, you can skip this procedure.

If your computer hangs only when you load a specific driver or terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program with the DEVICEHIGH or LOADHIGH (or LH) command, you may not be able to load that particular device driver or TSR into an upper memory block (UMB). MS-DOS device drivers and memory-resident programs should load into UMBs without any problems. (EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS cannot load high and, depending on your hardware, hard disk device drivers and disk caches may not load high either.)

If you suspect that loading a device driver or TSR program into upper memory is causing the problem, you can load it into conventional (low) memory instead of upper memory.

Device Drivers

If you suspect a device driver is causing your computer to hang, do the following:

  1. Use a text editor to edit the CONFIG.SYS file on the floppy disk you created in the procedure "Determine if Your Disk-Caching Program Needs to Be Loaded into Conventional Memory." If you want to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and press ENTER:

          edit a:\config.sys
  2. Find the command that loads the device driver causing the problem. It should begin with a DEVICEHIGH command

          devicehigh=c:\<directory>\driver.sys

    where <directory> is the directory where DRIVER.SYS currently resides. For example, if your DRIVER.SYS file is located in the DRIVERS directory, the DEVICEHIGH command should resemble the following:

          devicehigh=c:\drivers\driver.sys
  3. Replace the DEVICEHIGH command with DEVICE so that the device is loaded into conventional memory. (You may also have to remove a SIZE switch.) For example, you would change this command

          devicehigh size=39e0 c:\drivers\mouse.sys

    to look like this:

          device=c:\drivers\mouse.sys
  4. Save your CONFIG.SYS file. If you're using MS-DOS Editor, choose Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes button or press ENTER.
  5. Restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. If loading the device driver with the DEVICEHIGH command was causing the problem, your computer should work normally now. Copy the CONFIG.SYS file from the floppy disk in drive A to your startup drive as follows:

    a. Make a backup copy of your old CONFIG.SYS file by typing the

          following:
             ren c:\config.sys config.bak
    
       b. Copy the CONFIG.SYS file from the floppy disk in drive A to your
          startup drive by typing the following:
    
             copy a:\config.sys c:\
    
  6. If your computer still hangs, continue loading device drivers into conventional memory by following steps 1 - 4 until you find the device driver that is causing the problem. If you load all your device drivers into conventional memory and your computer still hangs, continue to the next procedure.

TSR Programs

If you suspect a TSR program is causing the problem, edit your AUTOEXEC.BAT file as follows:

  1. Copy the AUTOEXEC.BAT file from your startup drive to the floppy disk in drive A by typing the following at the MS-DOS command prompt and pressing ENTER:

          copy c:\autoexec.bat a:\
  2. Use a text editor to edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you want to use MS-DOS Editor, type the following command:

          edit a:\autoexec.bat
  3. Read your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and find the command where the problem occurs. It should begin with a LOADHIGH or LH command. For example, if your computer hangs after loading MYTSR.COM into upper memory, you would look for one of these commands:

          loadhigh c:\mytsr.com
          -or-
          lh c:\mytsr.com
  4. Remove the LOADHIGH or LH command so that the program loads into conventional memory. For example, you would change either of the above commands to the following:

          c:\mytsr.com
  5. Save your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you're using MS-DOS Editor, choose Exit from the File menu. When MS-DOS Editor displays a dialog box prompting you to save your file, choose the Yes button or press ENTER.
  6. Restart your computer by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. If loading the program with the LOADHIGH or LH command was causing the problem, your computer should work normally now. Copy the AUTOEXEC.BAT file from the floppy disk in drive A to your startup drive as follows:

    a. Make a backup copy of your old AUTOEXEC.BAT file by typing the

          following:
             ren c:\autoexec.bat autoexec.bak
    
       b. Copy the AUTOEXEC.BAT file from the floppy disk in drive A to
          your startup drive by typing the following:
    
             copy a:\autoexec.bat c:\
    
       If your computer still hangs, try to determine if it hangs after
       loading the same program as before. If it hangs after the same
       program, continue to the next procedure. If your computer hangs
       when loading a different program, continue removing LOADHIGH
       commands using steps 1 - 4.
    

MAKE SURE EMM386.EXE ISN'T USING THE SAME MEMORY AS ANOTHER PROGRAM OR DEVICE DRIVER

If none of the previous procedures have helped and your computer still hangs, EMM386.EXE may be using the same memory area as another program, device driver, or hardware adapter. For example, this conflict could occur when you install a network interface card (NIC).

At this point, experiment with the EMM386 command to determine which memory addresses are being used by the other programs or device drivers. You can also contact the manufacturer of the hardware device to help determine the problem.

If you think you have an adapter or program that is conflicting with EMM386.EXE and you want to try to solve the problem yourself, check the documentation that came with it to see what address space the adapter or program uses. If the conflict occurs over a network, check with your network administrator to find out what memory addresses are in use. You can then use the X= switch when you load EMM386.EXE to prevent EMM386.EXE from using those addresses.

For example, if an NIC uses the D800-DFFF memory address range, add the X=D800-DFFF switch to the end of the device command that loads EMM386.EXE in your CONFIG.SYS file. If your original EMM386 command looked like this

      device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems

modify it to look like this:

      device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=d800-dfff

If you want help with this procedure, or with finding out which memory address is causing the problem, contact Microsoft Product Support Services.

                          RELATED INFORMATION
                          ===================

For more information about EMM386.EXE, see pages 287 - 290 and 605 - 609 of the Microsoft MS-DOS "User's Guide and Reference" for version 5.0 or, if you have MS-DOS 6.0 or 6.2, see MS-DOS Help (by typing HELP EMM386.EXE at any MS-DOS command prompt).

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE

You can find PD0470.EXE, a self-extracting file, on the following services:

  • Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet

          On the www.microsoft.com home page, click the Support icon.
          Click Knowledge Base, and select the product.
          Enter kbfile PD0470.EXE, and click GO!
          Open the article, and click the button to download the file.
  • Internet (anonymous FTP)

          ftp ftp.microsoft.com
          Change to the Softlib/Mslfiles folder.
          Get PD0470.EXE
  • Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)

          Dial (425) 936-6735 to connect to MSDL
          Download PD0470.EXE

For additional information about downloading, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q119591
   TITLE     : How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online
               Services

You can have this Application Note mailed or faxed to you from the automated Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 FastTips Technical Library, which you can call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (800) 936-4200. NOTE: The FastTips Technical Library is available only to customers within the U.S. and Canada.

If you are unable to access the source(s) listed above, you can have this Application Note mailed or faxed to you by calling Microsoft Product Support Services Monday through Friday, 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific time at (425) 646-5104. If you are outside the United States, contact the Microsoft subsidiary for your area.


KBCategory: kbtool kbfile kbappnote

KBSubcategory: msdos
Additional reference words: appnote 6.00 6.20 dos62tlc pd62tlc
Keywords : msdos kbappnote kbfile kbtool
Version : 6.00 6.20 6.21
Platform : MS-DOS


THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Last reviewed: May 1, 1997
©1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.