Qemm97 Dos Boot Problems

[Harry Potter]

Hi! I just installed QEMM97 on a Win98SE computer and am having problems First, it started the boot process but stops just after QEMM loaded. Then, it crashed on me and displayed the QEMM error message. Following are the CONFIG.SYS and MSDOS.SYS files:


CONFIG.SYS:
-------------------------
lastdrive=o:
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M SUS:N BE:N
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER4\STACKER.COM
rem DEVICE=C:\STACKER4\SSWAP.COM
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER4\REDIRECT.BIN
rem DEVICEHIGH=c:\windows\COMMAND\EBD\RAMDRIVE.SYS /e 16384
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER4\SSWAP.COM
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DRVSPACE.SYS /MOVE
DOS=HIGH,UMB
shell=c:\windows\command.com /e:3072
rem shell=G:\DELLPC\JPSOFT\4DOS\4dos.com /p
--------------------------
MSDOS.SYS:
--------------------------
Code:
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C

[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=0
AutoScan=0
WinVer=4.10.2222
DblSpace=1
--------------------------
What could be wrong?

[JJ]

Post by Harry Potter
Then, it crashed on me and displayed the QEMM error message.

What error message? I don't see any.

Post by Harry Potter
What could be wrong?

That above. And...
Not all QEMM features are guaranteed to work on all hardware configurations.
Sure, it has hardware detection, but it's not perfect.
It would likely misdetect newer machines.

[NimbUs]

Harry Potter dit dans news:94c5073e-ab6d-460d-a99a-0b7d5f6c9437

Post by Harry Potter
Hi! I just installed QEMM97 on a Win98SE computer and am having

problems First, it started the boot process but stops just after QEMM
loaded. Then, it crashed on me and displayed the QEMM error message.

Post by Harry Potter
-------------------------
DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M SUS:N BE:N
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER4\STACKER.COM
rem DEVICE=C:\STACKER4\SSWAP.COM
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER4\REDIRECT.BIN
rem DEVICEHIGH=c:\windows\COMMAND\EBD\RAMDRIVE.SYS /e 16384
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\STACKER4\SSWAP.COM
rem DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\DRVSPACE.SYS /MOVE
DOS=HIGH,UMB
shell=c:\windows\command.com /e:3072
rem shell=G:\DELLPC\JPSOFT\4DOS\4dos.com /p
--------------------------
--------------------------
[Paths]
WinDir=C:\WINDOWS
WinBootDir=C:\WINDOWS
HostWinBootDrv=C
[Options]
BootMulti=1
BootGUI=1
DoubleBuffer=0
AutoScan=0
WinVer=4.10.2222
DblSpace=1
--------------------------
What could be wrong?

QEMM is, or rather was, an outstanding product. But it's also
delicate, while it was alive and actively maintained it has to be
constanly upgraded to cope with new feautures of hardware, BIOSes and
even OS bugs. Being unmaintained for so long means QEMM hasn't
followed up with new machine architectures, processors, memory...
You do realise it can't manage more than 64 (ou is it 128?) MEGAbytes
as XMS, fpr instance, do you ?
oDon't use QIEMM97 unless you understand its features in depth (and I
mean : in depth; like, being able to write complementary helper code)
especially DO NOT USE its "stealth" features - again unless you fully
understand what it does and how it is done "under the hood" - and are
prepared to write auxiliary device drivers to enhance/fix some
problems (which I did for my pleasure but, hey, it's a hobby : I
wouldn't recommend and/or assist others in using QEMM any more)

You've been warned - now go on (but MIND ! No "stealth" unless you
really really understand it in depth. Data loss is a real
possibility).

FWIW

[Harry Potter]

Okay.

[Harry Potter]

I'm *still* having the problem. I tried adding lines to msdos.sys to disable DriveSpace in DOS mode, and it still doesn't work. It stops just after the QEMM driver loads. :( What can cause it?

[Harry Potter]

Okay. I removed the RAM parameter, and it worked. I then tried the RAM= parameter with different arguments, and QEMM either stopped or crashed after initialization. :( BTW, EMM386 didn't work properly with HIGHSCAN. I'll try EXCLUDE=E000-EFFF now.

[Harry Potter]

Post by Harry Potter
Okay. I removed the RAM parameter, and it worked. I then tried the RAM= parameter with different arguments, and QEMM either stopped or crashed after initialization. :( BTW, EMM386 didn't work properly with HIGHSCAN. I'll try EXCLUDE=E000-EFFF now.

Tried it! It didn't work. :( I tried to get the memory configuration from EMM386, but the values also didn't work. What *might* help?

BTW, I have the QEMM manual.

[Harry Potter]

Is there any other way to make more memory available to DOS than using QEMM? I have a memory-hungry DOS configuration for networking that leaves a little more than 300k Conventional memory and want enough memory to run i.e. MIDI players or DOS games.

[Trifle Menot]

On Sat, 26 Jan 2019 19:27:40 -0800 (PST), Harry Potter

Post by Harry Potter
Is there any other way to make more memory available to DOS than using
QEMM? I have a memory-hungry DOS configuration for networking that
leaves a little more than 300k Conventional memory and want enough
memory to run i.e. MIDI players or DOS games.

I have QEMM setups with DOS networking and 500k+ conventional. But how
much you have left depends on the BIOS of the PC and how much upper
memory it eats up. The newer the PC, the worse that usually is. I have
an old Asus P3V4X that leaves c800-efff open. And QEMM can still use the
video c000-c7ff, plus bios f000-ffff too. Much depends on the PC's BIOS.
Some work well, others don't.

Get QEMM 7.5 and 8.x too. Experiment with them all.

https://winworldpc.com/product/qemm/7x

[Kerr-Mudd,John]

On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 04:31:52 GMT, Trifle Menot

Post by Trifle Menot
On Sat, 26 Jan 2019 19:27:40 -0800 (PST), Harry Potter

Post by Harry Potter
Is there any other way to make more memory available to DOS than using
QEMM? I have a memory-hungry DOS configuration for networking that
leaves a little more than 300k Conventional memory and want enough
memory to run i.e. MIDI players or DOS games.

I have QEMM setups with DOS networking and 500k+ conventional. But how
much you have left depends on the BIOS of the PC and how much upper
memory it eats up. The newer the PC, the worse that usually is. I have
an old Asus P3V4X that leaves c800-efff open. And QEMM can still use the
video c000-c7ff, plus bios f000-ffff too. Much depends on the PC's BIOS.
Some work well, others don't.
Get QEMM 7.5 and 8.x too. Experiment with them all.
https://winworldpc.com/product/qemm/7x

there are also later free memory jugglers; e.g.
http://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Useful_DOS_utilities#UMBPCI

[Harry Potter]

Post by Kerr-Mudd,John
there are also later free memory jugglers; e.g.
http://www.vogonswiki.com/index.php/Useful_DOS_utilities#UMBPCI

I tried JEMM. It crashed on me giving an error message stating that I can't use protected mode. Then Windows shuts down. However, since I only need it for a DOS setup, I might still be able to use it. :)

[Harry Potter]

Post by Harry Potter
I tried JEMM. It crashed on me giving an error message stating that I can't use protected mode. Then Windows shuts down. However, since I only need it for a DOS setup, I might still be able to use it. :)

I use DOSRAR to decompress some programs to a RAM drive, and, when using JEMM, DOSRAR locks up on me. :( I really want DOSRAR. Any other suggestions?

[Trifle Menot]

On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 06:18:35 -0800 (PST), Harry Potter

Post by Harry Potter
I tried JEMM. It crashed on me giving an error message stating

?that I can't use protected mode. Then Windows shuts down.

If you're using DOS 7 from Win98, then what I said about trying QEMM 7.x
and 8.x will only make things worse. QEMM97 is the best hope with DOS 7.
But I don't use DOS 7, so I can't help you there. All my QEMM setups
are DOS 6.22 only.

If you have a C: and D: partition, you can install DOS 6.22 on C: and
Win98 to D:. Win98 will put all its boot files on C: and rename the DOS
6.22 boot files. Then you can use the Win98 boot menu to choose previous
version of DOS when you want to boot into DOS 6.22. You can even set the
Win98 msdos.sys options to make it the default.

Before installing Win98, remove any \windows directory from C:, or Win98
will complain during the install. You can add it back later.

[Harry Potter]

Post by Trifle Menot
If you're using DOS 7 from Win98, then what I said about trying QEMM 7.x
and 8.x will only make things worse. QEMM97 is the best hope with DOS 7.
But I don't use DOS 7, so I can't help you there. All my QEMM setups
are DOS 6.22 only.

I noticed. I thank you for trying, though.

Post by Trifle Menot
If you have a C: and D: partition, you can install DOS 6.22 on C: and
Win98 to D:. Win98 will put all its boot files on C: and rename the DOS
6.22 boot files. Then you can use the Win98 boot menu to choose previous
version of DOS when you want to boot into DOS 6.22. You can even set the
Win98 msdos.sys options to make it the default.

The DOS network configuration is from a .PIF file, so that won't work. Also, the computer in question came with Win98SE.

[Trifle Menot]

On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 08:26:07 -0800 (PST), Harry Potter

Post by Harry Potter
The DOS network configuration is from a .PIF file, so that won't work.
Also, the computer in question came with Win98SE.

In that case, the only solution I know is to demolish it, start over,
and rebuild it as suggested. It's a lot of work, but that's all I know.

[Harry Potter]

Post by Trifle Menot
In that case, the only solution I know is to demolish it, start over,
and rebuild it as suggested. It's a lot of work, but that's all I know.

Okay. It's not pertinent that I get more memory. I can do with what I have. :(

[Harry Potter]

Post by Trifle Menot
Get QEMM 7.5 and 8.x too. Experiment with them all.
https://winworldpc.com/product/qemm/7x

Downloaded it. I will try it now. :)

[Harry Potter]

Post by Harry Potter

Post by Trifle Menot
https://winworldpc.com/product/qemm/7x

Downloaded it. I will try it now. :)

Tried it. During optimization, it crashed and gave me an error message. :(

[Trifle Menot]

On Sun, 27 Jan 2019 05:44:09 -0800 (PST), Harry Potter

Post by Harry Potter
Tried it. During optimization, it crashed and gave me an error message. :(

That happens. You have to tinker with it. Try XBDA=N and if that works,
try XBDA=L. Try configuring with the troubleshooting parameters. See the
,TEC readme files installed in the TECHNOTE directory. There is also a
QWHITE13.ZIP file you can download from Programmer's Corner. It has all
the technotes.

[Sjouke Burry]

Post by Harry Potter
Is there any other way to make more memory available to DOS than using QEMM? I have a memory-hungry DOS configuration for networking that leaves a little more than 300k Conventional memory and want enough memory to run i.e. MIDI players or DOS games.

hmm.. I have about 610 KB free.
Example config.sys and autoexec.bat:

@echo off
set comspec=c:\command.com
REM Added by SetBlaster on Sat Jan 04 05:58:07 1992
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T4
SET SOUND=D:\SBPRO
d:\sbpro\SBP-SET /M:15,15 /VOC:15,15 /FM:15,15 /CD:15 /X:7 /LINE:15,15
/ANFI:off /DNFI:off
lh c:\hardware\ethernet\disk2\pktdvr\3c90xpd.com
rem -------------------------------------------choice interface----------
set temp=c:\temp
set tmp=c:\temp
lh c:\hardware\cutemous\ctmouse
call c:\batch\newpath
prompt $p$g
lh c:\sbcdrom\mscdex.exe /k /s /d:mscd001 /l:G /m:8
lh doskey
mode com1:300,n,8,2
echo [0;134;"c:\exe\catalog";13p
@cls
@type c:\dos\message.txt
be rowcol 13 10
echo vircheck:
be rowcol 13 22
vircheck
be rowcol 14 10
echo CD-ROM G:
be rowcol 17 0
call homedir
rem c:\exe\catalog
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
device=c:\dos\himem.sys /TESTMEM:OFF
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems
dos=high,umb
country=031,,c:\dos\country.sys
buffers=40
FILES=40
stacks=8,256
shell=c:\command.com /p /e:1024
REM devicehigh=c:\dos\ramdrive.sys 8192 512 256 /e
devicehigh=c:\dos\ansi.sys
devicehigh=c:\sbcdrom\oakcdrom.sys /D:MSCD001
LASTDRIVE=Z
devicehigh=c:\windows\ifshlp.sys