             My Windows 95 "MS-DOS Mode" Memory configurations


The following 3 memory screens were obtained by running:
MEM /A /C > C:\path\DOS95MEM.TXT
at the MS-DOS mode prompt OUTSIDE WINDOWS 95 (left-click on Start, "Shut
down", "Shut down the computer", click "Yes").

NOTICE THE ABSENCE OF THE "WIN" MODULE ON THE MEMORY SCREEN, after booting
up in MS-DOS 7.00 (Windows 95) to the plain DOS prompt (same as booting
with the "Command prompt only" option 5, from Win95's bootup menu).

To see the devices/drivers/TSR-s loaded in MS-DOS mode at bootup time,
open my AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files (included in this archive) with
Notepad in Windows (or with EDIT.COM in MS-DOS mode).

If you compare the size of the SYSTEM modules, with each of these memory
managers, you will notice that their conventional memory foot prints vary.
EMM386.EXE's SYSTEM module occupies the largest foot print. QEMM386.SYS's
SYSTEM module has the smallest foot print.
The memory managers' foot prints are all different. QEMM386.SYS has the
smallest foot print of all three used here, allowing for more conventional
memory (629KB). This is possible in part because the SYSTEM module can load
a little more of itself in extended memory, and also because QEMM386.SYS's
foot print is so small (both in low and upper RAM), allowing for more room
in upper memory, for loadind devices/drivers/TSR-s high.

WARNING: Beware of the incompatibilities you may run into using QEMM386 or
         NetRoom (RM386) memory managers! Some DOS applications are still
         designed to work exclusively with Microsoft's memory managers
         (HIMEM.SYS and EMM386). So you may get EMM memory allocation or
         memory region violation error messages while trying to start such
         a program, and/or your system may lock up, forcing a reboot!
         If that happens, replace QEMM386's or RM386's lines in your
         CONFIG.SYS with the HIMEM.SYS and EMM386 lines recomended (read
         MEMORY.TXT for details on how to tweak your memory manager to
         provide maximum performance for needs) !

UPDATE: Recently I downloaded and installed Logitech's Mouseware new mouse
        drivers version 7.1 for DOS and Windows 95/31 (freely distributed
        on AOL).
        Logitech's DOS MOUSE.EXE driver loads in extended memory (due to
        the "Cloaking" technology, designed by Helix Software, makers of
        NetRoom memory manager), thus freeing the upper RAM space I was
        using to load my old DOS Mouse driver.
        My Logitech 7.1 lines in AUTOEXEC.BAT:
        LH C:\MAX\CLOAKING
        C:\MAX\MOUSE.EXE 1 MEMA MEMSA CENHANCE AMEDIUM
        This way I gained 17KB of upper RAM, for not using my old MOUSE.COM
        driver anymore.

        NOTE: Logitech's MouseWare for DOS/Windows 31/95, version 7.1, is a
              MUST HAVE FOR ALL DOS/WINDOWS USERS! Download it from:
              1. AOL PC World's Windows 95 area, the "Miscellaneous Apps"
                 page (or type LOGI71 in AOL's File Search keyword box) and
                 DL the file LOGI71.ZIP (1,381,692 bytes).
              2. http://www.logitech.com/TechSupp/2122.htm
                 (where you can find ONLY the old version 6.43 of Logitech
                 DOS/Win31 mouse drivers and the NEW version 7.2 of Win95
                 only Logitech mouse driver).
                 I couldn't find LogiTech v7.1 mouse drivers on any web/ftp
                 site so far. I'd appreciate if you'd send me the URL that
                 posts this driver, if you find it (to make it available
                 for all Windows/DOS interested users). My e-mail address:
                 AXCEL216@aol.com

        Fairly recent, I bought a fast 8x speed internal IDE ATAPI CD-ROM
        drive (Turtle Beach NEC IDE 8000, 256KB buffer, 145msec), which loads
        a smaller device driver (Acer's IDE ATAPI CD-ROM device driver
        VIDE-CDD.SYS) in upper memory (5KB), compared to my ol' 2x speed
        CD-ROM drive, using Creative Labs's proprietary SBCD.SYS CD-ROM driver,
        that was taking 13KB of upper RAM.

        NOTE: VIDE-CDD.SYS can be downloaded from:
              http://www.acer.com/aac/aod/support/ftp.htm
              Click the file 665A210.EXE (a self-extractive zip which
              contains the VIDE-CDD.SYS driver, designed for Acer's 6 speed
              IDE CD-ROM drives). To my knowledge, VIDE-CDD.SYS works great
              with ANY 6-10 speed internal IDE ATAPI CD-ROM-s, that use the
              default 16bit IDE connector (all Pentium motherboards provide
              the 16bit IDE connector interface, for any IDE drive you might
              have on your system).

        So my new memory configuration now shows 625KB of free low RAM, but
        18KB of free upper, compared with my old free upper memory
        configuration of only 6KB (using Microsoft's memory managers:
        HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE).
        ... And Windows is "happier" if you provide it with lots of free
        upper memory (and works faster, too).

        NOTE: On my NetRoom (RM386) screen bellow, notice the absence of
              the CLOAKING device, because NetRoom memory manager has the
              Cloaking technology built-in (Helix Software designed the
              Cloaking technology).

NOTE: Read also MSD95.TXT for technical details about my system, a text
      file created by running Microsoft Diagnostics utility (MSD.EXE).


I used 3 different memory managers (with all drivers/devices/TSR-s loaded
in upper memory):


1. Using Windows 95 versions of EMM386.EXE and HIMEM.SYS memory managers:

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

  Name           Total           Conventional       Upper Memory
  --------  ----------------   ----------------   ----------------
  SYSTEM      15,312   (15K)      9,776   (10K)      5,536    (5K)
  HIMEM        1,168    (1K)      1,168    (1K)          0    (0K)
  EMM386       4,320    (4K)      4,320    (4K)          0    (0K)
  VIDE-CDD     5,104    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,104    (5K)
  CSP          5,264    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,264    (5K)
  IFSHLP       2,896    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,896    (3K)
  ANSI         3,184    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,184    (3K)
  RECALL       2,368    (2K)          0    (0K)      2,368    (2K)
  FAST         1,328    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,328    (1K)
  UNIVBE      13,648   (13K)          0    (0K)     13,648   (13K)
  CLOAKING     1,408    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,408    (1K)
  MSCDEX      16,576   (16K)          0    (0K)     16,576   (16K)
  SMARTDRV    34,976   (34K)          0    (0K)     34,976   (34K)
  --------     2,880    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,880    (3K)
  COMMAND      6,752    (7K)          0    (0K)      6,752    (7K)
  MOUSE        1,040    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,040    (1K)
  Free       657,952  (643K)    639,520  (625K)     18,432   (18K)

Memory Summary:

  Type of Memory       Total         Used          Free
  ----------------  -----------   -----------   -----------
  Conventional          655,360        15,840       639,520
  Upper                 121,392       102,960        18,432
  Reserved              393,216       393,216             0
  Extended (XMS)*    32,384,464     6,403,536    25,980,928
  ----------------  -----------   -----------   -----------
  Total memory       33,554,432     6,915,552    26,638,880

  Total under 1 MB      776,752       118,800       657,952

  Total Expanded (EMS)                 32,817,152    (31M)
  Free Expanded (EMS)*                 26,165,248    (25M)

  * EMM386 is using XMS memory to simulate EMS memory as needed.
    Free EMS memory may change as free XMS memory changes.

  Largest executable program size         639,504   (625K)
  Largest free upper memory block          10,080    (10K)
  Available space in High Memory Area       6,624     (6K)
  MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.


2. Using Helix NetRoom's RM386.EXE version 3.04 updated memory manager:

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

  Name           Total           Conventional       Upper Memory
  --------  ----------------   ----------------   ----------------
  SYSTEM      15,296   (15K)      9,760   (10K)      5,536    (5K)
  RM386        4,848    (5K)      4,848    (5K)          0    (0K)
  VIDE-CDD     5,104    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,104    (5K)
  CSP          5,264    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,264    (5K)
  IFSHLP       2,896    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,896    (3K)
  ANSI         3,184    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,184    (3K)
  FAST         1,328    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,328    (1K)
  UNIVBE      13,648   (13K)          0    (0K)     13,648   (13K)
  RECALL       2,368    (2K)          0    (0K)      2,368    (2K)
  MSCDEX      16,576   (16K)          0    (0K)     16,576   (16K)
  SMARTDRV    34,976   (34K)          0    (0K)     34,976   (34K)
  --------     2,880    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,880    (3K)
  COMMAND      6,752    (7K)          0    (0K)      6,752    (7K)
  MOUSE        1,040    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,040    (1K)
  Free       665,536  (650K)    640,160  (625K)     25,376   (25K)

Memory Summary:

  Type of Memory       Total         Used          Free
  ----------------  -----------   -----------   -----------
  Conventional          655,360        15,200       640,160
  Upper                 126,928       101,552        25,376
  Reserved              393,216       393,216             0
  Extended (XMS)     32,378,928     7,650,352    24,728,576
  ----------------  -----------   -----------   -----------
  Total memory       33,554,432     8,160,320    25,394,112

  Total under 1 MB      782,288       116,752       665,536

  Total Expanded (EMS)                 30,687,232    (29M)
  Free Expanded (EMS)                  24,723,456    (24M)
  Largest executable program size         640,144   (625K)
  Largest free upper memory block          14,656    (14K)
  Available space in High Memory Area      10,240    (10K)
  MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.


3. Using QuarterDeck's QEMM386.SYS version 8.01 updated memory manager:

Modules using memory below 1 MB:

  Name           Total           Conventional       Upper Memory
  --------  ----------------   ----------------   ----------------
  SYSTEM      14,992   (15K)      9,456    (9K)      5,536    (5K)
  QEMM386        784    (1K)        784    (1K)          0    (0K)
  VIDE-CDD     5,104    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,104    (5K)
  CSP          5,264    (5K)          0    (0K)      5,264    (5K)
  IFSHLP       2,896    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,896    (3K)
  ANSI         3,184    (3K)          0    (0K)      3,184    (3K)
  COMMAND      6,752    (7K)          0    (0K)      6,752    (7K)
  UNIVBE      13,648   (13K)          0    (0K)     13,648   (13K)
  FAST         1,312    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,312    (1K)
  CLOAKING     1,408    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,408    (1K)
  MSCDEX      16,576   (16K)          0    (0K)     16,576   (16K)
  SMARTDRV    34,976   (34K)          0    (0K)     34,976   (34K)
  RECALL       2,368    (2K)          0    (0K)      2,368    (2K)
  MOUSE        1,040    (1K)          0    (0K)      1,040    (1K)
  --------     2,880    (3K)          0    (0K)      2,880    (3K)
  Free       664,592  (649K)    644,528  (629K)     20,064   (20K)

Memory Summary:

  Type of Memory       Total         Used          Free
  ----------------  -----------   -----------   -----------
  Conventional          655,360        10,832       644,528
  Upper                 123,008       102,944        20,064
  Reserved              393,216       393,216             0
  Extended (XMS)     32,382,848     5,922,688    26,460,160
  ----------------  -----------   -----------   -----------
  Total memory       33,554,432     6,429,680    27,124,752

  Total under 1 MB      778,368       113,776       664,592

  Total Expanded (EMS)                 32,669,696    (31M)
  Free Expanded (EMS)                  26,460,160    (25M)
  Largest executable program size         644,512   (629K)
  Largest free upper memory block           9,200     (9K)
  Available space in High Memory Area      10,240    (10K)
  MS-DOS is resident in the high memory area.