🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <C79EG...@news.cso.uiuc.edu> pmwg...@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) writes:
>I am somewhat, but not very, computer competent and I am trying to install
>Populous II on a university machine.  The problem is that I get a
>"Cannot find Expanded Memory" error.  I know these here machines
>have something like 3 1/2 meg of memory, I can see it count it off
>when it is turned on, which is more than twice what is nominally
>required to run the program; so it strikes me as highly peculiar
>to have this problem.
>
>There is a cryptic message in the docs: "If you do not have memory
>manager software on your system you will not be able to use EMS."
>Does the system make a strong distinction between main memory and
>expanded memory that I am failing to understand?
>
>--Peter
>p-w...@uiuc.edu

Here is yet another memory explanation:

There are many types of memory on the IBM compat. machines.

The basic part is

CONVENTIONAL MEMORY
-------------------

Just 640K.  This is because, Microsoft and IBM in their infinite
wisdom, decided that 640K was a whole hell of a lot, and who would
ever need to use more???  To remain compatible with older machine,
even a mighty 486/66 still only has 640K of conv. memory.

This is called the memory barrier, and is why DOS is considered so
inferior to say, OS/2.

Also, notice that this has nothing to do with the 386/486
architecture, these machine could easily access as much memory as
they want, (32-bit architecture), but is done only to maintain
compatibility so EVERYONE can run Wordperfect 5.1 for example.

Machine that have conv. memory:
8088 to top of the line 486

Expanded memory:
----------------

Nowadays no machine that are sold actually have expanded memory
physically.  This is an older method of "getting more than 640K",
which limits you to only 64K chunks of memory at a time.  This
causes it to be rather slow.
Most machines nowadays run EMULATORS that emulate expanded memory so
that programs that need it can use it.  They convert part of
extended memory (see below) into exapanded memory, using a certain
standard (I think the current standard is LIM 4.0 EMS.)

Machines that can use expanded memory:
286's and higher 

Extended memory:
----------------

Newer, improved way of accessing memory.  Most new computers come
with this inside.  Himem.sys manages this extended memory, although
some programs have their own managers (Zone66 comes to mind).
Windows uses extended memory.

Machines that can use extended memory:
286(?), 386 and higher


What it all boils down to:

Obviously your computer that you were trying to run your program on
has EXTENDED memory.  Your program wants to use expanded.  Thus you
have to run an emulator, for example emm386.exe that comes with
dos5.
If your computer is a 286 or lower, you cannot use emm386.exe
(obviously!).  Then you will have to find a specific emulator for
your motherboard/chipset.


Put this in the config.sys

device=\dos\himem.sys
device=\dos\emm386.exe ram #### (where #### is how much extended
memory you want to turn into expanded, usually 1000 to 2000 or more)
dos=high,umb

This is only true if you have dos5 or higher.

Hope this clears stuff up and does not bring in any more confusion.

A book I recommend is Dos For Dummies.  It explains a lot in an easy
to understand format.  It talks about memory for a bit.

Disclaimer:  I don't work for the publisher and I am not in any way
connected to it...


Steven