MemMaker Help File %% 1,0:1 2,0:2 3,0:3 4,0:4 5,0:5 6,0:6 7,0:7 8,0:8 9,0:9 10,0:10 11,0:11 12,0:12 13,0:13 16,0:16 17,0:17 18,0:18 19,0:19 20,0:20 21,0:21 22,0:22 23,0:23 24,0:24 25,0:25 26,0:26 27,0:27 28,0:28 29,0:29 30,0:30 31,0:31 32,0:32 33,0:33 34,0:34 35,0:35 36,0:36 37,0:37 38,0:38 39,0:39 40,0:40 41,0:41 42,0:42 43,0:43 44,0:44 45,0:45 46,0:46 47,0:47 %% .1 Help -- MemMaker Cannot Run on This Computer MemMaker cannot run on your computer because your system does not meet the following minimum hardware and software requirements: * MS-DOS 6 * An 80386 or higher processor * At least 384K of extended memory .2 Help -- MemMaker Has Been Run Before MemMaker has been run before, but did not finish optimizing your system's memory. To run MemMaker again, choose "Restart optimization." To undo MemMaker's last changes, choose "Undo changes." The following are some possible reasons that MemMaker might have been interrupted: * After MemMaker restarted your computer, you forgot to exit from a menu program or other application started by your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If the last command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file starts a menu program or an application, you should immediately exit from that program or application so that MemMaker can continue. * Your computer was restarted accidentally due to a power outage or other event (but not because of system problems). * You pressed the F5 key while your computer was restarting, which caused MS-DOS to skip your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. * Your system stopped before optimization was complete, and you had to restart your computer. If MemMaker did not finish because of problems during the optimization process, choose "Undo changes." .5 Help -- Welcome to MemMaker At the bottom of each screen, MemMaker lists the keys you can press. ENTER Accepts the current option(s) and continues MemMaker. SPACEBAR Changes the highlighted option. F1 Displays Help for the current screen. F3 Quits MemMaker. ESC Returns to the previous screen. If a key is not available for the current screen, MemMaker does not list that key. .7 Help -- MemMaker and the QEMM Memory Manager MemMaker has detected the QEMM memory manager on your computer. MemMaker requires the MS-DOS memory manager EMM386, which cannot run at the same time as QEMM. Although QEMM and EMM386 perform basically the same function, each has its own specific command syntax. To optimize your memory configuration, MemMaker modifies some of the commands in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. The resulting commands will work only with EMM386, not with QEMM. If you continue, MemMaker will automatically install EMM386 and remove any QEMM commands from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. (MemMaker does not delete any QEMM files from your hard disk.) .8 Help -- MemMaker and the 386MAX Memory Manager MemMaker has detected the 386MAX memory manager on your computer. MemMaker requires the MS-DOS memory manager EMM386, which cannot run at the same time as 386MAX. Although 386MAX and EMM386 perform basically the same function, each has its own specific command syntax. To optimize your memory configuration, MemMaker modifies some of the commands in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. The resulting commands will work only with EMM386, not with 386MAX. If you continue, MemMaker will automatically install EMM386 and remove any 386MAX commands from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. (MemMaker does not delete any 386MAX files from your hard disk.) .9 Help -- MemMaker and the NETROOM Memory Manager MemMaker has detected the NETROOM memory manager on your computer. MemMaker requires the MS-DOS memory manager EMM386, which cannot run at the same time as NETROOM. Although NETROOM and EMM386 perform basically the same function, each has its own specific command syntax. To optimize your memory configuration, MemMaker modifies some of the commands in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. The resulting commands will work only with EMM386, not with NETROOM. If you continue, MemMaker will automatically install EMM386 and remove any NETROOM commands from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. (MemMaker does not delete any NETROOM files from your hard disk.) .10 Help -- MemMaker and Other Memory Managers MemMaker requires the MS-DOS memory manager EMM386. However, there is another memory manager installed on your computer that cannot run at the same time as EMM386. To optimize your memory configuration, MemMaker modifies some of the commands in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. The resulting commands will work only with EMM386. To run MemMaker, you must first edit your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files and remove any command lines that start other manufacturers' memory managers. .11 Help -- Express or Custom Mode You can run MemMaker in either Express or Custom mode. In Express mode, MemMaker optimizes your system's memory automatically. In Custom mode, MemMaker gives you more control over the changes it makes. Sometimes you can free more conventional memory by using Custom mode and changing some settings. You might want to use Custom mode if: * You want more control over MemMaker's changes. * Your computer has an EGA or VGA monitor. * You run MS-DOS-based applications with Windows. * You want to exclude specific device drivers or programs from the optimization process. * You want MemMaker to scan upper memory aggressively. .19 Help -- Exiting From MemMaker You have chosen to exit from MemMaker. * To exit and restore your original CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files, choose "Exit and undo changes." * To exit and keep MemMaker's changes to your startup files, choose "Exit and keep changes." (You can undo the changes later by typing MEMMAKER /UNDO at the command prompt.) * To continue MemMaker, choose "Continue." .23 Help -- Indicating Whether Your System Is Working Properly Some or all of your device drivers and memory-resident programs are now running in upper memory rather than conventional memory. Most programs can run properly in upper memory, but a few cannot. If you noticed any error messages when your system started, answer No. MemMaker will then remove the changes it made. For more information, see the Troubleshooting section of the chapter "Making More Memory Available" in the MS-DOS 6 User's Guide. If your system seems to work properly, answer Yes. (If any problems turn up later, you can remove MemMaker's changes by typing MEMMAKER /UNDO at the command prompt.) .24 Help -- Exiting or Undoing Changes You indicated that your system does not appear to work properly. You can either remove the changes MemMaker made to your system files, or you can exit MemMaker without undoing the changes. To test your system further, you might want to exit without undoing MemMaker's changes. For example, if you suspect your mouse driver is not working properly, you might want to try running a program that uses the mouse. If any problems turn up later, you can remove MemMaker's changes by typing MEMMAKER /UNDO at the command prompt. .26 Help -- Changing Your SYSTEM.INI File For Windows to run properly in 386 enhanced mode, some changes need to be made to your Windows SYSTEM.INI file. To let MemMaker make the necessary changes to your SYSTEM.INI file, answer Yes. MemMaker saves your current SYSTEM.INI file as SYSTEM.UMB. If you do not want MemMaker to change your SYSTEM.INI file, answer No. (To run Windows in 386 enhanced mode, you should make the changes yourself.) .29 Help -- Advanced Options On the Advanced Options screen, you can change some of the settings MemMaker uses. To change an option, use the UP ARROW or DOWN ARROW key to highlight the Yes or No answer for that option. Then, press the SPACEBAR to change the answer. The following list briefly describes each option. Specify which drivers and TSRs to include in optimization? ---------------------------------------------------------- By default, MemMaker includes all device drivers and memory-resident programs (also called TSRs) in the optimization process. Sometimes, a program causes problems while you are running MemMaker. You can avoid a problem with a specific program by leaving that program out of the optimization process. Answer Yes if your computer did not start properly while MemMaker was determining the memory requirements of a particular program. After you finish selecting advanced options, MemMaker prompts you to confirm each program in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Answer No if you have not experienced any system problems while running MemMaker. To direct MemMaker never to include a particular program in the optimization process, you can add that program to your MEMMAKER.INF file. For more information, see the comments at the beginning of the MEMMAKER.INF file, which is located in the directory that contains your MS-DOS files. Scan the upper memory area aggressively? ---------------------------------------- By default, MemMaker instructs EMM386 to limit its search for available upper memory blocks (UMBs) to upper-memory addresses C600 through EFFF. Answer Yes if you have not experienced any system problems while running MemMaker. Answering Yes may make more upper memory available for running programs. If you answer Yes, MemMaker will direct EMM386 to search for UMBs in upper-memory addresses F000 through F7FF. On some computers, putting UMBs in this address range can prevent the computer from operating properly. Answer No if your computer did not start properly while you were using MemMaker. If you answer No, MemMaker will direct EMM386 to limit its search for UMBs to upper-memory addresses C600 through EFFF. Optimize upper memory for use with Windows? ------------------------------------------- By default, MemMaker optimizes your system so that there is as much conventional memory as possible when Windows is not running. If you run MS-DOS-based programs with Windows, you might want to optimize your system to free as much conventional memory as possible for those applications. However, less conventional memory might be available when Windows is not running. Answer Yes if you run MS-DOS-based applications with Windows. Answer No if you do not run Windows, or if you run only Windows programs with Windows. This will free more conventional memory when Windows is not running. Use monochrome region (B000-BFFF) for running programs? ------------------------------------------------------- By default, 32K of upper memory (addresses B000 through BFFF) is reserved for use with a monochrome display adapter. This region of upper memory is not used on most computers with an EGA or VGA monitor. Answer Yes if you use an EGA or VGA (but not SuperVGA) monitor, and your video card does not use memory in that range. MemMaker can then use that region of upper memory for running device drivers and memory-resident programs. Answer No if you have a monochrome or SuperVGA (high-resolution) monitor. Keep current EMM386 memory exclusions and inclusions? ----------------------------------------------------- By default, MemMaker preserves any memory exclusion or inclusion switches it finds on the EMM386 command line. However, you can sometimes free more memory by allowing MemMaker to determine what, if any, memory addresses should be excluded or included. Answer No to have MemMaker remove the current I= and X= switches from the EMM386 command line. MemMaker will add new switches as necessary. This can result in a more efficient memory configuration. Answer Yes to preserve your current EMM386 switches. You might want to answer Yes if you previously answered No to this question and your computer did not start properly. Move Extended BIOS Data Area from conventional to upper memory? --------------------------------------------------------------- The Extended BIOS Data Area (EBDA) normally resides in conventional memory. By default, MemMaker moves the EBDA to upper memory, which frees an additional kilobyte of conventional memory for applications. Answer No if you previously ran MemMaker and encountered system problems that you suspect were caused by relocating the EBDA. Answer Yes if you have not experienced any system problems while running MemMaker. Answering Yes frees more conventional memory for your applications. .37 Help -- Undoing MemMaker's Changes Typing MEMMAKER /UNDO at the command prompt instructs MemMaker to undo the changes it made to your CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT files and, if necessary, to your Windows SYSTEM.INI file. MemMaker restores your system files by replacing them with the backup copies it made earlier. To restore your original files, press the SPACEBAR until the "Restore files now" option appears, and then press ENTER. To quit MemMaker without restoring your original files, press the SPACEBAR until the "Exit" option appears, and then press ENTER. .39 Help -- Including a Driver/Program in Optimization On the Advanced Options screen, you specified that you want to control which drivers and memory-resident programs (TSRs) to include in the optimization process. MemMaker displays each CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT command that starts a device driver or program. * To include the driver or program in the optimization process, answer Yes. * To exclude the driver or program from the optimization process, answer No. Press the SPACEBAR to change your answer from Yes to No or vice versa. Press ENTER to accept the highlighted answer and continue. .44 Help -- MemMaker Has Found Windows on Your System If you have Microsoft Windows version 3.0, MemMaker needs to edit your Windows SYSTEM.INI file. If you have Microsoft Windows version 3.1, MemMaker needs to examine the settings in your Windows SYSTEM.INI file, but makes no changes to that file. MemMaker searches your hard disk for Windows and displays the location of the first copy of Windows it finds. If the specified directory contains the copy of Windows you are currently using, press ENTER to continue. If you are using a copy of Windows in a different directory, type the full path of the directory. For example, if your current copy of Windows is on drive D in the \WIN directory, you would type: D:\WIN .46 Help -- Programs That Require Expanded Memory In this screen, MemMaker asks whether you use any programs that need expanded memory. If you use programs that require expanded memory, answer Yes. Answering Yes makes expanded memory available, but might not free as much conventional memory. If you answer Yes, MemMaker sets aside 64K of the upper memory area for use as an EMS page frame. (An EMS page frame is required in order to use expanded memory.) If none of your programs require expanded memory, answer No. Answering No frees more conventional memory, since MemMaker does not set aside any upper memory for an EMS page frame. If you answer No, expanded memory will be unavailable even if your computer includes an expanded-memory board. If you are not sure whether your programs need expanded memory, answer No to free as much memory as possible. When MemMaker completes, try running any programs that you think might need expanded memory. If a program displays a message saying that expanded memory or the EMS page frame is unavailable, run MemMaker again and answer Yes to this question. .47 Help -- Your Configuration is Already Optimized MemMaker could not free additional memory because your system's memory configuration was already optimized. You can either return to your previous memory configuration or keep the new memory configuration. (The new configuration might have less free memory than your previous configuration.) To restore your previous configuration, press ENTER. To keep the new configuration, press F3. You might want to keep the new configuration if you previously used a third-party memory manager and now want to use EMM386 instead. If you are not sure, press F3 to keep the new configuration. If you later decide you want to restore your previous configuration, just type MEMMAKER /UNDO at the command prompt. .End