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EMS and XMS memory distribution on a 286 motherboard

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andromeda92

Experienced Member
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Hi,
I have 4MB on my motherboard 286.
How much XMS and EMS memory should I put?
for example 2MB for EMS and 1MB for XMS ?
640K conventional memory and the rest (384k) for XMS (1430K XMS) ?
in case I install windows 3.0 or windows 3.1
Thank you.
 
It depends on what the software you intend to run needs. UNIX, 16-bit OS/2, and Windows 3 use XMS. Windows/286 and pretty much anything else DOS-based that uses more than 640k (and doesn't involve a 386 extender) makes use of EMS. I'm not aware of any software that uses both at once.
 
Thank you for your response.
if for example under windows 3.0 I open a dos box and launch a DOS program, will it be EMS?
i know that windows 3.0 uses xms.
I would need both XMS and EMS?
Windows 3.1 not work on 286, it seem.
 
HIMEM uses XMS to get that 64K of extra space for DOS or Windows 286. Windows 286 also had some XMS memory functions that AFAIK were only used by Excel. Conversely, most DOS applications rarely used more than 512K of EMS. Depending on board, EMS or XMS may be faster which suggests which to use for a disk cache since most disk caches could use either.

The DOS box could use allocated EMS under Windows 3 but not convert from XMS to EMS which is what the 386s do.

My usual loadout was 512K of EMS and the rest XMS since I had a number of DOS 286 extender applications including Windows 3. Running OS/2 1.x: make all the memory extended; the system will be fairly slow with only 4MB and any DOS program that would benefit from EMS was a pain to use in the compatibility box. DesqView: 512K of XMS for himem and the rest EMS to swap several DOS applications.

Note I used an AST memory card that defaulted to 512K allocations between EMS and XMS. Other cards may allow different allocations.
 
Thank you for this detailled informations.
what would you advise me?
to install windows 3.0 or windows 3.1?
 
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Go with 3.1. It is more stable and use Standard mode. Standard mode is faster than 386 enhance mode on a 386SX of the some cpu speed.

Also you don't need Adobe font manager to get decent out put on a screen or printer.
 
the installation of windows 3.1 fails, after the installation of the floppy disk 2, it reboots under ms dos and nothing, even by typing win, on the other hand windows 3.0 is installed without problem and works if i launch with WIN /R
 
There is another option: a reconfigurable CONFIG.SYS. When CONFIG.SYS starts up, you can choose a configuration. There is only one "but": it is only available from MS-DOS 6.0 on.

More info [here] and [here].
 
Ruud said:
There is another option: a reconfigurable CONFIG.SYS. When CONFIG.SYS starts up, you can choose a configuration. There is only one "but": it is only available from MS-DOS 6.0 on.

More info [here] and [here].
Click to expand...
emm386 not work with this motherboard, i use MM.sys
 
Other than ram disk and print spooler type of use, the largest program that uses EMS that I know is Ultima Underworld. It needs 640K base memory and 768K EMS. It does launch on 286 systems, but is a slide show. It's enjoyable on 386DX40+. Maybe it's playable on Harris 286 20 or 25MHz systems?

Borland Turbo Pascal 7 and Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 IDEs can use up to 384K of EMS memory to free up more base memory for larger programs.
 
Thank you for information.
in another motherboard based on the chipset WDC 286 4MB (WD216WB5),
by default all memory is allocated to XMS.
without any manager in the config.sys (no hymem, no emm386, no MM.sys), with the command mem /c /p I have
Conventional memory 655 360 (640k)
XMS 3,558,944

when I use hymem.sys on config.sys it installs A20:1
memory test on checkit failed for XMS, with or without XMS and EMS manager.

i removed all DIP DRAM for this motherboard when added 4MB SIPP.

I bought the 4MB on ebay (SIPP RAM), the seller assures that they have been tested (see image from vendor)
I don't have any beep at startup everything is fine, but it does not pass the test only for XMS and EMS.
on checkit program buffers passed, base memory passed


do i need a specific memory manager for the chipset W83C motherboard ?

Any idea ?
 

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andromeda92 said:
Thank you for your response.
if for example under windows 3.0 I open a dos box and launch a DOS program, will it be EMS?
i know that windows 3.0 uses xms.
I would need both XMS and EMS?
Windows 3.1 not work on 286, it seem.
Click to expand...
Windows 3.1 does work on a 286 but it will only run in standard mode. Your post below suggests there is a problem running in this mode as you said Windows 3.0 will work when the /R (real mode) switch is provided on the command line. Windows 3.1 dropped real mode support and therefore isn't an option. Thus you have an issue with Windows running in standard mode.

My recommendation would be to configure all memory as extended memory as Windows 3.x can take advantage of it all. As to the question of a DOS application running under Windows being able to use expanded memory I do not know. It's been so long and I was of the mindset that if I was running Windows I was running Windows programs. For DOS programs, with a few exceptions, I would exit Windows and run them straight from DOS. I never had a need for expanded memory so I cannot really comment on it.
 
Thank you i will test this.
but for my problem for this other board.
what is strange is that the test passes at boot, there is no beep at the memory level, it may be software,
I tested the jumper wait state 0 and 1 but it does nothing, ems is disabled in the bios, at boot I can clearly see the 640k conventional memory and 3,457 k XMS, all test failed for xms memory, NSSI hang, checkit hang at memory XMS test.
 
andromeda92 said:
Thank you i will test this.
but for my problem for this other board.
what is strange is that the test passes at boot, there is no beep at the memory level, it may be software,
I tested the jumper wait state 0 and 1 but it does nothing, ems is disabled in the bios, at boot I can clearly see the 640k conventional memory and 3,457 k XMS, all test failed for xms memory, NSSI hang, checkit hang at memory XMS test.
Click to expand...
What is the manufacturer / model number of the board in question?
 
it's KB216WB5
NL80286 12/s
4 MB SIPP Goldstar
No FPU
5 ISA 16bit, 1 ISA 8Bit
Chipset WD83CXXX

i too verified connexion from ram SIPP all is ok.
 
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DOS=HIGH in config.sys block checkit from starting.
XMS manager HYMEM.SYS is ok
I tested with only 2MB, I have the same problem,
I swapped the other SIPP RAM leaving the 2MB on the motherboard, it doesn't change anything,
I'm surprised that the 4MB SIPP are out of order
 
andromeda92 said:
it's KB216WB5
NL80286 12/s
4 MB SIPP Goldstar
No FPU
5 ISA 16bit, 1 ISA 8Bit
Chipset WD83CXXX

i too verified connexion from ram SIPP all is ok.
Click to expand...
I'm not finding information about this specific board so I won't be able to offer any specific guidance.
 
there is information here, but not very precise and clear, for example for parity we do not know if it is pin 1 and 2 or 2 and 3, they have also reversed jumpers C1, pin 1 and 2 c it's 1024x1k and not the reverse pin 2 and 3, for the wait state we don't know is it's pin 1 and 2 or 2 and 3 for 0 or 1, I tested all the possibilities.

docs
 
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