Need Expanded Memory

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Need Expanded Memory

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I'm trying to run a game in DOS and it says it needs 1.4mb expanded memory. How do I do that?
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dosraider
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Post by dosraider »

Depends ......
What game?
What OS?
What hardware?
...........?????????
wardrich wrote:The contrasts in personalities will deliver some SERIOUS lulz. I can't wait.
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Post by Quadko »

Yes, we definitely need more details.

Easiest way is just run Dosbox on windows (mac/linux). It takes care of all that setup for you.

Otherwise, if you are using real dos (and not just a dos command prompt in windows) on a "modern" pentium or better machine with enough memory, you just need to configure the xms driver. (Might work on a 386/486, too, depends.)

Those are the most common fixes, but you'll have to tell us the things dosraider asked for so we can point you in the right direction. :)
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Post by Guest »

The game is the first version of Sim City for DOS. That message about needing expanded memory is the message I got when I tried to install it from MS-DOS (not a DOS window). 466mhz computer, 256mb RAM, 256mb graphics card, Win95.
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Post by dosraider »

That's already some relevant details, but still missing some.

-> How do you try to run the game?
.... rebooting in MsDos?
Means your memory managers aren't loded when rebooting.
Need to edit config and autoexec.

Simplest would be to create a dos bootflop, but that's already been said to you, you're the same of this topic ain't you?
Win95/MsDos problems.
Also you got the solution in said topic, I gave you a link to it.

Weird thing is that when peeps ask advise, and you give them valid advise, that is not to run dosgames on windows, they don't listen, but keep on struggling with crippled solutions .......
So once again:
a 486 is an ideal dosgaming PC when you run dosgames in MsDos 6.22
Now not really ideal ideal, rather would like a P1/100MHz ... or 200MHz ... but can't have it all ...
As long you keep trying running dosgames on a win95 platform you gonna get problems.
Some will work, eventually, others never will, MsDos memory management differs from Win95 memory management.
Ah well, will you listen? Probably not, as usual ......
wardrich wrote:The contrasts in personalities will deliver some SERIOUS lulz. I can't wait.
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Post by MrFlibble »

Quadko wrote:you just need to configure the xms driver
XMS is Extended Memory, and here, Expanded Memory (EMS) is needed (indeed many older DOS games require EMS, not XMS).

IIRC, EMS support is turned off by default on Win95 and later configurations, I remember I had to edit CONFIG.SYS to enable EMS memory. I think I needed to use EMM386 for this (it comes with Win95, or at least it should), but as the guys said above, you could spare yourself the trouble and just use DOSBox instead.
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Post by Quadko »

Yes, a dos boot floppy is likely the way to go. It also lets you test configurations and then copy the working one to your pure dos install on the HD. (But maybe that would mess up win95, so maybe just use the floppy for games!)


But, if you have a nice pure dos boot working, and it complains about expanded memory, you probably need to look at your config.sys and make sure you have a properly configured emm386 line. (And maybe Himem.sys.) However, if you have win95 on the same box, the proper setup for the game may conflict with the proper setup for windows. That's why we keep saying a boot floppy still comes in handy, and that boot floppy can be a different version of dos. I've generally used dos 6.22 for games - has everything you need, but none of the extra stuff they tried in dos 5 or the windows stuff from dos 7. Still, dos 7 should work fine, and if you don't download a ready-to-go boot floppy you can still easily make one to play with from the dos command.

Also, you said "expanded memory" and I said XMS - I was wrong, expanded memory is "EMS", extended memory is "XMS". Sorry about that! Looking up EMS and emm386 might help you get to the right place.

Basically, backup your config.sys file (so if you mess up windows you can get it back!), then play with the config.sys emm386 line. The first few lines should look something like:
config.sys wrote: DEVICE = C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
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Post by MrFlibble »

Quadko wrote:Basically, backup your config.sys file (so if you mess up windows you can get it back!), then play with the config.sys emm386 line. The first few lines should look something like:
config.sys wrote: DEVICE = C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
Exactly, this is what I had to do back then (more or less). [BTW, I did that to play Arrakis, when it wasn't yet supported by DOSBox :)]
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Post by dosraider »

Ahem .... if he reboots PC in win95 to MsDos this thing:
Quadko wrote:.............The first few lines should look something like:
config.sys wrote: DEVICE = C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM
won't work, not at all.
There is no c:\dos\ in Win95 installation.

So let us first know what he's doing, any guesses are wild ones....

And as his game only asks for some 1.4MB the line should be in MsDos 6.22:
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe 2048

Avoid the RAM option as it will give everything it can to expanded mem, (to know: limited to 32MB) ...... costly costly in mem usage and needless.

But as said, let us first know what he's doing .....................

[Edit]
Ah well, got some 5 minutes to lose, so lets try again .... :laugh:

Good bootdisks @ http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
However keep in mind those are 'bootdisks' , not the OS, means you can boot into a naked MsDos 6.22 with the bootflop "DOS 6.22 | Mirror1 | Mirror2"
Sound and mouse will have to be added and you'll need to do some memory tweakings......
You'll find some (generic) mouse/CDdrivers @
http://www.bootdisk.com/dostools.htm

Sound, as already said, depends of your hardware .... details ?

Also, FYI: Simcity (1) for MsDos runs perfectly from a 1.44MB dosbootflop .... just saying.
Also, FYI²: Simcity (1) has also a win9x release, easily findable on abandonware sites, runs perfectly under Win95 ..... just saying.
wardrich wrote:The contrasts in personalities will deliver some SERIOUS lulz. I can't wait.
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Post by Guest »

I appreciate all that info. I'm going to experiment with it and see what works. I'm not really a dos box person. I know its easy but I actually just want to learn how DOS works. I'm reading books and asking anyone who knows anything about it. Just taking my time to learn it until I get it right. That is a good idea to get a 486. I used to have one we played some DOS games on, never had any problems.
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