Win98, MaxPhysPage + Device that shares RAM = Pagefile disabled!?! \ VOGONS

Win98, MaxPhysPage + Device that shares RAM = Pagefile disabled!?!

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First post, by Tmp2k

Posted on 2017-11-22, 21:28

Tmp2k Offline

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Any suggestions on this, I'm stuck. Initially the problem was stopping me from using on-board GFX, but now it's stopping me from using a Soundblaster LIve.

I've discovered that if you use MaxPhysPage to limit the RAM, then install a device that uses system memory, e.g. onboard GPU or SBLive Windows disables the pagefile.

I have 2GB ram installed (multiboot system), I'm using MaxPhysPage=2000 and MaxFileCache=65536, it's a P4/i865G. If I install drivers for the SB Live, it uses some of the physical memory to store the soundfont file. Windows reports 510MB physical memory instead of 512MB and paging is always disabled. I have exactly the same issue when using the onboard GPU.

I now seem to be in a situation where after uninstalling the SBLive drivers I'm still stuck with 510MB RAM and no pagefile. Previously uninstalling the onboard GPU drivers did fix the issue.

Reply 1 of 6, by BitWrangler

Posted on 2017-11-22, 22:12

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I'm thinking that the board is mapping the SB or GPU to the top of physical installed RAM which is an area you've forbidden windows from, so it can't see them???

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 2 of 6, by Tmp2k

Posted on 2017-11-22, 22:23

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That would make sense, but (and I don't know how this works), if it works fine without drivers, is it not a driver - i.e. software that's mapping the RAM and therefore it should only know about the same 512MB as Windows?

Reply 3 of 6, by BitWrangler

Posted on 2017-11-23, 00:42

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Yeahhhh, I don't have any ideas on what your driver has done to screw it up sorry...

If you were able to hunt down it's changes and kill them, and start again from scratch, there's lots here that might get it working with your full 2G and cause less troubles... http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/118097-day-to … than-1-gib-ram/

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 4 of 6, by squiggly

Posted on 2017-11-23, 01:13

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Have you tried using himemx instead of MaxPhysPage to limit the ram?

Reply 5 of 6, by Tmp2k

Posted on 2017-11-23, 12:26

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I've tried RLoew's patch and it does allow me to remove the MaxPhysPAge - which does work. However the 2 D3D games I've tried both crash. Using DX9c.

I've also been reading that thread you've linked to and made a post on that forum.

I'll try himemx next.

Reply 6 of 6, by LSS10999

Posted on 2017-11-24, 07:16

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Tmp2k wrote:
I've tried RLoew's patch and it does allow me to remove the MaxPhysPAge - which does work. However the 2 D3D games I've tried both crash. Using DX9c.

I've also been reading that thread you've linked to and made a post on that forum.

I'll try himemx next.

If you're using the Demo version of RLoew's patch it's designed to freeze the system after a limited amount of time. It's only for testing purpose.

In most use cases setting the RAM size using HIMEMX to below the safe limit should be sufficient, and is relatively stable.

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