Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 20:46

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

This is win98, so... Suitable USB wifi dongle* + the trial version of odyssey client. + + Sorry, not providing links. Funk software's library is still copyrighted and still buyable . However, the trial version can still be found, and will work for 30 days. Universal WiFi chip manager, with WPA2 …

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 12:28

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

If you do that, windows wont start. 😜 It will throw an error about not being able to enter protected mode due to conventional memory backfill.

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 12:07

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

Yup. I personally like to see what the adapter rom region looks like before trying to prod in there, which is why I suggested a quick one-over with MSD without any managers or drivers loaded. There might be some useless PXE bios just taking up space in there that an explicit include could unmap and …

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 07:58

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

You might still be able to get a smidge more, but glad that helped your issue. Surprised win98 allowed the old dos6 version...

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 07:51

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

Kitty Trouble wrote on 2023-08-01, 07:42: Windows 98 ver 4.10.1998 That is Windows 98 OEM. It's useful to know that, or communicate that when getting support. I will see if MS released updated himem.sys for that OS.

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 07:40

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

UMBPCI is a Free Software package that uses the PCI chipset to map some RAM into unused portions of the adapter rom region, so they can be used as UMBs. It loads before himem.sys or emm386.exe. https://www.uwe-sieber.de/umbpci_e.html Hiram.exe is a small xms stub handler that enables these blocks so …

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 07:34

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

Subject title says this is already win98, but might not be SE. Can we get output of 'ver' or 'winver'? I still think exploring umbpci + hiram to put himem.sys in upper memory is worth a shot. Re: NOEMS NOEMS does not specify an include region. What region is it enabling, without the RAM option?

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 07:24

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

see the edit. I'm confused why you have UMBs, but clearly its finding them, and 17k is free. We might be able to load himem.sys high if you use umbpci and hiram.

---

Re: Freeing memory in DOS (Win 98) (Specifically Betrayal at Krondor)

Posted on 2023-08-01, 07:15

by

by wierd_w

in DOS

in DOS

You have the win98 install CD handy? There is a utility called Microsoft Diagnostics on it. (Msd.exe and msd.ini. you should copy them to the hdd.) If you can, run it after booting with F5 to skip config.sys and autoexec.bat, then get me a screenshot of what the MEMORY page says. I need to see what …

---

Re: Need help identifying this 386-era motherboard

Posted on 2023-08-01, 06:51

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I tried looking up the bios ident string, but nobody seems to have mfg ID 1294 in their tables. The bios release code says it was released on feb 25, 2009 , which seems... odd. Especially for a 386. Blurry image is blurry, thats an 8, not a 0. Woops. Feb 25, 1989. Still no hit on mfg code 1294 …

---

Re: Which memory manager is better? Memmaker, QEMM or 386max.

Posted on 2023-07-31, 10:46

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

Sadly, QEMM tops out at 256mb of RAM, while later versions of HIMEM and EMM386 could do upward of 3GB of RAM. (Very useful in DOS systems, if you want to use something like XMSDSK) How do you get the MS-DOS's HIMEM to access more than 64MB RAM? Win98's version of himem.sys will happily work on …

---

Re: Unknown ISA BOOT Card

Posted on 2023-07-31, 08:58

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I'm gonna be straight with you-- More than likely, the "Treiber" rom is the in13h disk handler, and it probably just handles IO, and should not matter one iota that it is in german. (PC scans for the option rom header byte, begins execution, it inserts itself into the vector table, then performs a …

---

Re: Create better compression?

Posted on 2023-07-30, 10:16

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

This brings back some memories of mine. I remember coming up with a mathematical tokenization methodology that was rendered "Real-world use-case useless" due to the existence of prime numbers type compression strategem, and being so frustrated that I quit. :P (I could universally get several bits …

---

Re: IBM PS/1 and Hard drive detection

Posted on 2023-07-30, 09:45

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I got the following from Vintage-computers: I put a 512 MB Disk On Module IDE flash drive in my PS/1 Model 2121 (the 386SX version of the original weirdo proprietary form factor) and it worked perfectly fine -- I didn't even need to change any of the Setup options. The PS/1 automatically detected …

---

Re: Can't install Windows xp

Posted on 2023-07-30, 08:21

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Yes, I would check the ram with MemTest first, and if that came out clean, I would then inspect the gold fingers on the dimms to see if they look "bronzed", then clean them if they are. If it still continued, I would investigate the OC situation, and set it at stock, and see if it goes away. If it …

---

Re: Which memory manager is better? Memmaker, QEMM or 386max.

Posted on 2023-07-30, 06:43

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ Software

in Marvin \ Software

I did not use QEMM back in the day, because I was a snot-nosed kid then, and had no money. Quarterdeck wanted moola for that product, and that was something I had precious little of. I *DID* work for a mom&pop repair place back then, so I got to deal with "Problems" involving QEMM (usually involving …

---

Re: SBEMU: Sound Blaster emulation on AC97

Posted on 2023-07-30, 06:38

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ Sound

in Marvin \ Sound

Which is quite sad-- I have an old Fujitsu Lifebook that would be fantastic to use (Pentium 133 with ATI Rage Pro), but it has Ali chipset and a connexant ac'97 audio codec. SBEMU says to go pound sand. The other laptops I have are "not period appropriate", with CPUs that are not really intended for …

---

Re: Can't install Windows xp

Posted on 2023-07-30, 06:34

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I worked at a mom&pop in the tail-end 9x / 2k&xp era, and saw enough of this that I very rarely OCed any of my machines (and if I did, it was by some very modest amount, like 33mhz). I've also seen memory sticks develop 'Patina' on the gold fingers of the SIMMs/DIMMs, that needed cleaning with a …

---

Re: How long before one is no longer a "Newbie"?

Posted on 2023-07-30, 06:25

by

by wierd_w

in Milliways

in Milliways

Just be patient, and chatty. It'll go away in no time. I'm in the noob boat too, despite being 41, and been doing "This shit" for many decades. :P I have no shortage of stuff I can contribute here, and have been a long-time lurker. I finally joined to talk in the sbemu thread in Marvin/Sound. Just …

---

Re: Unknown ISA BOOT Card

Posted on 2023-07-29, 19:02

by

by wierd_w

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Oh, Neat. I did not see the "evolved romdos" rom there. That's a very fancy stacked PCB it has there.

---