HIMEM.SYS Error: Unable to control A20 line. XMS driver not installed. SOLVED \ VOGONS

HIMEM.SYS Error: Unable to control A20 line. XMS driver not installed. SOLVED

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First post, by Burrito78

Posted on 2019-05-07, 15:53

Burrito78 Offline

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Joined: 2018-03-13, 10:50

Hi there,

on a new build (Asus P3B-F, Pentium II 266, 64MB SDRAM) i got the above error during booting from the Windows 98SE installation CD and during the installation process which at some point even aborted the installation because of it.

Tried booting a plain old DOS boot floppy but HIMEM.SYS on there displayed the exact same error!

There is no BIOS option on this board regarding the A20 Gate.
I tried 5 different RAM sticks with the same result.
I tried different RAM slots.
Also tried resetting the BIOS and updating the BIOS to the latest version.

EDIT: REMOVED CONFUSING CONTENT THAT DESCRIBED A SIMILAR ERROR WHICH I NOW KNOW WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

No success. Any ideas?

Best regards,
Burrito78

Last edited by Burrito78 on 2019-05-21, 23:13. Edited 2 times in total.

Sound Blaster: From best to worst
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Reply 1 of 2, by darry

Posted on 2019-05-07, 16:57

darry Offline

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I had Windows 98SE running on a P3B-F back in the day without any such workarounds . Maybe something is wrong with either the board's keyboard controller or the actual keyboard you are using .

Reply 2 of 2, by Burrito78

Posted on 2019-05-21, 08:34

Burrito78 Offline

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Rank: Member
Posts: 122
Joined: 2018-03-13, 10:50

Finally, i found the problem.

Resetting the CMOS did the trick! Loading BIOS defaults doesn't help! Removing the BIOS battery and shorting the contacts doesn't help! You need to short the solder points on the board marked "CLRTC". You will barely make out the points and writing because both are so small...see attached pic for reference. Maybe this helps someone else with the same problem!

Sound Blaster: From best to worst
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