joshua@wolfen.cc.uow.oz (Poh Onn Joshua Fan) (08/11/90)
I recently bought a copy of Windows 3.0 and used the SETUP program given to install the software including AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. When I reboot the system for a test run, the whole system was hung and the keyboard was frozen. I then discovered that when I removed the HIMEM.SYS from the CONFIG.SYS, the system boots up successfully. I suspect my system may not be 100% compatible with the standard AT, so I tried other HIMEM.SYS setup such as acer1000, ps/2, pheonix, wyse etc., but they all failed. I then suspect; maybe the memory is faulty, so I used CheckIt (from TouchStone Software Corporation) to check my system configuration and performed a memory test including extended memory and all the memory in the system was reported to be OK. I am really confused and does not know what to do. I hope to see Windows 3.0 running at least in Standard Mode. Is there any tricks involved to setup the HIMEM.SYS ?? Can anyone tell me what have I done wrong? If anyone knows how to fix it or someone who have had the same experience before and solved the problem, please send an email to me. The following is my system configuration: DOS version : 3.30 ROM BIOS : 286 Modular BIOS Version 3.03 Copyright Award Software Inc. BIOS date : 11th. , May, 1985 Processor type : 80286-10 AT machine (compatible) Base memory : 640 K Extended memory : 384 K Hard disk : Seagate 40 M Floppy : A: 1.44M (3.5") B: 1.2M (5.25") Mouse : MS-Mouse compatible. Joshua Fan University Of Wollongong, NSW, Australia. email : joshua@wolfen.cc.uow.edu.au. ARPAnet : joshua%wolfen.oz.au@uunet.uu.net Janet : munnari!wolfen.oz.au!joshua@uk.ac.ukc -------------------------------------------------
ERAN@BGUVM.BITNET (Eran Lachs - BGUCC) (08/29/90)
Dear oz friend: I have exactly the same hardware configuration as you, let alone a 20M Seagate and 1.2M floppy. My CONFIG.SYS has HIMEM as the first device to load - and it does. I get Windows 3.0 working in standard mode (by default). Make sure you don't have TSRs running loose when running Windows. eran lachs :: bgu computer center, israel mail: eran@bguvm.bitnet
LAIH@QUCDN.QueensU.CA (Hubert Lai) (09/24/90)
Hi. I tried to send you my suggestions to your problem via email, but it got bounced back to me, so I'm posting here for all to read. I hope no one minds. Here is the message... ========================================================================= Received: by QUCDN (Mailer R2.07+QK) id 9785; Sun, 23 Sep 90 16:40:19 EDT Date: Sun, 23 Sep 90 16:40:18 EDT From: Network Mailer <MAILER@QUCDN> Subject: Undelivered mail To: LAIH@QUCDN Your mail was not delivered to some or all of its intended recipients for the following reason(s): Message syntax is unrecognizable. --------------------RETURNED MAIL FILE-------------------- Date: Sun, 23 Sep 1990 16:33 EDT From: Hubert Lai <LAIH@QUCDN.QueensU.CA> To: joshua@wolfen.cc.uow.oz Subject: Re: Help: HIMEM.SYS problem ! Since you have a 286 and not a 386, you will not be able to run in 386 enhanced mode, obviously. To run in standard mode HIMEM.SYS must be functioning and you must have at least 384K of free extended RAM, on top of your 640K base RAM. You are probably already aware of all this. Three potential problems leap to mind wrt your configuration: 1) Are you using the HIMEM.SYS that came with Windows 3.0? Search through your ENTIRE hard disk and delete any version of HIMEM.SYS that may have been left over from DOS or previous versions of Windows. 2) Are you using shadow-RAM? If so, turn it off. You need ALL of your extended memory to be free, since you don't have much of it. In any case, even if you had plenty of RAM, shadowing often causes problems. 3) Your BIOS is dated 1985. Now, I'm not saying that your BIOS is at fault, but if neither of the two above suggestions fix your problem, you may want to try updating your BIOS. It *is* quite old, after all. Hope these suggestions help. Let me know how it goes... <=- Hubert