xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au (02/15/91)
Gudday,
Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS?
The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360.
My machine is an IBM AT compatible '386 with 640K conventional
memory (supposedly) and 2048K extended. It has a Phoenix 80386 ROM BIOS PLUS,
Version 1.10 03. It runs MS-DOS 4.01 operating system.
Any info would be appreciated.
David Hichens.
==============lee@chsun1.uchicago.edu (Dwight A Lee) (02/16/91)
xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? >The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. This is often the symptom of a virus infection. It happened to me when I was infected by the STONED virus. You may want to have a peek at comp.virus to see what diagnostics and remedies are available. -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dwight A Lee / lee@chsun1.uchicago.edu / T904107@niucs.BITNET / tCS/BB / Font I speak only for myself. / "I am not the only dust my mother raised" - TMBG
macadder@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Cmdr Sean M Wetterer) (02/16/91)
xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? >The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. I've seen this problem on a Compaq 386 system at my old job. Since it had nothing more than some lab software on it, I extremely doubt if this problem was due to a virus. Couldn't figure it out and using QRAM was impossible. (Always got a #*%#*ing "End of memory not at 640" error) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sean M. Wetterer New Jerseyan and not afraid to admit it Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91126 So where are all the chemistry groupies? macadder@tybalt.caltech.edu No we aren't in San Luis Obispo! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (Dave McCrady) (02/17/91)
xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > Gudday, > > Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? > The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. > > My machine is an IBM AT compatible '386 with 640K conventional > memory (supposedly) and 2048K extended. It has a Phoenix 80386 ROM BIOS PLUS, > Version 1.10 03. It runs MS-DOS 4.01 operating system. > > Any info would be appreciated. > > David Hichens. > ============== Some BIOSes grab the top 1K for use as stack space or some such. This is usually configurable with its SETUP. Dave McCrady | ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca +1 403-454-4054 (voice) | Disclaimer? Who needs a disclaimer? +1 403-454-6093 (public USENET) | I >own< the joint.
jnelson@plains.NoDak.edu (Jim Nelson) (02/17/91)
In article <lee.666661006@chsun1> lee@chsun1.uchicago.edu (Dwight A Lee) writes: >xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > >> Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? >>The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. > >This is often the symptom of a virus infection. It happened to me >when I was infected by the STONED virus. Maybe, maybe not. Depending on the machine, it could be your 'scratch pad ram'. In my setup program on my 286, I have an option to put the 'scratch pad' in the bios data area, or someplace in ram. I have it in the bios data area, so as to have a full 640k. -- .sig? What .sig? Ohhhh, *THIS* .sig. Jim, in the Land of the Lost. disclaimer: These are just opinions. If you want 'em, you can have 'em.
cur022%cluster@ukc.ac.uk (Bob Eager) (02/18/91)
In article <15894.27bbb58b@levels.sait.edu.au>, xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? > The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. If your machine has extended BIOS support, the BIOS grabs the top 1K of available memory as the extended BIOS data area. The space in segment 40H finally ran out! The BIOS returns the amended value of 639K to DOS so that the 1K area is not touched by DOS (or indeed by any other operating system, unless it isn't going to use the BIOS). -------------------------+------------------------------------------------- Bob Eager | University of Kent at Canterbury | +44 227 764000 ext 7589 -------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
martin@dell.co.uk (Martin Jackson) (02/22/91)
In <15894.27bbb58b@levels.sait.edu.au> xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > > Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? >The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. > If your machine has a built in PS/2 style mouse, then this can take up 1k for the mouse driver. -- Martin Jackson, Dell Computer Corp. (UK) | Email address Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 1RW | Domain: martin@dell.co.uk Tel: +44-344-860456 | Uucp: ...!ukc!delluk!martin "Don't rock the boat, man!" - Bart
Rick_Vandenberg@mindlink.UUCP (Rick Vandenberg) (02/22/91)
> xaandrews@levels.sait.edu.au writes: > > Anybody come across the problem of only having 639K available to DOS? > The DOS MEM command reports only 654 366 bytes available instead of 655 360. > > My machine is an IBM AT compatible '386 with 640K conventional > memory (supposedly) and 2048K extended. It has a Phoenix 80386 ROM BIOS PLUS, > Version 1.10 03. It runs MS-DOS 4.01 operating system. > Some BIOSes can be set to use 1K for their stack. That would leave only 639K. It has nothing to do with device drivers or TSR's. They wouldn't affect the amount of memory available, just the amount left. Rick Vandenberg Vandenberg Systems Research