Category : Alternate Operating Systems - Quarterdeck DesqView, CP/M, etc
Archive   : QTEC9306.ZIP
Filename : MAXWINDO.TEC

 
Output of file : MAXWINDO.TEC contained in archive : QTEC9306.ZIP
ID:XS DESQview/X: Maximizing Window Size
Quarterdeck Technical Note #252 Filename: MAXWINDO.TEC
by Al Huck CompuServe: MAXWIN.TEC
Last revised: 8/03/92 Category: DVX

Subject: Suggestions for maximizing the memory size of windows under
DESQview/X.


HOW CAN I FIND OUT HOW MUCH MEMORY EACH WINDOW CAN HAVE?

Select the Memory Status program in DESQview/X. "Largest Available Expanded
Memory" will tell you how large a window you can open in DESQview/X.

Total Total Largest
Memory Available Available

Common Memory 20480 11716 8848

Conventional Memory 594K 91K 88K

Expanded Memory 2704K 2464K --- 528K ----


The biggest window size for the above example is 528K. The examples in this
technote will describe how you can get even bigger window sizes. After trying
each suggestion in this technote open the memory status screen and refer to
this field.


HOW CAN I GET BIGGER WINDOW SIZES IN DESQVIEW/X?

DESQview/X will take between 164K to 300k of the 1st megabyte of ram when it
is loaded. Window sizes in DESQview/X are very dependent on where it loads.
We will first look at how DESQview/X loads and how to get better results from
the way it loads by its use of High RAM and the HMA.

DESQview/X will first load itself in the HMA if available. Next, it will load
itself in the unused portions of High RAM in the address space above
conventional memory and below 1024K. After all the High RAM is filled, it
will then load itself into conventional memory.

Most IBM compatibles will have the following memory map. This example shows
128k of High RAM. Computers with network boards that use Adapter RAM or IBM
PS/2s will have even less High RAM. The following examples are going to help
maximize the use of High RAM.

0k ====================== 0000





Conventional Memory
640k





640k ====================== A000
EGA/VGA Graphics 64k

704k ---------------------- B000
High RAM 32k
736k ---------------------- B800
EGA/VGA Text 32k
768k ---------------------- C000
Video ROM 32k
800k ---------------------- C800 Reserved Area

High RAM 96k

896k ---------------------- E000
Page Frame 64k

960k ---------------------- F000
System ROM Bios 64k

1024k ====================== F0000
HMA 1st 64k of
Extended Memory HMA
1088k ---------------------- 11000


1. USING STEALTH TO FREE CONVENTIONAL MEMORY.

High RAM is used to load device drivers and TSRs high. This will diminish the
original 128k even more. However, since QEMM-386 is included with DESQview/X,
we can reclaim the areas used by ROMs. This can be done by typing the
following command at the DOS prompt.

OPTIMIZE /ST

This will run Optimize with QEMM-386's STEALTH feature and will give extra
High RAM to DESQview/X. This one suggestion will give more conventional
memory to each window in DESQview/X.

If you have any problems using the STEALTH feature, download our stealth
trouble-shooting technote #205 from our QFAX service (310) 314-3214 or from
our BBS if you have a modem (310) 314-3227.

2. GETTING DESQVIEW/X TO USE THE HMA.

DESQview/X will use 63k of the 64k HMA. However, DESQview/X cannot use the
HMA if something else is using it, such as DOS 5's DOS=HIGH option. DOS only
uses from 35k to 60k depending on how many buffers are loaded.

If there is a lot of available High RAM, it may be better to add DOS=HIGH to
your CONFIG.SYS file if you are running DOS 5 or add HIDOS=ON if you are using
DR DOS 6. Check to see which gives you more memory by checking "Largest
Available for Expanded Memory" in Memory Status while in DESQview/X. Use the
configuration that gives you the best results.

3. REMOVING UNNECESSARY DEVICE DRIVERS AND TSRS.

If you are loading many device drivers or TSRs, they will have a direct impact
on the window size. TSRs like DOSKEY or Sidekick should be removed from the
AUTOEXEC.BAT and loaded in a DESQview/X window when needed.

Device drivers such as disk caches or ramdrives also use memory in the first
meg. Try removing them and see the results you get. You may find that the
benefit of additional memory outweighs the gains provided by such utilities.
Arriving at optimal performance will require you to decide which features are
more important than others.

Network drivers can also be changed to get better results. An example is
Novell's NETX.COM. It has a couple of replacements that can be used instead
of NETX.COM. EMSNETX.COM will use far less memory in the 1st meg than
NETX.COM and will use expanded memory. It would also be a good idea to use
the version-specific net shell if you are using DOS 5 (EMSNET5). It will even
use less memory then EMSNETX. Contact your network administrator for
alternatives.

4. 8514 VIDEO CARDS

If you have the 8514 video card you can use VIDRAM. This will provide an
additional 64K-96K of conventional memory. If your 8514 card requires a
driver then it is not hardware compatible and this process may not work.

First, add the VREMS to the QEMM386.SYS line in the Config.sys file.

DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM VREMS

Next, add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to activate VIDRAM:

C:\QEMM\VIDRAM ON

This line will activate VIDRAM and extend conventional memory. When you start
DESQview/X, it will report "GRFVGA.DVR does not find the correct video
adapter". You may safely ignore this message; DESQview/X should function
properly.

5. GETTING DESQVIEW/X TO USE LESS MEMORY IN THE FIRST MEGABYTE.

The DESQview/X setup program will allow you to change the amount "Common
Memory", "DOS I/O Buffers" in K and "Network Buffers" in K. To adjust the
following settings, type SETUP from the DVX directory, select "Advanced
Options", then select "Tune Performance".

Common Memory 32K
DOS I/O Buffer 8K
Network Buffer 20K (Only if using the Network Support)

The above settings can be changed for less DESQview/X overhead. Changing
these settings may not have any immediate effect because expanded memory is
mapped in 16K increments, so decreasing the common memory by 1K will not make
any difference unless your memory usage is on the 16K threshold. These
numbers can be decreased until the amount saved goes up 16K.

Common Memory - Decreasing this field can affect the number of windows
you can open, and DESQview/X's speed.

DOS I/O Buffer - When you use a setting of "0" QEMM-386 handles all the
buffering of DMA into mapped windows with an essentially
unlimited DMA buffer. This is faster than the way
DESQview/X handles DMA into mapped windows and uses no
conventional memory. Any user who can set this to "0" and
work successfully should.

Network Buffer - Only programs that make direct IPX or NETBIOS calls need this
feature. Only programs written specifically to use the
facilities of the network software do this. Most commercial
software does not. The remote computing feature of
DESQview/X does. If you do not have any programs that are
making IPX or NETBIOS calls set the Virtualize Network field
to "None". DESQview/X does not load a Network Buffer if it
does not virtualize a network. If you run DESQview/X on a
system that is not on a network set the Virtualize Network
field to "None".

Font Cache - The Font Cache is not pulled out of conventional memory and
decreasing the value will not allow you to have bigger window
sizes.


HOW DO THE CUSTOMIZE MENU SETTINGS AFFECT THE WINDOW SIZE?

Some settings in the Program Information File (PIF or .DVP) can affect the
window size. For the lowest memory overhead, set "System Memory (in K)" to
"0" and set "Text Page" to "1".

System Memory (in K) - This field will shrink the window size in K by the
value in this field.

Text Pages - Each additional Text Page will use 4K more.


I WENT THROUGH THIS TECHNICAL NOTE AND IT DIDN'T HELP ME, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

All the above suggestions should help increase the window sizes in DESQview/X.
If you have any further questions, contact Quarterdeck Technical Support at
(310) 392-9701.

************************************************************************
* Trademarks are property of their respective owners. *
*This technical note may be copied and distributed freely as long as it*
*is distributed in its entirety and it is not distributed for profit. *
* Copyright (C) 1992 by Quarterdeck Office Systems *
************************ E N D O F F I L E *************************


  3 Responses to “Category : Alternate Operating Systems - Quarterdeck DesqView, CP/M, etc
Archive   : QTEC9306.ZIP
Filename : MAXWINDO.TEC

  1. Very nice! Thank you for this wonderful archive. I wonder why I found it only now. Long live the BBS file archives!

  2. This is so awesome! 😀 I’d be cool if you could download an entire archive of this at once, though.

  3. But one thing that puzzles me is the “mtswslnkmcjklsdlsbdmMICROSOFT” string. There is an article about it here. It is definitely worth a read: http://www.os2museum.com/wp/mtswslnk/