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STACKER NOTE Stac Electronics Technical Note

Subject: QEMM386 Optimize and Stacker 2.0

Tech030 - 3/23/92
2 Pages
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If you are a STACKER 2.0 user with an SSWAPped boot drive, you can now
OPTIMIZE with a minimal amount of effort using an upgraded SSWAP.COM.
This file is available on Compuserve, the STAC BBS, and by mail through
STAC technical support.

The upgraded SSWAP handles the many changes OPTIMIZE makes "on the fly".
It works with QEMM 5.XX as well as the latest version of QEMM 6. Just
copy SSWAP.COM to the STACKER directory in the C: drive as well as the
STACKER directory on the SSWAPed host drive. You can determine the
host drive letter by typing: STACKER at the command line. You must
also use the /SYNC parameter on the SSWAP device line in Config.sys.

For example: DEVICE=C:\STACKER\SSWAP.COM C:\STACVOL.DSK /SYNC

Note:
QEMM may attempt to load the Stacker device driver into an upper memory
block that is not large enough to accomodate its initialization size. If
this happens, the Stacker driver will report, "Insufficient high memory,
installation aborted." In this situation, simply edit the Config.sys,
remove the references to QEMM in the Stacker device line, and try to
re-optimize. It is also possible that there is simply not enough upper
memory to load the device into. It may have to be left in "low" memory.

* Stacker 2.0, /EMS, and the QEMM 6 STEALTH option:
If Stacker is using EMS and you choose to use QEMM's STEALTH
option, you must include the DBF=2 parameter on the QEMM device line
in Config.sys. For example:

DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M DBF=2

Note for QEMM 6.00 and 6.01 users:

If you OPTIMIZE with the SSWAP upgrade and Stacker is using EMS,
you will need to follow ONE of the simple procedure below. This is
because a conflict occurs when ANY two or more programs, which OPTIMIZE
attempts to load high, access EMS memory during the OPTIMIZE process.

NOTE: Both procedures assume that SSWAP.COM has already been copied
to both STACKER directories. These procedures are not required for
QEMM 5.x, and 6.02 or later.

Procedure 1:

A) Create a text file (using SEDIT) called OPTIMIZE.EXC.
(NOTE the EXC extension stands for "exceptions". This
file lists those device drivers and programs which
OPTIMIZE should not attempt to load high.) This file
should be placed in the QEMM subdirectory on both
the uncompressed and compressed drives. In most
cases it's sole contents should be the following text:

SSWAP.COM

However, any other CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT device
drivers and programs which access EMS memory (execpt for
STACKER.COM) should also be listed in this file, each on
its own line.


B) Run OPTIMIZE.

Procedure 2:

A) Run OPTIMIZE as you normally would. It will lock up
during its final reboot.

B) Power down the system, then power back up.

C) Clean up by running QEMM's UNOPT.BAT which should be
in the QEMM subdirectory on both the compressed and
uncompressed drives.

D) Run OPTIMIZE again. This time it should work without
incident.

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1992 STAC Electronics