Mastering DOS Memory, Part 1: Into Memory Managers, resource conserving Drivers and TSRs

Are you struggling with memory limitations, especially while setting up networking on your DOS system? Not only drivers and TSRs, but also network stacks can consume lagre chunks conventional memory, making it a challenge to leave enough room for your applications.

In this video, I'll show you some memory optimization techniques for DOS 6 using manual methods, but also the onboard tools that came with MS-DOS, PC-DOS and DR-DOS, notably MemMaker, RamBoost and MemoryMax.

Of course, no way around about 3rd party memory managers. See how much you can squeeze out using products like QEMM, 386MAX and NETROOM.

And if that's not enough yet, what about using modern alternatrives to drivers and TSRs, to squeeze out even the last byte?

00:00 Intro
00:41 MS-DOS 6 & MS-NET Memory Consumption
02:08 PC-DOS 3.3 & MS-NET Memory Consumption
02:40 640k and 1 MiB Barrier: The Origin
07:37 MS-DOS 6: Manual Optimization
09:20 MS-DOS 6: Optimization using MemMaker
11:35 PC-DOS 3.3: Optimizing with 386MAX
13:24 PC-DOS 3.3: Optimizing with QEMM
13:43 MS-DOS 6: Optimizing with QEMM
15:46 Conserving Memory with alternate Drivers and TSRs
17:11 MS-DOS 6: Optimizing with Netroom
18:06 PC-DOS 6: Optimizing with RamBoost
19:26 DR-DOS 6 and MemoryMax
20:01 Next on TPC / Credits

Links:

Technical References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS_mem...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convent...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_m...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_me...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protect...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8086
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8088
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I386
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Per...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Per...
IBM 5150 Technical Reference: https://www.minuszerodegrees.net/manu...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compaq_...


PCs without 640k barrier:
https://retrocomputing.stackexchange....

Tim Paterson on DOS limit:
https://dosmandrivel.blogspot.com/200...

Computer Chronicles: Losing Memory (1995)
   • The Computer Chronicles - Losing Memo...  


Memory Managers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIMEM.SYS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMM386
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_N...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QEMM
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/386MAX
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
MemoryMax (DR-DOS 5+): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DR-DOS#5.0
https://www.uwe-sieber.de/umbpci_e.html

https://vetusware.com/download/DOSMAX...


Bill Gates "640k is enough" debunked:
https://lunduke.locals.com/post/54885...
https://www.computerworld.com/article...
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/09...


Alternate Drivers & TSRs:

https://archive.org/details/toshibacd...
https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-...

Acer vide-cdd.sys
http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?...

Alt drivers:
http://paulhoule.com/doskey/
http://www.kegel.com/nansi/
https://cutemouse.sourceforge.net/
http://adoxa.altervista.org/shsucdx/
VIDE-CDD.SYS:
http://vogonsdrivers.com/getfile.php?...


Visit also THE PHINTAGE COLLECTOR website at https://www.thephintagecollector.ch for insights into my retro computer collection.

Copyright @ 2024 THE PHINTAGE COLLECTOR, Gianpaolo Del Matto. All rights reserved.

Featuring Music with kind permission by rootkitty: "Digital Aurora"
  / rootkitty  

Theme Music composed by Abdallah El-Ghannam.
https://www.fiverr.com/abdallahghannam