Win98 on big memory systems

[Chuck(G)]

1 GB isn't "big memory". I started running into problems at 1.5GB and 2GB. The first thing that clued me in is that I couldn't open a command prompt--Windoze kept telling me that I didn't have enough memory. I then started to get problems doing simple things such as copying files. The damned thing refused to install AGP drivers for me video card--it kept going back to 640x480 VGA.

Check the links--there are problems. There are ways of getting around it.

 

[kithylin]

ah well sorry... i thought you guys were discussing some 512mb limit and how to get around -that-, i guess i missed where you were trying to go above 1gb, sorry about that.

I guess you've already tried installing the drivers for the chipset on your motherboard first? that's usually a direct requirement -before- the video drivers ever work.

 

[Chuck(G)]

The problem is that with that much memory, 98SE with its very limited VMM addressing capability shifts the AGP aperture outside its ability to address it. In my case, the chipset is a very common Intel 440GX (basically same as BX, but with larger memory support and SMP).

The solution is to restrict the amount of memory that 98SE has at its disposal. There are two ways to do this. One is to apply a patch to 98SE by R. Loew that limits the amount of memory that Windows sees. The other way is to load up a DOS RAMdisk that chews up memory starting from the highest memory until what's left over poses no problem for Win98SE (you need a different-from-stock HIMEM.SYS as well as a special XMSDISK driver).

Combinations of these have people running 98SE with as much as 16GB memory.

Again, check the link--there are lots of links here.