======================================================================== INSTALLING REMM.SYS ======================================================================== 0. INTRODUCTION REMM.SYS is the expanded memory manager for the AST RAMpage AT and the RAMpage 286. This REMM.SYS is not for use with the PS/2 version of the AST RAMpage board. The REMM.SYS file included with Windows 2.10 is version 4.10. Before installing REMM.SYS, you must install the AST RAMpage board in your computer. When doing this you should consider altering your memory configuration in the following two ways: o If you have an IBM AT or a compatible 80286 machine, you should configure your AST RAMpage to have 128Kb of extended memory. To do this, change the SW1 switch settings as follows: SW1-1 = ON, SW1-2 = ON, SW1-3 = OFF, SW1-4 = OFF o If it is possible to disable some of the memory on your computer's motherboard, you should do so. You should disable all motherboard memory beyond 256Kb (i.e., leave 256Kb enabled). Consult your AST RAMpage documentation for details on doing this. To disable memory on the IBM PC AT's motherboard, move the J18 jumper from the first two pins, to the second two pins. Once you have done this, change the SW2 switch settings as follows: SW2-1 = ON, SW2-2 = ON, SW2-3 = ON, SW2-4 = ON, SW2-5 = ON, SW2-6 = OFF, SW2-7 = ON, SW2-8 = OFF Once you have installed the RAMpage hardware, you must install the REMM.SYS memory manager by either running the MEMSET program (see the booklet, "Microsoft Windows: Questions and Answers," for details), or by following the steps outlined below. 1. INSTALLATION To install the memory manager for the AST RAMpage, insert the Utilities 2 Disk in drive A: and copy the file, REMM.SYS, to your Root (i.e., C:\ ) directory using the following DOS command: COPY A:REMM.SYS C:\ Next, make a backup of your CONFIG.SYS file. You can do this with the following DOS command: COPY C:\CONFIG.SYS C:\CONFIG.SAF Next, add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE=C:\REMM.SYS To determine where to place this line in your CONFIG.SYS we suggest the following order: a. drivers for hard disk partitioning utilities or exotic disks such as CD-ROM's, WORM optical disks, or high performance hard disk controllers b. ANSI.SYS c. drivers for mice, light pens, digitizing pads, or other pointing devices d. drivers for graphics cards such as EGA.SYS (supplied in the Windows package -- see README.TXT on the Windows Write Disk) e. drivers for image scanners f. DEVICE=C:\REMM.SYS The device line for REMM.SYS should be moved as near to the end of the CONFIG.SYS file as possible. The only lines that should follow it are the entries for RAMDRIVE.SYS or SMARTDRV.SYS. This 4.10 version of REMM.SYS is auto-configuring: REMM.SYS will exclude upper memory ranges used by devices other than the Rampage card, thus avoiding memory conflicts. Previous versions of REMM.SYS required the use of a /X parameter in order to exclude the memory used by your display adapter. If you have a DEVICE line for REMM.SYS already, and it looks like the following (disregarding capitalization): DEVICE=REMM.SYS /X=AOOO-BFFF DEVICE=REMM.SYS /X=B000-BFFF DEVICE=REMM.SYS /X=B800-BFFF then you may now remove the /X parameter so that it will simply read: DEVICE=REMM.SYS However, if there are other /X= entries in the original REMM.SYS entry, double check to find out their purpose. These entries may correspond to upper memory addresses which are excluded from EMS mapping so that other cards such as scanners, network cards, or special hard disk controllers may use these ranges instead. 2. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS While REMM.SYS will avoid assigning upper memory ranges to expanded memory during the loading of CONFIG.SYS, it will not be aware of other "silent" devices that use memory in the ranges above 640Kb unless those ranges are specifically excluded in the REMM.SYS line with the /X= entry. Most of these devices are network cards whose software does not make use of these upper memory regions until they are activated later in AUTOEXEC.BAT or via the batch file used to start the network software (thus the term "silent" device). The user is encouraged to check with his/her dealer or hardware support technician to determine what addresses these cards may use. Further it is advisable to determine if the upper memory address range used by the device is moved out as far as possible in upper memory to allow the Windows/Excel memory managers as large a contiguous range of memory addresses as possible. Each of these "silent" devices which uses upper memory addresses will require a /X= parameter in the command line for REMM.SYS. 3. OPTIONAL PARAMETERS FOR REMM.SYS If the user wishes to view detailed configuration information during startup, the parameter /N may be added to the REMM.SYS command line: DEVICE=REMM.SYS /N This parameter may be used in conjunction with the /X= parameter. For example: DEVICE=REMM.SYS /X=COOO-CFFF /N will exclude the upper memory in the range C000-CFFF for use with a device other than the AST RAMpage, and detailed configuration information will be displayed. For additional information on the usage of REMM.SYS, contact AST Technical Support at (714) 863-1333. ====================================================================== END OF REMM.TXT ======================================================================