Cannot Run Windows on Packard Bell Running MS-DOS 6 or Later (98313)



The information in this article applies to:
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.0
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.2
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.21
    Microsoft MS-DOS operating system 6.22
    Microsoft Windows 3.0
    Microsoft Windows 3.0a
    Microsoft Windows 3.1
    Microsoft Windows 3.11
    Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1
    Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11

This article was previously published under Q98313

SYMPTOMS

If you use a Windows 3.0 video display driver (VDD) on a Packard Bell machine and EMM386.EXE is installed, you receive one of the following error messages when you run Windows in 386 enhanced mode:

The Winmemsize in SYSTEM.INI is too large

-or-



Kernel is corrupted
In addition, these same problems can occur when you use the Windows 3.1 Packard Bell driver, HTVDD.386 VDD.

CAUSE

Although HTVDD.386 is a Windows 3.1 VDD, it still uses the C600-C7FF range. This situation is caused by a problem in the Packard Bell VDD, not Windows 3.1 or the Windows 3.1 Device Developer Kit (DDK).

On some Packard Bell systems, the video BIOS is at E000 and C000-DFFF is free (by default). EMM386.EXE uses this as range as upper memory blocks (UMBs). If you are using a Windows 3.0 video display driver, Windows ignores anything loaded in the C600-C7FF range. This can cause various problems in Windows, including failure to run and failure of the Microsoft Backup for Windows compatibility test.

WORKAROUND

Windows 3.0

Add the X=C600-C7FF parameter to the EMM386.EXE command line in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Windows 3.1

You can either use a Windows 3.1 video display driver (such as the standard VGA driver), or add the X=C600-C7FF parameter to the EMM386.EXE command line in the CONFIG.SYS file.

Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 11/21/1999
Keywords: KB98313