One of my clients recently requested a memory upgrade to his Windows 98SE PC. He had been running 512 MB and wished to increase it to 1 GB. I confirmed that his motherboard would accept up to 3 GB of PC2100 RAM. Rather than mix memory modules, I obtained two new 512 MB PC2100 modules and installed them.
The machine booted fine, but Windows refused to load, giving me a plethora of error messages related to the config.sys and the autoexec.bat files. This client runs a few DOS aps, and needs these files. They both appeared to be normal. After testing the memory, which was fine, I removed the second 512 MB module and tried again. The PC booted OK and Windows started up and ran fine. I don't recall if Win 98SE has a maximum memory limit or not. The client stated that DOS 6.2 was installed first, then Windows 3.1 and finally, a Windows 98SE upgrade.
I don't see any aps on this box that needs 1 GB of RAM, but it would be nice to be able to tell the client that Win 98SE can only address 512 MB. Can anyone confirm?
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As you have discovered, the native limit limit for Windows 98 was 511 MB of RAM. While some systems would run with 512MB, many would crash with 512 just as your client's system crashed with 1GB.
I always limited my W98 systems to 384MB as that was a good amount of RAM back then.
As has been posted, you can edit the system files to allow W98 to run with just a little bit more RAM than it was designed for.
Another site that has this and other fun(?) issues documented is www.aumha.org.
If your client needs to keep running Windows 98, the next issue you may run into is the limit on hard drive size even with the updated FDISK utility. Consider getting a couple of 60 and 120 GB drives so that you can replace or upgrade a hard drive for them.
This limits the amount of physical RAM that Windows can access to 768 MB. To do so, use the following steps:
Please visit Microsoft site article Q184447
1. Use any text editor (such as Notepad) to edit the System.ini file. 2. Add the following line in the [386Enh] section of the file
MaxPhysPage=30000
3. Save the file, and then restart your computer.
If this problem occurs during Windows Setup, use the following steps to resolve the issue:
1. Restart your computer. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Command Prompt Only from the Startup menu.
For Windows 98, restart your computer, press and hold down the CTRL key until the Startup menu appears, and then choose Command Prompt Only. 2. Change to the folder into which you are attempting to install Windows. 3. Edit the System.ini file. To do so, type edit system.ini, and then press ENTER. 4. Add the following line in the [386Enh] section of the file
MaxPhysPage=30000
5. Save the file, and then restart your computer. Windows Setup should continue.
If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.
Memory Addressing Limit for 98SE?
upgrade to his Windows 98SE PC. He had been
running 512 MB and wished to increase it to
1 GB. I confirmed that his motherboard would
accept up to 3 GB of PC2100 RAM. Rather
than mix memory modules, I obtained two new
512 MB PC2100 modules and installed them.
The machine booted fine, but Windows refused
to load, giving me a plethora of error
messages related to the config.sys and the
autoexec.bat files. This client runs a few
DOS aps, and needs these files. They both
appeared to be normal. After testing the
memory, which was fine, I removed the second
512 MB module and tried again. The PC booted
OK and Windows started up and ran fine. I
don't recall if Win 98SE has a maximum
memory limit or not. The client stated that
DOS 6.2 was installed first, then Windows
3.1 and finally, a Windows 98SE upgrade.
I don't see any aps on this box that needs
1 GB of RAM, but it would be nice to be able
to tell the client that Win 98SE can only
address 512 MB. Can anyone confirm?