Command: hiram
HIRAM binds available RAM areas (ausiliary memory cards, shadow-RAM,
etc.) between the Segments A000h and F000h into Upeer memory.
Syntax:
Use HIRAM in CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS:
device=[drive:] [\path\]hiram.exe [/option [/option [...]]]
Options:
Debug Prevent installation and shows only memory information.
Exclude=start-end[,start-end] Leave a range out of the RAM-Test.
FixMSDOS Initialize auxiliary memory in the MS-DOS 5.0 manner.
FixDRDOS Initialize auxiliary memory in the DR-DOS 5.0/6.0 manner.
Chain Connects conventional and auxiliary memory.
NoChain Load conventional and auxiliary memory separately.
Int2F Installs the Int 2Fh handler for MS-DOS/DR-DOS.
NoInt2F Prevents the installation of the Int 2Fh handlers.
[Presets]
MS-DOS 3.x - 4.0x: /FixMSDOS /Chain /NoInt2F,
MS-DOS 5.x: /FixMSDOS /NoChain /Int2F,
DR-DOS 3.41: /FixMSDOS /Chain /NoInt2F,
DR-DOS 5.0 - 6.0: /FixDRDOS /Chain /Int2F
Comments:
The range between the segments A000h and F000h is designed for ISA/PCI/
AGP extension/add-on cards since the release of version 5.0 of DR-DOS
and MS-DOS, which allows UMA (Upper Memory Area) to be used.
This way the free conventional DOS memory can be increased up to ˜
620 KB. HIRAM supports UMA on PCs with 8086/88 or 80286 processors and
memory between the segments A000h and E000h (inclusively). On PCs with
386/486 and Shadow RAM within the above mentioned area, HIRAM can also
be used, even without EMM386 and its V86 (Virtual) Mode UMBs.
Device drivers can be loaded high with DEVICEHIGH / INSTALLHIGH in
CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS or LOADHIGH in AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT
The table below shows the output of MEM (DR-DOS 6.0) on a AT/286 with
640 KB RAM and 64 KB auxiliary RAM in the segment E000h after using
HIRAM.EXE:
Memory type (KBytes) Available
----------------------------------------------
Conventional 655.360 (640K) 643.040 (627K)
Upper memory 65.488 (63K) 288 (0K)
Since the use of the UMA differs clearly with the DOS versions, HIRAM
adjusts automatically to the used version. Optional parameters should
be used only for special configurations or in the case of errors.
For more informations see:
https://gitlab.com/FreeDOS/drivers/hiram/-/tree/master/DRIVERS/HIRAM
OR:
C:\FREEDOS\DRIVERS\HIRAM\HIRAM.TXT
Examples:
Usage may differ depending on used DOS versions and/or particular
hardware requirements:
- MS-DOS starting from version 5, 8086/88 or 80286 without Extended
MEMORY, but with auxiliary memory.
CONFIG.SYS AUTOEXEC.BAT / FDAUTO.BAT
--------------------------------------------------------
DOS=UMB C:\HIRAM\HIFILES=12
DEVICE=C:\HIRAM\HIRAM.EXE LH KEYB GR,,KEYBOARD.SYS
FILES=8 ...
DEVICEHIGH=...
- MS-DOS starting from version 5, 80286 with Extended MEMORY, 80386/486
with Shadow RAM.
DEVICE drivers and TSR programs load into the UMA, but the OS kernel
does not.
CONFIG.SYS AUTOEXEC.BAT
--------------------------------------------------------
DOS=HIGH,UMB C:\HIRAM\HIFILES=12
DEVICE=C:\HIRAM\HiRAM.EXE LH KEYB GR,,KEYBOARD.SYS
FILES=8 ...
DEVICEHIGH=HIMEM.SYS
...
DEVICE drivers and TSR programs load into the UMA, but the OS kernel
does not.
- DR-DOS starting from version 5, 8086/88 or 80286 without Extended
MEMORY, but with auxiliary memory.
CONFIG.SYS AUTOEXEC.BAT
---------------------------------------------------------
HIDOS=ON MEMMAX +U
SHELL=COMMAND.COM /P /MU C:\HIRAM\HIFILES=15
DEVICE=C:\HIRAM\HiRAM.EXE KEYB GR,,KEYBOARD.SYS /MU
FILES=5 HILOAD ...
HIBUFFERS=...
HIDEVICE=...
DEVICE drivers, TSR programs and the OS kernel load into the UMA.
- DR-DOS starting from version 5, 80286 with Extended MEMORY, 80386/486
with Shadow RAM.
CONFIG.SYS AUTOEXEC.BAT
---------------------------------------------------------
HIDOS=ON MEMMAX +U
SHELL=COMMAND.COM /P /MH C:\HIRAM\HiFILES=15
DEVICE=HIDOS.SYS /BDOS=FFFF KEYB GR,,KEYBOARD.SYS /MH
DEVICE=C:\HIRAM\HiRAM.EXE HILOAD ...
FILES=5
HIBUFFERS=...
HIDEVICE=...
DEVICE drivers and TSR programs load into the UMA, but the OS kernel
is shifted into the HMA.
HIRAM tests the upper memory in 4 KB steps for the presence of upper
RAM and initializes it if necessary.
HIRAM does not occupy additional memory after successful initialization
if using DR-DOS 3.41 and MS-DOS. If using DR-DOS 5.0 or 6.0 only 48
Bytes load in the UMA.
See also:
autoexec.bat/fdauto.bat
config.sys/fdconfig.sys
devicehigh
devload
(fdxms)
(fdxms286)
himemx
installhigh
jemm386
jemmex
loadhigh
xmgr
Copyright © 2023 by W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.