Command: device / devicehigh
DEVICE loads a driver into low or conventional memory, whereas
DEVICEHIGH loads the driver into high memory.
DEVICE is a CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS command.
Syntax:
device=[drive][path]filename [options]
drive The drive letter, e.g. C:
path The directory, e.g. \example\
filename The driver (file) to load, e.g. himemx.exe
Options:
options These are options to the driver
program, not to the 'device' command.
Comments:
DEVICE loads the device driver specified by drive:\path\filename into
conventional [low 640 KiB] memory. The options are for the driver
itself; refer to documentation that came with your particular device
for supported options and their usage.
As DEVICE loads the driver into low or conventional memory this leaves
less free space for other drivers or programs in low or conventional
memory. This may cause problems when executing programs or loading
other drivers.
DEVICEHIGH is just like DEVICE, except that it attempts to load
the device driver into high memory first (failing that it should
load it in conventional memory).
Note: The order you load devices may have a large impact on amount
of free memory available. In general try to load large (in memory
usage) programs into high memory first.
Important: You should have a high memory manager such as HIMEMX or
JEMMEX installed when using this option.
DEVICE / DEVICEHIGH is a command internal to kernel.sys and needs
no other file in order to work.
Examples:
Example 1:
IN CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS:
COUNTRY=049,858,C:\FREEDOS\BIN\country.sys (german setting)
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\XMGR.SYS /N128 /B
DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\DRIVERS\UDVD2.SYS /D:MYDVD
Example 2: (Menu in CONFIG.SYS / FDCONFIG.SYS with REM ; ! and ?)
!COUNTRY=049,858,C:\FREEDOS\BIN\country.sys (german setting)
!LASTDRIVE=Z
!BUFFERS=20 (!=will be executed under all circumstances)
!FILES=40 (!=will be executed under all circumstances)
!MENUCOLOR=7,0 (!=will be executed under all circumstances)
MENUDEFAULT=1,5
MENU 1 - Load FreeDOS with JEMM386 (no EMS, max RAM free)
MENU 2 - Load FreeDOS with JEMM386 (Expanded Memory)
MENU 3 - Load FreeDOS low with some drivers (Safe Mode)
MENU 4 - Load FreeDOS without drivers (Emergency Mode)
12?DOS=HIGH (will be processed when pressing 1/2)
12?DOS=UMB (will be processed when pressing 1/2)
12?DOSDATA=UMB (will be processed when pressing 1/2)
123?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\himemx.exe ( " " " 1/2/3)
1?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe NOEMS X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF
NOVME NOINVLPG (will be processed when user presses 1)
2?DEVICE=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\jemm386.exe X=TEST I=TEST I=B000-B7FF NOVME
NOINVLPG (will be processed when user presses 2)
34?SHELL=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
/P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT (will be processed when pressing 3/4)
12?SHELLHIGH=C:\FREEDOS\BIN\command.com C:\FREEDOS\BIN /E:1024
/P=C:\FDAUTO.BAT (will be processed when pressing 1/2)
;1234?BREAK=OFF (set to REM, nothing happens)
REM 1234?DEVICE=C:\blahblah.sys (set to REM, nothing happens)
See also:
; (semicolon)
? (question mark)
config.sys/fdconfig.sys
country (COUNTRY NUMBERS)
country.sys (COUNTRY NUMBERS)
dos
(fdxms)
(fdxms286)
himemx
jemmex
mem
menu
menucolor
menudefault
rem
xmgr
Copyright © 1998 Jim Hall, updated 2011 and 2022 by W. Spiegl.
This file is derived from the FreeDOS Spec Command HOWTO.
See the file H2Cpying for copying conditions.