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.