HIMEM.SYS is a DOSdevice driver which allows DOS programs to store data in extended memory according to the Extended Memory Specification (XMS). The memory beyond the first 1 MB of address space is required by Windows 9x/Me in order to load; therefore, these versions of Microsoft Windows require HIMEM.SYS to be loaded to be able to run.
HIMEM.SYS was first included with Windows 2.1 (1988).
In DR DOS 5.0 (1990) and 6.0 (1991), the driver is named HIDOS.SYS rather than HIMEM.SYS, like the corresponding DCONFIG.SYS or CONFIG.SYS directive HIDOS=ON.
In FreeDOS, the matching file is named HIMEM.EXE and can be loaded from the FreeDOS configuration file named FDCONFIG.SYS or CONFIG.SYS.
In Windows 3.1 and Windows 9x, there is also a command-line loadable version of HIMEM.SYS called XMSMMGR.EXE. It can load extended memory services after the system boots into the command prompt. This allows Windows Setup to load even if HIMEM.SYS is not loaded.
Historyedit
The major version number of HIMEM.SYS indicates the Extended Memory Specification (XMS) version compatibility. e.g., HIMEM.SYS 3.07 is compatible with XMS version 3.0.
himem, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, february, 2023, lear. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources HIMEM SYS news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2023 Learn how and when to remove this template message HIMEM SYS is a DOS device driver which allows DOS programs to store data in extended memory according to the Extended Memory Specification XMS The memory beyond the first 1 MB of address space is required by Windows 9x Me in order to load therefore these versions of Microsoft Windows require HIMEM SYS to be loaded to be able to run HIMEM SYS was first included with Windows 2 1 1988 In MS DOS 5 0 1991 and later HIMEM SYS can be used to load the DOS kernel code into the High Memory Area HMA to increase the amount of available conventional memory by specifying a href DOS CONFIG SYS directive html class mw redirect title DOS CONFIG SYS directive DOS a HIGH in a href CONFIG SYS html title CONFIG SYS CONFIG SYS a In DR DOS 5 0 1990 and 6 0 1991 the driver is named HIDOS SYS rather than HIMEM SYS like the corresponding a href DCONFIG SYS html class mw redirect title DCONFIG SYS DCONFIG SYS a or CONFIG SYS directive a href HIDOS CONFIG SYS directive html class mw redirect title HIDOS CONFIG SYS directive HIDOS a ON In FreeDOS the matching file is named HIMEM EXE and can be loaded from the FreeDOS configuration file named a href FDCONFIG SYS html class mw redirect title FDCONFIG SYS FDCONFIG SYS a or CONFIG SYS In Windows 3 1 and Windows 9x there is also a command line loadable version of HIMEM SYS called XMSMMGR EXE It can load extended memory services after the system boots into the command prompt This allows Windows Setup to load even if HIMEM SYS is not loaded History editThe major version number of HIMEM SYS indicates the Extended Memory Specification XMS version compatibility e g HIMEM SYS 3 07 is compatible with XMS version 3 0 HIMEM Version history 1 2 Bundled with Date VersionWindows 286 2 1 May 1988 1 1Windows 386 2 1 May 1988 2 04Windows 286 2 11 March 1989 2 04Windows 386 2 11 March 1989 2 04MS DOS 4 01 November 1988 2 04Windows 3 0 May 1990 2 60MS DOS 5 0 June 1991 2 77IBM PC DOS 5 0 June 1991 2 77IBM PC DOS 5 02 September 1992 2 78MS DOS 5 00a November 1992 2 78Windows 3 1 April 1992 3 07Windows for Workgroups 3 1 October 1992 3 07MS DOS 6 0 March 1993 3 09IBM PC DOS 6 1 June 1993 3 09MS DOS 6 2 September 1993 3 10Windows 3 11 November 1993 3 10Windows for Workgroups 3 11 November 1993 3 10MS DOS 6 21 March 1994 3 10IBM PC DOS 6 3 April 1994 3 09MS DOS 6 22 June 1994 3 10IBM PC DOS 7 0 April 1995 3 15IBM PC DOS 2000 May 1998 3 15Windows 95 August 1995 3 95Windows 98 June 1998 3 95See also editConventional memory Extended memory High memory area Upper memory area EMM386 Memory management LOADALLReferences edit EMM386 and Early Versions of HIMEM SYS 74977 Q84388 Windows 3 1 Memory Limits Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HIMEM SYS amp oldid 1151555958, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
