Loading Popdos.exe Hangs Windows 95

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

If you load the Popdos.exe terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) program in the Autoexec.bat file, the computer stops responding (hangs) when you start Windows.

CAUSE

Popdos functions properly only if it is loaded at the top of conventional memory. Other programs (such as Command.com and Dblspace.bin) load ahead of Popdos.exe at the top of conventional memory, so Popdos hangs.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods:

• Run Popdos from an MS-DOS prompt in Windows, or run Popdos in MS-DOS mode.



• Disable the ability of Command.com and Dblspace.bin to load at the top of conventional memory. To do so, follow these steps:
  
  
  1. Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, use the right mouse button to click the Msdos.sys file in the root directory of the boot drive, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
  
  
  
  2. Click the Read-Only and Hidden check boxes to clear them, and then click OK.
  
  
  
  3. Start WordPad, and then open the Msdos.sys file.
  
  
  
  4. Add the following line to the [options] section of the file:
     

       
              LoadTop=0
           

  
  
  
  5. Save the file, and then quit WordPad.
  
  
  
  6. Use the right mouse button to click the Msdos.sys file, and then click Properties on the menu that appears.
  
  
  
  7. Click the Read-Only and Hidden check boxes to select them, and then click OK.
  
  
  
  8. Restart Windows.
  
  
  

MORE INFORMATION

Using the LoadTop=0 line reduces the amount of memory available in MS-DOS sessions because Windows does not recover the memory used by the real- mode DoubleSpace driver.

Keywords          : kb3rdparty kbenv win95 win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: January 21, 1999