Setting Size and Number of Internal Stacks

ID: Q58436

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft C for MS-DOS, versions 6.0, 6.0a, and 6.0ax
Microsoft C/C++ for MS-DOS, version 7.0
Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, 16-bit edition, versions 1.0, 1.5

SUMMARY

In an MS-DOS application, if an INTERNAL STACK OVERFLOW system error occurs, the number and/or size of internal stacks in MS-DOS should be increased in the CONFIG.SYS file. The syntax for this is as follows


   STACKS=number,size

where number = number of stacks (8-64, default 9) and size = size of the stacks (32-512, default 128).

MORE INFORMATION

The following information was taken from "The MS-DOS Encyclopedia," page 805:


   Each time certain hardware interrupts occur, . . ., MS-DOS Version
   3.2 switches to an internal stack before transferring control to
   the handler that will service the interrupt. In the case of nested
   interrupts, MS-DOS checks to ensure that both interrupts do not get
   the same stack. After the interrupt has been processed, the stack
   is released. This protects the stacks owned by application programs
   or system device drivers from overflowing when several interrupts
   occur in rapid succession. . . . If too many interrupts occur too
   quickly and the pool of internal stack frames is exhausted, the
   system halts with the message INTERNAL STACK OVERFLOW. Increasing
   the number parameter in the stacks command usually corrects the
   problem.

Additional query words: kbinf 5.10 6.00 6.00a 6.00ax 7.00 1.00 1.50


Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Version           : 
Platform          : 
Issue type        :

Last Reviewed: August 3, 1999