FP1: "MS-DOS Error 21" After Installation

• Microsoft FrontPage for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1

SYMPTOMS

After you install FrontPage on a Windows 3.x computer, you receive an "MS-DOS Error 21" error message when you start either FrontPage Explorer or FrontPage Editor, or when you restart your computer.

CAUSE

This problem may occur for either of the following reasons:

• The FrontPage Setup program was unable to update a dynamic link library (.dll) file. This problem occurs when another program is running during Setup.

• The PageOverCommit setting in the System.ini file may be set too high. This setting is modified during the installation of some programs.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, use the appropriate method for your situation:

Method 1: Reinstall the .dll Files

If you suspect that a .dll file was not installed, start FrontPage Server Administrator, and then click Check to verify that all of the .dll files are installed properly. If the utility reports an error, open the log to view the error. Remove the W32s16.dll file, close all open programs, and reinstall FrontPage.

Method 2: Change the PageOverCommit Setting

If the W32s16.dll was installed correctly, check the PageOverCommit setting in the [386enh] section of the System.ini file. Set the value of this parameter back to the default so that it looks like this:

   PageOverCommit=4

MORE INFORMATION

This entry specifies a multiplier (in megabytes) that determines the amount of linear address space the virtual memory manager will create for the system. It is computed by rounding up the amount of available physical memory to the nearest 4 megabytes (MB) and then multiplying that value by the value specified by the PageOverCommit setting. Increasing this value increases the amount of available linear address space, causing the size of data structures to increase. This also increases paging activity proportionately and can slow down the system. You can specify any value between 1 and 20. The default value is 4.

Setting the PageOverCommit setting to a value larger than 4 will result in less efficient use of resources and slower program execution, but it will allow you to run programs that otherwise are not able to run.