KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q49935: PRB: L2028 Error Caused by HEAPSIZE, STACKSIZE and DGROUP Size

Article: Q49935
Product(s): Microsoft Programming Utilities
Version(s): MS-DOS:5.01.21,5.1,5.13,5.15,5.3,5.31.009,5.5,5.6; OS/2:5.01.21,5.1
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kb16bitonly
Last Modified: 24-DEC-1999

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft LINK for MS-DOS, versions 5.01.21, 5.1, 5.13, 5.15, 5.3, 5.31.009, 5.5, 5.6 
- Microsoft LINK for OS/2, versions 5.01.21, 5.1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

An attempt to link an application fails and Microsoft LINK displays the
following message:

  L2028: Automatic data segment plus heap exceeds 64K

CAUSE
=====

This error occurs when the segment containing the stack and data plus the near
heap (DGROUP) exceeds 64K.

RESOLUTION
==========

Use one of the following three methods to address this situation:

- Reduce the amount of data in the default data segment.

  If the L2028 error occurs with object modules produced by the Microsoft C
  compiler, one or more of the following three techniques will decrease the
  amount of data in the default data segment.

  If the application uses the compact, large, or huge memory model, specify the
  /Gt3 compiler option switch to move any data item three bytes or larger from
  the default data segment (DGROUP) into a far data segment. If desired, you
  can specify a larger threshold.

  Remove data from DGROUP by declaring it as FAR (in an application designed for
  the Microsoft Windows operating system), or far, _far, or __far depending on
  the version of Microsoft C, C/C++, or Visual C++ you are using.

  If your application requires a large stack due to a great deal of local data
  (which is any non-static data declared in a function), declare that data as
  static to prevent it from being stored on the stack. Because this technique
  only moves the data to a different area in DGROUP, it must be combined with
  one of the techniques described earlier to remove it from DGROUP.

- Use the /ST linker option switch or the STACKSIZE option in the module
  definition (.DEF) file to reduce the size of the stack.

- Use the /CP linker option switch or the HEAPSIZE option in the .DEF file to
  reduce the amount of near heap space that the application requests. NOTE:
  this switch is only useful for building DOS applications. If you're building
  Windows applications, HEAPSIZE must be used.

The L2028 error was omitted from the linker error messages in the Microsoft C
"CodeView and Utilities, Microsoft Editor, Mixed-Language Programming Guide"
manual for version 5.1.

Additional query words: 5.10 5.30 5.50 5.60

======================================================================
Keywords          : kb16bitonly 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword3 kbLINKSearch kbLINK50121DOS kbLINK510DOS kbLINK513DOS kbLINK515DOS kbLINK530DOS kbLINK53109DOS kbLINK550DOS kbLINK560DOS kbLINK510OS2
Version           : MS-DOS:5.01.21,5.1,5.13,5.15,5.3,5.31.009,5.5,5.6; OS/2:5.01.21,5.1

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.