KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q75129: Stacker Coprocessor Card with MS-DOS 5.0 and EMM386.EXE

Article: Q75129
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:5.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 21-NOV-1999

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

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system version 5.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

STAC Electronics manufactures a coprocessor card that works in conjunction with
the Stacker Disk Compression Software Utility. Some additional steps are
necessary when you use a Stacker Coprocessor Card with MS-DOS version 5.0 and
EMM386.EXE.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Stacker is a disk compression utility used to obtain more space on a hard drive.
A Stacker Coprocessor Card can be used in addition to the stacker software to
increase the amount of file compression provided by this software. The card is
also used to speed up the stacker compression/decompression process and allows
for a smaller "stacker" device driver. The Stacker Coprocessor Card does NOT
emmulate a "math-coprocessor".

The card is addressed in the upper memory area and does not deal with the high
memory area. Therefore, DOS can be loaded high without problems from the
coprocessor card. It is very similar to a network card where the range it uses
in memory must be excluded from the upper memory area.

When the Stacker card is used, a driver for it can be found in the CONFIG.SYS
file, as follows:

  device=[drive:][path]\stacker.com /b=<address> c:\stacvol.000

(Note: The default for the address is CC00.)

If EMM386.EXE is loaded in CONFIG.SYS, the range the coprocessor card uses must
be excluded. The "device=" line above indicates the starting range. From this
point, refer to page 17 of the Stacker manual for a table showing proper memory
ranges for that card (usually the starting address + 16K). The EMM386.EXE line
should then be modified accordingly, as follows:

  device=c:\dos\emm386.exe X=<xxxx-yyyy>

(Note: The default is X=cc00-cfff.)

The product included here, Stacker, is manufactured by a vendor independent of
Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's
performance or reliability.

Additional query words: 5.00 3rdparty

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS500
Version           : MS-DOS:5.0

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

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.