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Q231454: Installing Windows NT If You Receive "Out of Memory" Errors

Article: Q231454
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbsetup
Last Modified: 11-JUN-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
========

When you install multiple programs during an unattended Setup of Windows NT, you
may receive an "out of virtual memory" error message.

CAUSE
=====

The graphical user interface (GUI) mode portion of the installation is running a
32-bit kernel. When a batch file is run in this environment, the behavior is
different than under MS-DOS. In MS-DOS, each command within the batch file runs
in sequence, with each command completing before the next begins. In a 32-bit
operating system, all commands run in parallel, which means a command runs even
if a previous command is not finished running.

You can use a batch file to start Setup to install programs. You can initiate the
batch file from the Cmdlines.txt file during the GUI mode portion of Setup. When
run in parallel, these installation programs can use up all available memory and
virtual memory, which may result in "out of virtual memory" error messages
during GUI-mode Setup.

These error messages stop the unattended installation and an operator must clear
them. Windows NT Setup usually continues and finishes after these error messages
are cleared. However, it is possible that the entire unattended installation may
not work, or that one of the programs may not be set up correctly.

During an unattended installation, the Windows NT kernel is operating with a
default pagefile size of 15 MB. If necessary, you can change this value before
you start the unattended installation by editing the default system registry
hive included in the Windows NT source files. By increasing this value, you may
prevent the "out of virtual memory" error messages.

RESOLUTION
==========

You can easily eliminate this problem by using the start and /wait options in
your batch file in front of each program. This ensures that events happen in a
specific order and finish before the next event starts. For example:

  my_app.bat

  start /wait my_application1
  start /wait my_application2

The start command syntax is shown in the following example:

  start ["title"] [/dpath] [/i] [/min] [/max] [/separate | /shared]
  [/low | /normal | /high | /realtime] [/wait] [/b] [command/program]

Parameters
----------

  "title" - Title to display in the title bar.

  path - Starting directory.

  i - The new environment is the original environment passed to Cmd.exe and not
  the current environment.

  min - Start window is minimized.

  max - Start window is maximized.

  separate - Start 16-bit Windows program in separate memory space.

  shared - Start 16-bit Windows program in shared memory space.

  low - Start program in the Idle priority class.

  normal - Start program in the Normal priority class.

  high - Start program in the High priority class.

  realtime - Start program in the Realtime priority class.

  wait - Start program and wait for it to stop.

If the start and /wait options do not completely resolve the problem, use the
following steps to increase the amount of virtual memory available during
unattended Setup.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems
that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor
incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

NOTE: This workaround does not work if you are using the CD-ROM as a distribution
share because you cannot edit the file on the CD-ROM.

1. In the source files folder on your computer running Windows NT 4.0 Server or
  Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, click to clear the read-only attribute on the
  System file.

  NOTE: If you are installing Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition,
  this file is compressed and is named "System._". Use the following steps to
  decompress and use the file:

  a. At a command prompt, type the following command:

  expand system._ system

  b. Rename the System._ file to System.old.

2. Click Start, click Run, type "regedt32" (without the quotation marks), and
  then click OK.

3. Click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry key.

4. On the Registry menu, click Load Hive.

5. In the Open File box, point to the System file in your source files folder,
  and then click Open.

6. When you are prompted, type a unique, temporary name for this hive (for
  example, Temp), and then click OK.

7. Locate the following registry key:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Temp\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Memory
  ManagementPagingFiles:REG_MULTI_SZ:?:\pagefile.sys 15 60

8. Change the key to read what you want your default installation pagefile size
  to be (in other words, 32 MB). For example:

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Temp\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Memory
  ManagementPagingFiles:REG_MULTI_SZ:?:\pagefile.sys 32 60

9. Click the Temp key.

10. On the Registry menu, click Unload Hive.

11. Quit Registry Editor.

12. Proceed with your unattended installation.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information about loading and unloading hives, click the article
number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q165748 How to Disable a Service or Device that Prevents NT from Booting

Additional query words: fail fails page file

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbenv kbsetup 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbNTTermServ400 kbNTTermServSearch
Version           : winnt:4.0
Issue type        : kbprb

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