Microsoft MemMaker ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Welcome to MemMaker. MemMaker optimizes your system's memory by moving memory-resident programs and device drivers into the upper memory area. This frees conventional memory for use by applications. After you run MemMaker, your computer's memory will remain optimized until you add or remove memory-resident programs or device drivers. For an optimum memory configuration, run MemMaker again after making any such changes. MemMaker displays options as highlighted text. (For example, you can change the "Continue" option below.) To cycle through the available options, press SPACEBAR. When MemMaker displays the option you want, press ENTER. For help while you are running MemMaker, press F1. Continue or Exit? Continue ENTER=Accept Selection SPACEBAR=Change Selection F1=Help F3=Exit
Microsoft MemMaker is a program running on MS-DOS that automatically optimizes your MS-DOS memory usage through modifying the CONFIG.SYS file and the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This program is shipped with MS-DOS 5.0 ~ 6.22. This program is useful only if you see "out of memory" information given from MS-DOS or MS-DOS Applications.
There are TSRs that are programs always staying in the memory until you ask them to unload themselves. TSR means "Terminate and Stay Resident". They can be XMS/EMS device drivers, disk cache programs, anti-virus programs, virtual disk programs, international language support programs, etc. They are loaded when you run a certain command and then they return you to the command prompt, but they stay in the memory and take actions when something happens. For example, a disk cache program stays in memory and takes action when a program requests to access a file. The disk cache service can be provided in this way.
You can see that there are several different memory areas available for program when you are using MS-DOS. See my articles "HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE" for more information. There is an important thing that if a MS-DOS program wants to use UMBs (upper memory blocks), the program body cannot be split into multiple UMBs. Therefore, it is difficult to optimize upper memory usage through manual calculation. MemMaker can automatically calculate and set appropriate LH (LOADHIGH) commands for every TSR, then more memory will be saved for other MS-DOS programs.