

NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT

DOCUMENT PROCESSING INFO:  This Document replaces FYI-M-1624
TITLE:   F15 STRIKE EAGLE III & WIZARDRY #7
DOCUMENT ID:  TID800070
DOCUMENT REVISION:  A
DATE:  18AUG94
AUTHOR:  DBADGER;DPARTRID
ALERT STATUS:  Yellow
DISTRIBUTION:  Public
INFORMATION TYPE:  Symptom Solution
README FOR:  NA
NOVELL PRODUCT CLASS:

Desktop Products

NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION:

DR DOS 6.0

CATEGORY:

Kernel

ABSTRACT:

NA

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THE ORIGIN OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TO NOVELL. 
NOVELL MAKES EVERY EFFORT WITHIN ITS MEANS TO VERIFY THIS INFORMATION. 
HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION
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SYMPTOM

"Insufficient Memory" errors, or computer locks.

CAUSE

DR DOS "pads" out the first 64k of conventionalmemory for EXEPAKed
executables. EXEPAK is a utility used to compress .EXE files.

The algorithm used by the EXEPAKing code to decompress the executable
image and then perform the .EXE fix-ups uses a concept known as "segment
wrap" to detect the end of decompression. When you have more than 575K
available conventional memory the EXEPAK decompression code thinks that it
is done decompressing before it has even started. It then proceeds to
invoke the "decompressed" executable image. This results in the error
message "Packed File Corrupt".

The F15 STRIKE EAGLE III and Wizardry #7 executables are treated as
EXEPAKed files by DR DOS 6. However, these programs don't need to be
padded to run correctly.

SOLUTION

To run these programs install PAT326.EXE (sometimes referred to as

PATCH326).  This is an optional patch which prevents DR DOS from padding 
EXEPAKed utilities automatically. Included in the zip file is a README
file with complete installation instructions. Also included is a patched
version of the DR DOS system file IBMDOS.COM.

NOTE: After installing this patch other applications may display "Packed
file corrupt" errors. This is because DR DOS is no longer automatically
padding. MEMMAX -L prior to starting the application will correct this
message. The easiest way to do this is to create a batch file that will
turn off lower memory (MEMMAX -L, start the application and then turn it
back on (MEMMAX +L) after exiting the application. Word Perfect, for
example, may need this adjustment if used with this patch. The solution
would be the following batch file:

MEMMAX -L
WP
MEMMAX +L

PAT326.EXE is on the Novell BBS at 801-429-7785 for 300-2400 baud modems
or 801-429-7787 for 9600 baud modems, or from CompuServe, Novlib 12.

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