Win XP Boot.ini commands for WAC

[Reece]

Recently I had added a new Sub Pens mod to SH3, to work properly I had to add the following commands at the end of the bottom line in Win XP boot.ini file:
/3GB /USERVA=2990
Doing so with a patch to sh3.exe the mod works well, BUT it causes problems with other games (stuttering) and my TV card just shows either a black screen or a still image of graphic blocks, to make sure I edited the file with and without the added commands 4 times, there is no doubt, without the text the TV card works fine!
Does anyone know what this command does and is there a possible fix to be able to use the mod without other programs suffering?

[CaptainHaplo]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316739

Simply put your allocating 1G of space to the kernel, 2 G becoming available to the programs your running. However, by doing this, your taking memory away from OS "housekeeping" functions - paged and non-paged pools, etc. What this can do is push data out of where it needs to be, meaning stuff like parts of your vid card driver may not load as needed, games may have plenty of room, but the ability to USE that room may be compromised.

Realize you asked about XP - but in reality XP (unless its the hodgepodge 64bit) can only access a bit over 3 Gigs total. While the switch will work, you just moved some memory onto your hard drive if your using a 32 bit OS.

Try lowering those values to get better performance overall.

[Reece]

Thanks for that, an interesting read, I will try some lower figures!
EDIT: Well even with value set as USERVA=2100 it still didn't work, I don't see any point going lower!
BTW I am using 32bit XP Pro.

[Reece]

Found this article, after reading this i think I will give these switches a miss altogether!!

XP 32 can only use a memory address space of 4GB. It then "RESERVES" addresses in that table for loading every little bit and piece in your computer (Devices and so on like a SATA controller... They all need an "address RANGE" to exist in so that the Os can communicate with it) leaving 3.25GB (3402084 in task manager) of RAM free for the system. XP loads up and uses some of that. Typically after XP loads into memory you will have about 2.9GB free. If you have 4GB physically installed that is.

The more RAM on the video card, the less you have free to the OS is the concept because the OS needs to reserve the address space for the RAM on the video card. I have a 512Mb card and I have XP SP3 reporting 3.25GB free. Theory is that if it were 1GB card I would have less reported available to the Os because the addresses for that 1GB will need to be reserved.

If you have a 2GB PC with a 1GB Card and a 32bit XP install. You likely have very little left for the FSX app to run in.

http://www.dansdata.com/askdan00015.htm

"a note about the /3GB, /4GT and /PAE Windows boot.ini switches, too, because they often come up when people are talking about 4Gb-plus Windows PCs. They are all useless to you. You do not want them. /3GB and /4GT are config settings for different versions of Windows that tell the operating system to change the partitioning of the 4Gb 32-bit address space so that applications can use 3Gb and the OS kernel only 1Gb, as opposed to the standard 2Gb-each arrangement. They don't help at all with the 3Gb barrier, and most applications don't even notice them, so desktop users lose kernel memory space (and system performance) for no actual gain at all. The /PAE boot.ini switch, on NT-descended Windows flavours, activates the Physical Address Extension mode that's existed in every PC CPU since the Pentium Pro. PAE can also be enabled by the /NoExecute entry in boot.ini, which turns on support for the NX bit which you probably also don't actually want.

PAE mode, in its proper form, cranks the memory address space up to 64 gigabytes (two to the power of 36). The computer can then give a 4Gb addressing block within that space - or even more, with extra tricks - to each of several applications. PAE's no good to the everyday 3Gb-problem-afflicted user, though, for two reasons. First, it presents 64-bit addresses to drivers, and thus causes exactly the same compatibility problems as a proper 64-bit operating system. Except worse, because now you need PAE-aware drivers for 32-bit Windows, instead of plain 64-bit drivers for a 64-bit OS. From a normal user's point of view, PAE gives you the incompatibility of a 64-bit operating system when you're still running a 32-bit OS. For this reason, Microsoft changed the behaviour of the /PAE option in almost all versions of WinXP as of Service Pack 2. They fixed the endless driver problems by, essentially, making /PAE in XP not do anything to addressing any more. All versions of WinXP except for the x64 Edition now have a hard 4Gb addressing limit, no matter what hardware you use them on and what configuration you choose. All PAE does in those versions of Windows is activate NoExecute support. Which, once again, you probably don't want.
This isn't a big problem, of course, since XP is not meant to be a server operating system. But it's still mystifying to people who try the /PAE flag and can't figure out why it doesn't work. Oh, and just in case you for some reason still wanted to try PAE: It eats CPU time, too."

[JCWolf]

I just read this, sad you still having problems mate!


Could it be your version of the StarForce free from UBI
that is causing this?


Cause we both have the one difference!

I have cracked the EXE File with the old NoDVD and
StarForce removal tool!

[Reece]

No mate, the game itself works great with this mod ,it's editing the ini file that causes the problem, nothing to do with sh3 at all!! But a lot of other games stutter/lockup, and my TV card just displays black, I tested this 4 times to make sure, even lowering the setting to 2100 instead of 2995 still had the problems, as soon as I remove the /3Gb switch the TV card and other games work fine!
Such is life!!

[Arclight]

Originally Posted by Reece

Found this article, after reading this i think I will give these switches a miss altogether!!

Exactly, that's what I would suggest. Don't go messing around with these switches.

imho any mod that requires a user to make such changes is a fail out of the box. No offense to the modder, but that's just not a requirement you can put on it.

[CaptainHaplo]

Everyone - remember that we cannot discuss cracking or cracked files here or elsewhere in Subsim. Since Ubi authorized Neal to steer folks toward a file for use, I think we are ok here for now, but please remember to always respect Subsim policy - if you use a crack its not our business - never talk about it here. It still may be across the line - and its always better to avoid a line than worry about IF your crossing it.

(I have to say something about it here in the interest of consistency since it has been an issue in other areas of subsim. Thanks!)

[Reece]

What if I was to use the /PAE switch instead:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791485.aspx
Probably no change!!

[Arclight]

Just leave it alone imho. Better to move to a 64-bit OS and plug in 4GB or more. Same effect, half the headache.

Just try the mod without messing with the core functioning of the system; if it doesn't work, it's not worth it imo.

[Reece]

Thanks, I will make the change to Win 7 once SP1 is out and I can get an OEM version!

[Arclight]

Oh yes, retail costs an arm and a leg... think I had to sell some teeth too.