LINK uses available memory during the linking session. If LINK runs out of memory, it creates a disk file to hold intermediate files. LINK deletes this file when it finishes.
When the linker creates a temporary disk file, you see the following message:
Temporary file tempfile has been created.
Do not change diskette in drive, letter.
In the preceding message, tempfile is the name of the temporary file, and letter is the drive containing the temporary file. (The second line appears only for a floppy drive.)
After this message appears, do not remove the disk from the drive specified by letter until the link session ends. If the disk is removed, the operation of LINK is unpredictable, and you might see the following message:
Unexpected end-of-file on scratch file
If this happens, run LINK again.
Location of the Temporary File
If the TMP environment variable defines a temporary directory, LINK creates temporary files there. If the TMP environment variable is undefined or the temporary directory doesn't exist, LINK creates temporary files in the current directory.
When running under DOS version 3.0 or later, LINK asks the operating system to create a temporary file with a unique name in the temporary-file directory.
Under DOS versions earlier than 3.0, LINK creates a temporary file named VM.TMP. Do not use this name for your files. LINK generates an error message if it encounters an existing file with this name.