The SYSTEM.INI TrapTimerPorts= Parameter

• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

The Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1's SYSTEM.INI [386Enh] parameter TrapTimerPorts=<boolean> indicates whether or not 386 enhanced mode Windows should use the 80386 protection mechanism to trap access to the system timer ports.

MORE INFORMATION

If TrapTimerPorts is true (the default and the setting for Windows 3.0), Windows will trap the timer ports so it can maintain an accurate time of day. If TrapTimerPorts is false, some applications that read or write the system timer often may run faster, and Windows may not be able to correct the time.

The TrapTimerPorts switch affects only 386 enhanced mode, and applies to both Windows and MS-DOS applications. The switch belongs in the [386Enh] section of SYSTEM.INI.

The TrapTimerPorts switch was added to Windows 3.1 to better support applications (MS-DOS or Windows applications) that frequently read or write the system timer ports.

When 80386 protected mode is enabled, there is considerable overhead (instructions executed) when an application (MS-DOS or Windows) tries to read or write the system timer ports. For some applications that do this very frequently (for example, some game programs), the overhead adds up fast and can slow down the application considerably.

In Windows 3.1, this switch was added to allow you to specify that the timer ports not be trapped for the virtual machine (VM) that currently has the keyboard focus (other VMs without the focus will still be trapped). This allows some applications to run faster, and should be particularly good for applications that mostly read the timer ports.

The down side (and the reason TrapTimerPorts isn't false by default) is that it's much more difficult for Windows to maintain an accurate time of day if an application is frequently writing to the system timer ports. Windows tries to compensate, and usually does okay, but there may be applications that stop Windows from being able to recover.

The SYSTEM.INI's SyncTime switch can sometimes compensate for time drift if TrapTimerPorts is false.

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Windows Resource Kit" for version 3.1, page 215.