Windows 3.1 Does Not Allow Swap File on Stacker Drive

• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.1, 3.11
• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

Microsoft Windows versions 3.1 and 3.11 and Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1 and 3.11 do not allow a temporary or permanent swap file to be set up on a STAC Electronics Stacker drive or a RAMdrive. To illustrate this, follow the steps below:

1. Run the Control Panel.

2. Choose the 386 Enhanced icon.

3. Choose the Virtual Memory button in the 386 Enhanced dialog box.

MORE INFORMATION

With Windows 3.0, you can set up a temporary swap file on a Stacker drive. By default, Windows 3.1 or 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or 3.11 does not allow this. The following two problems occur if you attempt to put a temporary swap file on a Stacker drive in Windows 3.1 or 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups 3.1 or 3.11:

• Windows cannot be certain how much space is available because of the Stacker compression software.
• Swap files may fragment the Stacker drive in a short amount of time. If you must use Stacker, use version 2.0. By default, Stacker 2.0 leaves only 1 MB of non-stacked hard drive space available. This is not enough space for a swap file.

The following are additional suggestions:

1. Use the SDEFRAG command to make 10 MB of nonstacked hard drive space available.

2. Create a permanent swap file of 6 MB.

3. Leave 4 MB free and point the SET TEMP variable there.

RAMdrive

Setting up a swap file on a RAMdrive is not an efficient use of resources. If you have a software package that requires a swap file, you must use real, uncompressed hard drive space with 512 byte sectors.

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