Excessive Memory Consumption in MS-DOS with WFWG

• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups versions 3.1, 3.11
• Microsoft Workgroup Connections version 1.0
• Microsoft Workgroup Add-On for MS-DOS, version 3.11

SUMMARY

When running Windows for Workgroups (WFWG), Workgroup Connections, or Workgroup Add-On for MS-DOS the MS-DOS version 5.0 MEM/C command or other memory viewing utility may report MS-DOS to be using excessive amounts (75K or more) of conventional memory if the NET START command has not yet been executed.

Microsoft recommends that the NET START command be issued before any other terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) programs are loaded. Loading TSRs before the NET START command may prevent the protocol manager, PROTMAN.DOS, from returning its memory to the system pool, or may cause other unpredictable system behavior.

MORE INFORMATION

The Windows for Workgroups protocol manager, PROTMAN.DOS, allocates memory containing data that is a parsed version of PROTOCOL.INI. Other drivers (for network cards and protocols) need to use the data during the initialization process, so PROTMAN.DOS holds the data until the binding (NET START) is complete. Once the binding has occurred, the memory allocated by PROTMAN.DOS is freed.