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Document ID: MNOK-3T5R2H

Aptiva - How to REM a line in Config.sys

Applicable to: World-Wide

The Config.sys file plays a key role in configuring a DOS or OS/2 system each time it is booted up. From this file hardware and software device drivers are loaded into memory to support programs and hardware in a DOS and Windows 3.1 session. However, at times you may wish to prevent a device driver or program from being installed in memory when you are trying to troubleshoot a problem, resolve conflicts between devices, or when you want to free up conventional memory by 'turning off' a device driver so that it is not loaded into memory.
In such cases you could either delete a line entry from the Config.sys file (a permanent solution) or you could leave the line entry in the Config.sys file but simply 'turn it off' by using a remark command. In DOS, a remark, used in either the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file, will tell DOS to ignore the contents of the line and skip to the next line in the file during the bootup process.

Below is a simple example of a Config.sys file:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS

DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM 1024

DOS=HIGH,UMB

DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE

BUFFERS=10,0

FILES=30

FCBS=4,0

STACKS=9,256

DEVICE=C:\DOS\MTMCDS.SYS /D:MSCD002 /P:340 /A:0 /M:20 /I:5

The last line in the file is the line entry that loads the device driver for the CD-ROM drive. In this example we want to temporarily prevent the CD-ROM device driver from being loaded into memory (perhaps to find out if a system problem is being caused by a defective CD-ROM drive). We could simply delete the entire line and prevent the CD-ROM drive from being enabled at the next bootup. However, when the time comes to enable the CD-ROM drive, the entire line would have to be typed in again. Remembering all of the parameters could pose quite a challenge. Instead of deleting the line, just add a remark command at the front of it. In the Config.sys file a remark command can be either a semicolon ( ; ) or the letters REM (short for REMark.) The line could be modified to look like this:

;DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\MTMCDS.SYS /D:MSCD002 /P:340 /A:0 /M:20 /I:5

or like this:

REM DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\MTMCDS.SYS /D:MSCD002 /P:340 /A:0 /M:20 /I:5

and the Config.sys file then saved and closed. The next time the system is booted up, the line entry for the CD ROM will be ignored by DOS. Later, removing the semicolon or REM command will cause DOS to carry out the instructions in that line entry and enable the CD ROM drive.

Note: Although both the semicolon and REM are recognized as remark commands in the Config.sys file, only the REM command will work in the Autoexec.bat file.

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	Hint Category	DOS/Windows 3.x, Windows 95, OS/2
	Date Created	01-04-98
	Last Updated	25-01-99
	Revision Date	17-07-99
	Brand	IBM Aptiva
	Product Family	Aptiva
	Machine Type	2134, 2136, 2137, 2138, 2139, 2140, 2142, 2144, 2153, 2159, 2161, 2162, 2168, 2176
	Model	all
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