    AST RESEARCH, INC.        TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1508           6-14-96

    TITLE: Ultimate DOOM, Adv! 6066d, 611, 613E

    SUMMARY

       The content of CMOS RAM is modified after running a game called
       Ultimate DOOM on the Advantage! 6066d, 611, and 613E systems.

       This issue affects the following systems: 501766, 501693, and
       501839.

    ISSUE

       When the system is rebooted after running the Ultimate DOOM game
       with the sound enabled, the following configuration changes will
       have occurred in CMOS setup:

          The Date and Time are cleared.
          The Primary Hard Drive is set to none.
          The sound card is set to add-in.
          The joystick is set to add-in.

       If EMM386 is loaded with the NOEMS parameter alone, it does not
       leave enough memory for Ultimate DOOM to start on systems with 4MB
       of RAM.

    BACKGROUND

       The DOS4GW DOS extender used by Ultimate DOOM violates reserved
       upper memory addresses, causing the CMOS configuration changes.
       EMM386, when loaded, prevents the DOS extender from accessing these
       memory addresses.

       When loaded with the NOEMS parameter, EMM386 leaves too little XMS
       memory for Ultimate DOOM to run on systems with 4MB of RAM.
       The manufacturer of Ultimate DOOM ID Software states that Ultimate
       DOOM runs on 4MB machines.

    ACTION

       Configure EMM386 to provide Expanded Memory Specification (EMS)
       memory as well as UMBs by using the following statements and
       EMM386 command line in CONFIG.SYS:

          DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
          DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE X=C000-CFFF DOS=HIGH,UMB

       or

       Upgrade the system to 8MB of RAM.  EMM386 still has to be loaded,
       but there is no longer a need for EMS memory.

    NOTES

       AST used release 1.9 of the Ultimate DOOM game to verify the problem
       and resolution described in this bulletin.

    TAN 000146GL

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