Environment Space

Environment space is used to store variables for the system and programs. The default size for MS-DOS is 512 bytes. This is sufficient for most situations, but if you run out of space while starting a program, the program will not run.

To increase the space set aside for variables, use a text editor (notepad.exe or edit.com), to add the SHELL command to your config.sys file.

For systems prior to Windows 95, the line should look like this:

SHELL=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM C:\DOS\ /E:1024

For Windows 95, the line should look like this:

SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\ /E:1024

The location of the line should be right after FILES=?? or BUFFERS=??

The /E: parameter is where you specify the amount of space set aside for program variables. A setting of 1024, will double the default value, and should provide adequate space for almost any program.