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DOS: Unload HIMEM.SYS from batch file?


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I ran into a situation where I need to use a DOS program but it will not run if himem.sys is loaded. Unfortunately, I (likely) have other things that require it.

This is my config.sys

[COMMON]DOS=HIGHSHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P /E:512DEVICE=himem.sysdevice=ifshlp.sys
Is it possible, via .bat, to unload himem.sys so that the program can run if it is selected?
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No. Unloading HIMEM is problematic and unreliable. The best option is to create two menu entries, like this:

[menu]menuitem=NH, No HIMEMmenuitem=GU, General Usemenudefault=GU,5menucolor=7,0[GR]DOS=HIGHDEVICE=HIMEM.SYS /VDEVICE=IFSHLP.SYS[NH][COMMON]<other commands...>

See also this, this and this.

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HIMEM.SYS or its clones do modify the system in ways that are difficult to revert completely upon forcible removal.

Moreover, this should just work, try it and you'll see it's not so painful at all:
 

[menu]menuitem=NH, No HIMEMmenuitem=GU, General Usemenudefault=GU,5menucolor=7,0[GR]DOS=HIGHDEVICE=HIMEM.SYS /VDEVICE=IFSHLP.SYS[NH][COMMON]SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /P /E:512
Edited by dencorso
Fixed typo.
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