# 6609 - CONFIG.SYS Modifying the Buffers= Command

DocumentID: 10032
Revision Date: 27-Feb-97 1:01:27 PM

The information in this document applies to:
WordPerfect® 5.1 for DOS

Problem

This page describes how to use the BUFFERS= command in your CONFIG.SYS file to optimize the performance of WordPerfect.

Answer:

Display your CONFIG.SYS file. 1 From a DOS prompt type TYPE C:\CONFIG.SYS. 2 Look for a line that reads BUFFERS=x, where x represents the number of buffers selected. 3 If no BUFFERS= line exists, follow the steps below. If your CONFIG.SYS file does not contain a BUFFERS= line, determine the optimum value. 1 Open a text editor, then retrieve C:\CONFIG.SYS. 2 Move the cursor to the end of the FILES= line. 3 Press Enter, then type BUFFERS=20 (or BUFFERS=25 or BUFFERS=30). 4 Save the file, then exit the text editor. You will need to reboot your computer for the BUFFERS= command to take effect. If your system's performance does not improve after rebooting, repeat steps 1 through 4 above using a different value for the BUFFERS= command.

Details:

As your computer boots up, it searches the root directory of your startup drive for the files CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. These files contain basic system commands and configuration information. For example, these files contain information for configuring the management of memory, attaching devices, the kind of prompt DOS displays, and other parts of the computer system. Your computer uses some information contained within these commands as limits that maintain the integrity of your system. The CONFIG.SYS file contains the main configuration commands your computer uses when you turn it on. It is stored in the C:\ directory, or the root directory of your startup drive. CONFIG.SYS contains the BUFFERS= command line, which specifies a number of memory buffers to be created. A buffer is an area of random access memory (RAM) used to store instructions that are transmitted from device to device faster than they can be received. For example, suppose you print a one- megabyte (1000 kilobytes) document and the printer can only receive and process 500 kilobytes of instructions at a time. Your computer transmits instructions faster than the printer can receive them. The printer may use a buffer in RAM to hold 500 kilobytes of instructions until it has received and processed the first 500 kilobytes. Increasing the value of BUFFERS= may speed up WordPerfect features such as printing, but you must experiment to determine the optimum number of buffers. Since a single buffer uses 532 bytes (.5 kilobytes) of RAM, the more buffers you specify in the BUFFERS= command, the less RAM you leave available for WordPerfect to use. For example, if your CONFIG.SYS file contained the line BUFFERS=10, you would be using 5320 bytes of RAM.Five to ten buffers are enough if you use a utility that performs disk caching, and twenty to thirty are enough if you do not use a utility. If your CONFIG.SYS file already contains a BUFFERS= command, do not modify it. A disk cache may have created the command, and may require the current BUFFERS= value to run optimally. If CONFIG.SYS lacks a BUFFERS= command, use a text editor application to add the BUFFERS=20command, then test values of 25 and 30. See Also Memory in the WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS reference manual

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