Initializing Device IOS: Real mode system memory allocation failed

Is there a file called IOS.LOG anywhere on your system? It may contain more information about which driver is throwing a wobbly.

Here are some URLs that might help.  I'd look at the first one - but consider the others.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q192841&

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q263466&

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q164666&

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q202589&

The MS KB articles don't seem to apply to my situation. I'm leaning to a hardware problem but still stumped.

fletch50 How are you doing with this.  Please give us an update.

Hello all,
I am Computer101, a moderator from Experts-Exchange and also an expert within this topic area. This question has been open a long time.  What I am going to do is allow feedback from the questioner and experts.  If it is not resolved, I will delete or accept an answer based on the info I have been given, Experts, feel free to offer input.  I will monitor these questions for a period of 5-7 days and come back and evaluate.  I will have another moderator (who is also an expert in this topic area) look at the question also to ensure we do the right thing for this question.

Thank you
Computer101
Community Support Moderator

Force-accepted.

Netminder
CS Moderator

Maybe this can give a little insight.

I have exactly the same problem.  I am running Windows98SE on an HP Pavilion PC Model 8760C.  Pentium 3 - 733mhz
I added 256MB of memory about 6 months ago.  I added a PNY gForce3 titanium video card about 3 months ago.  No problems until a week ago.

Same error as fletch50's:
While initializing device IOS:
Error: Real mode system memory allocation failed.

I too could boot in Safe Mode.

I did a step-by-step boot and painfully went through the half-of-half method to slowly zero in on the problem.  I finally isolated one driver that could be skipped in order to boot successfully.  I don't know if there were other combinations that would also allow booting, as I stopped after I found a successful sequence.

The driver that was causing the problem:
viagart.vxd

As long as I answer "No" when asked if I want to load that driver, and "Yes" to all other questions, my system will boot.  Only an ocasional hangup occurs during normal computer use using this solution - and those have happened occasionally ever since I've been computing (about 25 years)

I researched the driver as well as I could through Google and found only that it is a Via driver (my system has a Via chip on board) and that it has something to do with VGA and/or AGP video.

I downloaded and installed the latest Via 4 in 1 drivers, but no change.  So far, this has me stumped.  I haven't altered my registry as of this date, since I am still researching the problem, and I leave the computer on 24/7 anyway.

I know that this is not a final solution, only a workaround, but I thought this might help those who are MUCH more expert than I am - just an old keyboard pounder here who STILL wishes somebody would write a stable 32-bit DOS so I could say "goodbye" to Windows forever :-)  I grew up on the C: prompt, and still prefer it.  Still programming in QuickBasic 4.5 too - and loving it!  Too stubborn to learn Visual Basic.

Hope this helps,
Ron

I had to chime in here.
My "real mode IOS" problem started when I got home from
work a week ago, and my wife swears she didn't turn on
the computer that day, so I can't tell you what may or may
not have happened other than I know my computer was working
perfectly the night before (last time I shut down).

My symptoms match(ed) almost exactly"
Athlon 1800 processor
512 MB ram
Geforce 3
GIGABYTE GA-7VRXP mb
VIA KT333 AGPset
Computer worked without a glitch for at least 4 months
since graphic card upgrade...
Boots in safe mode fine, but NO WAY normal win boot.


Thanks to RON (thanks Ron), doing a step by step boot and
skipping the loading of VIAGART.VXD got me up and running
in what seemed to be a "normal" mode, and I continued to
boot this way until I stumbled across a fix... for my
computer anyway...

I tried the standard "reinstall the 4 in 1 drivers"
(from the GIGABYTE website) to no avail, and then started
searching here and there until I stumbled across a link
that referenced the new "VIA Hyperion 4in1 drivers"
released in december from VIA.  

Long story short, I downloaded them from here:
http://www.viaarena.com/?PageID=2

specific link to actual file:
http://downloads.viaarena.com/drivers/4in1/VIAHyperion4in1445v.exe

And "BOOP"!  Computer boots again and all seems well.

I felt I had to go through the "join up" process here to
reveal this pearl of wisdom in the event it may help
someone, as I may have attempted a windows REINSTALL if
I didn't run across RON's viagart.vxd bypass.... so I
thought I   would continue the favor...

Please post if this resolves the IOS problem for you too.

-Joe
www.joezgarage.com

I too have had to sign up for (expert?) membership just to say that halfcent50 and sparkkey saved me from prozak level "error : real mode system memory allocation failed" depression. The error message happened really out of nowhere. I took out the memory stick by stick to test, all was fine, but I had to drop down to 256 from 512 to boot in. Too lazy to find out why, about two weeks later same error message. I had to drop down to 128! After a big job in Photoshop, I knew I had to get to the bottom of it. One search in Google, first link on the list, sparkkey's comment about the "VIA Hyperion 4in1 drivers", and I'm back up to 512. I have a PII 400 w/ a Via Appolo 133a chipset. Sparkkey and halfcent50, I could kiss you. I guess then I would have to kiss someone at Experts Exchange as well. It would be worth it.
-John

yeah baby.

halfcent50 and sparkkey  got it right.
i feel so much gratitude for them right now.

i too went from 512 to 128 pulling memory to boot.
the selective setup got me going again.

this problem has happened in the past. and the only way i was able to get around it was to delete the registry files and reload windows.

the selective startup worked, i downloaded the hyperion driver (4in1 replacement) and my system is back.

gigabyte via apollo pro
p3 733
and now !!! back to 512

God bless you all.

now to delete the email account from my daughter's computer that i had to use.... :)

Just a followup.

Thanks! Glad my experience with this problem could become a part of the solution here. Thanks back to <sparkkey> for the link.  I've kept it in fav places in case I need it later.  I had already tried a more drastic solution before I saw the link, so I'll post my solution here, just in case the <sparkkey>'s link doesn't work for someone else looking for a solution.  So here it is:

After two weeks of skipping over the <viagart.vxd> in the step-by-step bootup sequence, I was having no problems with the computer at all.  I checked the registry, and there was a single reference to it.  So, I backed up the registry, deleted the reference, held my breath and rebooted.  Booted fine, and has been running several weeks with no problems.

Problem solved, I guess.  I don't know why this happened, or why it was even there, but the computer doesn't seem to require it to run normally.

Hope this fix might help somebody, too.
Ron

thanks to halfcent50 and to sparkkey!

have had this "IOS device system memory ..." trouble after installing a 3d-graphics screen saver.

after reboot i got the error message. i could make my system boot again with "c: scanreg /restore" after booting into dos. i changed the system files (the registry) back to yesterdays successfull starting up condition.

than i found this post in the internet and have downloaded this "via hyperion 4in1" driver and installed it. than i also installed this screen saver again. i could start my system without any trouble.

really seams to be the solution.

thanks to everybody!
I'm a new french member (registered just to thank you!)
my error message in french was "durant l'initialisation du peripherique IOS
Erreur: echec de l'allocation de memoire systeme en mode reel"
I write it down in french hoping french people could find the solution I have found here in this forum, and not to let them search for hours like I did to find a correct translation.
In fact my problem appears after the replacement of my defective motherboard (MSI KT266 PRO2-RU), by the same repaired model(I use W98SE).
I made the first boot after the replacement with  the original hard drive which was installed before with the defective motherboard; another hard drive and a few PCI cards were out, and that was the only differences with the old working system, the bios revision was the same and all bios setup parameters too;
I also could boot in safe mode, and tryed
1-restoring old registries
2-disabling all components in control panel
wihtout succes
after reading the topic, I simply delete the only entry VIAGART in the registry (that was containing a few values and the entry staticvxd=viagart.vxd), and miracle, the boot finally went over without problems and my system is apparently stable without this viagart.vxd.
I really had to thank you.  

Thank you Thank you Thank you.  I have been having problems with my computer for a month now.  I tried everything, replaced ram, powersupply and sound card.  Booted my computer tonight and got the same error.  

While initializing device IOS: Error: Real mode system memory allocation failed

Finally!  a fix.  I love you guys

Deb

Finally!  Thanks for the tips.  I tried a couple of 4in1 drivers that I thought should work but to no avail.  Even your suggestion:  
http://downloads.viaarena.com/drivers/4in1/VIAHyperion4in1445v.exe
But then I clued in that I should shut Norton's Antivirus and Zone Alarm, then it finally worked.

I am getting the original error message on boot up also.  I am running Win98e on a P4 w/ 768MB.  Mine tour through this started when I tried to connect a new HP 5510 printer/scanner/fax to the USB and load the drivers.  I already had the HP 7150, Visioner 440 Scanner, and Minolta QMS 2300 printer running on the USB.  I've tried to delete all the HP files/drivers, etc for the HP 7150 on the chance there was an address conflict or something.  But I'm still not booting up properly.

I've looked at the IOS.LOG, but it doesn't tell ME anything.

I'm thinking of reloading the OS to see if that fixes things.  Good?  Bad?

TIA

Jamie