Setting Size and Number of Internal Stacks

MS-DOS                 | WINDOWS

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft C for MS-DOS, versions 6.0, 6.0a, and 6.0ax
• Microsoft C/C++ for MS-DOS, version 7.0
• Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows, versions 1.0 and 1.5

SUMMARY

In an MS-DOS application, if an INTERNAL STACK OVERFLOW system error occurs, the number and/or size of internal stacks in MS-DOS should be increased in the CONFIG.SYS file. The syntax for this is as follows

   STACKS=number,size

MORE INFORMATION

The following information was taken from "The MS-DOS Encyclopedia," page 805:

   Each time certain hardware interrupts occur, . . ., MS-DOS Version
   3.2 switches to an internal stack before transferring control to
   the handler that will service the interrupt. In the case of nested
   interrupts, MS-DOS checks to ensure that both interrupts do not get
   the same stack. After the interrupt has been processed, the stack
   is released. This protects the stacks owned by application programs
   or system device drivers from overflowing when several interrupts
   occur in rapid succession. . . . If too many interrupts occur too
   quickly and the pool of internal stack frames is exhausted, the
   system halts with the message INTERNAL STACK OVERFLOW. Increasing
   the number parameter in the stacks command usually corrects the
   problem.