PRB: RC Error RW1031: Segment Too Large for Load Optimization

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows versions 3.1 and 3.0

SYMPTOMS

When building an application, the Microsoft Windows Resource Compiler, RC.EXE, reports the error message "Error RW1031: Segment Too Large For Load Optimization."

CAUSE

The size of an application segment added to the size of the relocation information for the segment is larger than 64K.

RESOLUTION

Perform one of the following:

• For optimal performance in the Microsoft Windows graphical environment, divide the application's code into units of approximately 4K to 8K each.
• Specify the Resource Compiler -k command-line option switch to disable the load optimization feature.

MORE INFORMATION

One underlying cause for this Resource Compiler error is an application developed for the medium or large memory model linked with the /PACKCODE Microsoft Linker option switch. This option directs the linker to combine code segments to produce fewer and larger code segments.

When the Resource Compiler processes an application for load optimization (its default behavior), it places all application segments marked PRELOAD into the application's fastload area. The fastload area is designed to allow the Windows kernel to copy the initial segments of an application directly from the file on disk into memory to minimize the amount of time the user must wait before interacting with the application. The kernel performs minimal processing on the contents of the fastload area to maximize its performance benefits; this strategy is incompatible with a large segment with much relocation information.

By breaking an application into small units, Windows can manage memory by discarding and reloading segments as necessary. Windows supports techniques provided by the Microsoft C compiler to name and manually combine segments and to specify segment attributes through the application's module definition (DEF) file. In enhanced mode Windows, it should not be necessary to discard segments; memory is automatically paged to disk and reloaded as required.