How much Memory can Vista 32 bit support?

P

Paul Smith

in message
Well mine sees more than 4Gb
32 bit vista home premium..do not believe then see my attachment here>>>>
http://www.mypcclinic.com/forums/showthread.php?p=229028#post229028

Can anyone of you experts explain?
Click to expand...

Well I can't see your attachment for a start. But I assume it shows 8GB on
the Computer Properties window.

This is to be expected as that particular window shows the installed RAM,
similar to what the motherboard would report. If you look in the Task
Manager you'll see under Performance -> Physical Memory you'll see only
around 3 to 3.5GB are available.

If you want to use all your RAM install a 64-bit operating system.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Desktop Experience.
http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*
 
P

Peter Foldes

ray

What it shows is only that it is installed. What it actually has is no more than
3.5gigs.

Go to Start\Run and enter winver. How much Physical memory does it report there on
the bottom of the screen. That is the actual RAM (memory that you have)
 
S

Sorken

Claude Hopper said:
So what's the maximum memory a 64 bit os can see and use?????? as opposed
to a Windows 64 bit system.
Click to expand...
64bit architecture can theoretically use 16 exabytes. However, the operating
system and mainboard would have to support it aswell. As far as i know none
do yet. But there is room to raise the limit as there is need.
 
B

Bill Yanaire

Better stop drinking because you are posting the same message over and over.
Speak to a counselor and he/she will help you with your drinking issues.
 
R

ray

in message



Regardless of what is shown (and the above link shows nothing), 32 bit
Vista will only use around 3.2 GB of RAM. It is mathematically
impossible for a 32 bit OS to use more than 4 GB. "Seeing" and "using"
are 2 very different things. Look at Task Manager to see how much is
actually being used.

To actually *use* it all, you need a 64 bit OS.
Click to expand...

FALSE. PAE enables a 32 bit system to access up to 64gb if the OS is aware
of how to use it. Such Linux systems are indeed available and, I believe,
some of the MS server systems as well. There is still a 4gb limitation on
memory used by a single process.
 
T

Tim Slattery

R

ray

Well, sort of. If you are using PAE, you are no longer using 32 bits.
You now have 36 bits. It is impossible for 32 bits to address more
than 4 GB.

PAE is a hack and a kludge anyway, and will soon go away now that we
have real 64 bit systems.
Click to expand...

But it DOES exist and is a way for a 32 bit OS (it sure as hell ain't a 64
bit OS) to address more than 4gb. You can quibble about whether it is a
'32 bit OS' or a '36 bit OS' if you want (though it obviously is not a 36
bit OS either, IMHO, since the 4gb per process limitaion remains.
 
S

Steve Thackery

But it DOES exist and is a way for a 32 bit OS (it sure as hell ain't a 64
bit OS) to address more than 4gb. You can quibble about whether it is a
'32 bit OS' or a '36 bit OS' if you want (though it obviously is not a 36
bit OS either, IMHO, since the 4gb per process limitaion remains.
Click to expand...

Guys: Ray obviously has to have the last word. I'd let him, if I were you!

;-)

SteveT
 
Z

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Claude Hopper said:
From 3.2 gig with 32 bit max and 16 exabytes with 64 bit. That's quite
a jump for only 32 bits more.
Click to expand...

That's the way binary works - each bit doubles the size of the number,
so double 4GB (not 3.2 - 4GB is the total memory addressable in a 32-bit
addressing scheme, the 3.2 comes because some of that is taken by
hardware) 32 times and you get 17,179,869,184GB, or 16 exabytes.
 
A

Aaron

Well mine sees more than 4Gb
Regardless of what is shown (and the above link shows nothing), 32 bit
Vista will only use around 3.2 GB of RAM. It is mathematically
impossible for a 32 bit OS to use more than 4 GB. "Seeing" and "using"
are 2 very different things. Look at Task Manager to see how much is
actually being used.

To actually *use* it all, you need a 64 bit OS.
Click to expand...

Running Vista Home Premium SP1 32 Bit,
Task Manager reports:
Total Physical Memory of 3065 MB
Total Kernel Memory of 265 MB.

Does one add the two values, or just refer to the Physical Memory?

--

I'm glad my Mom named me Aaron,
That's what everybody calls me.

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
All those moments will be lost in time...
like tears in rain...
Time to die.
Roy Batty - Blade Runner
 
I

Ian D

ray said:
But it DOES exist and is a way for a 32 bit OS (it sure as hell ain't a 64
bit OS) to address more than 4gb. You can quibble about whether it is a
'32 bit OS' or a '36 bit OS' if you want (though it obviously is not a 36
bit OS either, IMHO, since the 4gb per process limitaion remains.
Click to expand...

There is a difference. With 32 bits you can address 4GB directly, with
36 bit PAE you must use page switching. The extra 4 bits enable 16 pages
of 4GB each, then you can use 32 bit addressing within any page.You can't
go directly from one address to another across a 4GB boundary without
page switching. With 64 bits, and the same 64 GB you can directly access
any address.

PAE is a kludge similar to expanded memory addressing back in the early
days of DOS.
 
P

Peter Foldes

Hi Bob


" It is mathematically impossible for a 32 bit OS to use more than 4 GB. "

Not quite true. Not all 32 bit systems are restricted to this. For example the 32
bit W2K3 and 8 Enterprise versions can see and handle up to 64 gig's in memory . My
32 bit W2K3 Enterprise at present is handling more than 4 x that of a 32 bit Vista
or XP .
Of course you are absolutely correct when you say the above but you need to put in
"with the exception of certain 32 bit servers since the W2K3 Standard,Media and Web
Servers can only handle as much as Vista or XP which is 4gig's
 
J

James Kosin

Bob said:
That's why it is a kludge. It gives a 32 bit OS 36 bits of address
space but keeps all of the other limitations of 32 bits. The very
definition of a hack.
Click to expand...
Kludge or not, it is the basic premise for how virtual memory works as
well; so, everyone has to get use to it. Weather 32-bits, 36-bits or
64-bits doesn't matter.
When 64-bits gets supported up to the maximum limit, virtual memory will
need a boost to still allow virtual memory to work.

James
 
P

Peter Foldes

Ray

It is your stand that is inaccurate. You will never see your system as you describe
use more than 3.5 gigs of physical memory. Even if you hack it is not possible.

But if you say so Ray then it must be that in front of your eyes ONLY
 

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