SP1 Memory

[Shawn Malligan]

Hello

Does Vista SP1 recognise my 8gb physically or only as being installed?

Thanks Shawn

 

[Devoldo]

Hello

Does Vista SP1 recognise my 8gb physically or only as being installed?

Thanks Shawn

Vista SP1 has nothing to do with the amount of ram the OS detects, unless
there was a bios issue. 32 bit Windows only recognizes 3.5 gigs of RAM for
there is 32 address lines. 64 bit Windows can easily recognize 8 gigs,
infact without artificial and technological limitation, you can have approx.
17.2 gigabytes, 16.8 million terabytes, or 16 exabytes of ram. but with 2
gig ram sticks, yes, 8 gigs with a 64 bit OS. Not a 32 bit operating system.
Hope that cleared things up.

 

[Dustin Harper]

If it's a 32 bit system it will only show it as installed but not able to
utilize the full 8 GB, only ~3.2 GB.

 

[Byron Hinson]

It's changed slightly with SP1 - even if you are running the 32-bit version
the OS will now "Show" 4gb or 8gb etc in the system setting for amount of
memory installed - it won't use it but it will now show it as being
installed.

 

[Chuck Walbourn [MSFT]]

As of Windows Vista SP1, the System control panel shows 'installed' memory
not 'available' memory.

A KB article on the 32-bit 4 GB limit generally:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605/

A KB article on the change in Vista SP1:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946003/

 

[MGbassace]

I too am having issues with this as well, I have 4gb DDR400, Windows XP 64
shows the correct 4gb, Windows Vista only shows 2gb after SP1, 2.5gb before
SP1. Tried bios settings etc, Still the same issue, Would motherboard drvers
make a difference, if say vista had installed technically incorrect ones??

Asrock dualsata 939 board, 4gb ddr 400, 4 x 1gb modules. Radeon hd3870 pci-e
2 x 250gb Sata HDD.

MBG

 

[Andy [YaYa]]

I too am having issues with this as well, I have 4gb DDR400, Windows XP 64
shows the correct 4gb, Windows Vista only shows 2gb after SP1, 2.5gb before
SP1. Tried bios settings etc, Still the same issue, Would motherboard drvers
make a difference, if say vista had installed technically incorrect ones??

Asrock dualsata 939 board, 4gb ddr 400, 4 x 1gb modules. Radeon hd3870 pci-e
2 x 250gb Sata HDD.

MBG

Never heard of that before, usually if XP can see the ram, so can Vista. Check with Asrock website, see if there's a BIOS update for your motherboard. BIOS is the software that tells your system what's installed on the mobo before boot up.

Double check with the website that the mobo supports 4gigs, the way you have it setup. It may of been coincidence that XP saw 4gb, or it could of been saying you have 4, but only accessing 2?

I don't know, sure someone else does though, but I would try getting a BIOS update, if there are any.

-A.

 

[MGbassace]

Probably should have gone into more detail, Yes board supports 4gb,
Motherboard website even has the disclaimer about 32 bit os not report full
4gb due to limitations, Tried Bios updates and even a roll back. Using on
board realtek sound drivers, Removed Creative audigy in case this was using
memory resources (desperate attempt to resolve) Graphics card is PCI-e
although the board has both PCI and AGP, Have altered the bios to reflect
this no should be little or no memory resource on AGP port. No memory hole
setting on bios on current version however there is on a later one but this
when turned on drops the memory reported in XP64 and no change in vista. Last
thing i will try is the pae switch on vista, nothing to lose. I just dont
know what else to do.

 

[Paul Smith]

You are using 64-bit Windows Vista aren't you?

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

*Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*

 

[MGbassace]

No Paul, Vista 32, But should still be expecting to see results of at least
3gb ro slightly higher surely!

MBG