WinXP Pro OEM, removing Service Pack 2.....How?

[Brian Day]

6/2/2007


I own 2 copies of WinXP Pro OEM 32 bit Service Pack 2 for each of my
computers. I have 4GB RAM installed on my Biostar T Force 4U Board. 4 GB
show in the POST. In My Computer only 3GB are shown. I understand this
is because of a built security feature in Service Pack 2.

I would like to uninstall Service Pack 2 from both of my copies of OEM
XP, and install Service Pack 1 only. I'd like to have use of all the RAM
I bought for my Dual Core(Manchester 3800+).

How can I uninstall Service Pack 2 from an OEM copy?

Losing a GB a RAM isn't where I want to go today.

Thank you in Advance,

Brian Day

 

[DL]

Its nothing to do with the sp, its simply that winxp will not neccessarily
show the full amount of ram once +3gb

You havent 'lost' your ram
There are numerous articles on winxp + 4gb ram in google

 

[Brian Day]

Its nothing to do with the sp, its simply that winxp will not neccessarily
show the full amount of ram once +3gb

You havent 'lost' your ram
There are numerous articles on winxp + 4gb ram in google

DL
Thanks I know about the articles via google. The limit is 4GB, XP can't
see the 4 1 GB sticks I have because I have a pagefile. I may try the 2
GB I have in 512 sticks, its faster RAM the the 1 GB sticks. Server 2003
is just a little bit too spendy for me.

 

[DL]

Its nothing to do with a page file.

DL
Thanks I know about the articles via google. The limit is 4GB, XP can't
see the 4 1 GB sticks I have because I have a pagefile. I may try the 2
GB I have in 512 sticks, its faster RAM the the 1 GB sticks. Server 2003
is just a little bit too spendy for me.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

6/2/2007


I own 2 copies of WinXP Pro OEM 32 bit Service Pack 2 for each of my
computers. I have 4GB RAM installed on my Biostar T Force 4U Board. 4 GB
show in the POST.

Does the BIOS allow use of the memory after it has tested it? One does not
necessarily mean the other.

In My Computer only 3GB are shown. I understand this is because of a built
security feature in Service Pack 2.

I would suggest that you actually misunderstand.

If you aren't seeing a reporting issue,

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888664/en-us

then it's a memory management issue (Windows, hardware, and the processor
using the top blocks for memory-mapped IO). It's not security.

http://blogs.msdn.com/dcook/archive/2007/03/25/who-ate-my-memory.aspx

And a key point there is that even if it was *showing* you the full 4 gig,
you could not use it as you direct; it's reserved.

As well, if your system has onboard video, the RAM for that is taken from
system RAM, and this will not be shown in the total.

And you may wish to use the /3GB or /PAE switches if you haven't already.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEdrv.mspx

Finally, or perhaps first, there's the issue of the board itself and BIOS
settings.

I would like to uninstall Service Pack 2 from both of my copies of OEM XP,
and install Service Pack 1 only.

In your case you can't roll back without wiping the disk first and using
pre-SP2 CDs; and in any case it would not address what you see as a
problem.

I'd like to have use of all the RAM I bought for my Dual Core(Manchester
3800+).

You might consider, then, installing the 64-bit Windows version. You will
need to be sure that you have drivers for all your hardware.

How can I uninstall Service Pack 2 from an OEM copy?

You can't. If the install CD was SP2, you cannot roll back to any lower SP
level; the files aren't there to roll back to.

You would have to find pre-SP2 Install CDs, wipe the drives, and start over.
Yes, that means buying new licenses.

But this would be pointless, as you will get the same practical result; the
same memory mapping scheme is used. You might not see the bug in the
reporting, but I would suggest that isn't worth the effort, when you can
just look at different reports.

Losing a GB a RAM isn't where I want to go today.

Are you *sure* it's lost?

Then you might consider using an OS version that supports more much memory,
which will not be 32-bit XP PRO or Home. But if that version, and your
hardware, is also going to use the top section for memory-mapped IO, and
not let you use that section, I'm not sure I would see the point. You'd
be in exactly the same place, with just a small display difference, after a
lot of work and expense.

So you might start with determining whether or not the memory is actually
not being used or just not being reported properly.

But in any case, the short answer to your question is that you cannot remove
service pack 2 from an install made with an SP2 CD. To roll back, you
have to have pre-SP2 install CDs, wipe the drive and start over.


HTH
-pk

 

[Ron Martell]

6/2/2007


I own 2 copies of WinXP Pro OEM 32 bit Service Pack 2 for each of my
computers. I have 4GB RAM installed on my Biostar T Force 4U Board. 4 GB
show in the POST. In My Computer only 3GB are shown. I understand this
is because of a built security feature in Service Pack 2.

I would like to uninstall Service Pack 2 from both of my copies of OEM
XP, and install Service Pack 1 only. I'd like to have use of all the RAM
I bought for my Dual Core(Manchester 3800+).

How can I uninstall Service Pack 2 from an OEM copy?

Losing a GB a RAM isn't where I want to go today.

Thank you in Advance,

Brian Day

You have misunderstood or been misinformed.

32 bit versions of Windows XP (in fact all 32 bit operating systems)
have a maximum of 4 gb of memory address space. This address space
has to be used, and therefore divided between, all aspects of the
computer that require memory addresses. This includes, but is not
necessarily limited to,:
- RAM
- Video memory, including AGP arpeture.
- Computer BIOS
- Hardware component BIOS.

Depending on the video configuration, Windows may only be able to
allocate 3 gb or perhaps a bit more, of address space to physical RAM.

This limitation is fundamental to the way 32 bit operating system have
to operate and has nothing to do with Windows specifically and
especially not with anything that was added to Windows XP as part of
Service Pack 2.

Hope this explains the situation.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi Brian,

To add to Ron's comment, you may want to read this article:

4 GB RAM in Windows XP
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html


--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

|
| >6/2/2007
| >
| >
| >I own 2 copies of WinXP Pro OEM 32 bit Service Pack 2 for each of my
| >computers. I have 4GB RAM installed on my Biostar T Force 4U Board. 4 GB
| >show in the POST. In My Computer only 3GB are shown. I understand this
| >is because of a built security feature in Service Pack 2.
| >
| >I would like to uninstall Service Pack 2 from both of my copies of OEM
| >XP, and install Service Pack 1 only. I'd like to have use of all the RAM
| >I bought for my Dual Core(Manchester 3800+).
| >
| >How can I uninstall Service Pack 2 from an OEM copy?
| >
| >Losing a GB a RAM isn't where I want to go today.
| >
| >Thank you in Advance,
| >
| >Brian Day
|
| You have misunderstood or been misinformed.
|
| 32 bit versions of Windows XP (in fact all 32 bit operating systems)
| have a maximum of 4 gb of memory address space. This address space
| has to be used, and therefore divided between, all aspects of the
| computer that require memory addresses. This includes, but is not
| necessarily limited to,:
| - RAM
| - Video memory, including AGP arpeture.
| - Computer BIOS
| - Hardware component BIOS.
|
| Depending on the video configuration, Windows may only be able to
| allocate 3 gb or perhaps a bit more, of address space to physical RAM.
|
| This limitation is fundamental to the way 32 bit operating system have
| to operate and has nothing to do with Windows specifically and
| especially not with anything that was added to Windows XP as part of
| Service Pack 2.
|
| Hope this explains the situation.
|
| Good luck
|
| Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
| --
| Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
| On-Line Help Computer Service
| http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
| Syberfix Remote Computer Repair
|
| "Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
| has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Brian Day]

Does the BIOS allow use of the memory after it has tested it? One does not
necessarily mean the other.


I would suggest that you actually misunderstand.

If you aren't seeing a reporting issue,

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888664/en-us

then it's a memory management issue (Windows, hardware, and the processor
using the top blocks for memory-mapped IO). It's not security.

http://blogs.msdn.com/dcook/archive/2007/03/25/who-ate-my-memory.aspx

And a key point there is that even if it was *showing* you the full 4 gig,
you could not use it as you direct; it's reserved.

As well, if your system has onboard video, the RAM for that is taken from
system RAM, and this will not be shown in the total.

And you may wish to use the /3GB or /PAE switches if you haven't already.
http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEdrv.mspx

Finally, or perhaps first, there's the issue of the board itself and BIOS
settings.


In your case you can't roll back without wiping the disk first and using
pre-SP2 CDs; and in any case it would not address what you see as a
problem.


You might consider, then, installing the 64-bit Windows version. You will
need to be sure that you have drivers for all your hardware.


You can't. If the install CD was SP2, you cannot roll back to any lower SP
level; the files aren't there to roll back to.

You would have to find pre-SP2 Install CDs, wipe the drives, and start over.
Yes, that means buying new licenses.

But this would be pointless, as you will get the same practical result; the
same memory mapping scheme is used. You might not see the bug in the
reporting, but I would suggest that isn't worth the effort, when you can
just look at different reports.


Are you *sure* it's lost?

Then you might consider using an OS version that supports more much memory,
which will not be 32-bit XP PRO or Home. But if that version, and your
hardware, is also going to use the top section for memory-mapped IO, and
not let you use that section, I'm not sure I would see the point. You'd
be in exactly the same place, with just a small display difference, after a
lot of work and expense.

So you might start with determining whether or not the memory is actually
not being used or just not being reported properly.

But in any case, the short answer to your question is that you cannot remove
service pack 2 from an install made with an SP2 CD. To roll back, you
have to have pre-SP2 install CDs, wipe the drive and start over.


HTH
-pk

Thank you, I put /PAE in my Boot.ini. I'll try it out. I own 64 bit XP
but because of software limitations always booted into 32 bit. It may be
time to try it again. More drivers may be available. I liked 64 bit a
lot. It gave me the speed I paid so much for, but a year ago was too
much of a hassle to deal with. As I said, maybe now.
I know I didn't lose a GB of RAM. I was speaking figuratively
Thanks again for the info.
Brian Day

 

[Brian Day]

Hi Brian,

To add to Ron's comment, you may want to read this article:

4 GB RAM in Windows XP
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html

Curt,

Good Article. Thank You