XP with 4G RAM

[sjcohn]

I have installed Pro SP/2 with 4G of RAM.
The My Computer | Properties | General shows 2G of RAM
and the System Information shows:
Total Physical Memory 4,096 MB
Available Physical Memory 1.71 GB

My hardware is a Core 2 Duo 6600 and the Intel 975 chip set.

Why don't I see 4G RAM on the General tab?
How come the available physical memory is so low?

 

[Jerry]

Do a Google search on boot.ini and you'll be rewarded with many articles
describing the many boot.ini switches and what they do when memory goes
above 2GB. Also, Microsoft articles KB 291988, 833721.

 

[Ron Martell]

I have installed Pro SP/2 with 4G of RAM.
The My Computer | Properties | General shows 2G of RAM
and the System Information shows:
Total Physical Memory 4,096 MB
Available Physical Memory 1.71 GB

My hardware is a Core 2 Duo 6600 and the Intel 975 chip set.

Why don't I see 4G RAM on the General tab?
How come the available physical memory is so low?

Because 32 bit versions of Windows are limited to a maximum of 4 gb of
addressable memory space, and some of this has to be used for things
like the computer's ROM Bios and other hardware related functions. But
it still should show something in excess of 3 gb on the General tab.

Use Start - Run - MSCONFIG. Go to the BOOT.INI tab, click on the
Advanced Options button and check for any entries in the /MAXMEM=
line. If there is anything there it needs to be cleared.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
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."

 

[sjc]

The only options in the boot.ini are: /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
I tried adding /3GB and /PAE these had no effect.
I took out one RAM module so that now there is 3G RAM and now the
general tab shows
3G and the System Info shows:
Total Physical Memory 3,072 MB
Available Physical Memory 2.7 GB

Does this mean XP runs better with 3G then 4G????

When I have 4G the bios says it's running in dual channel mode, with 3G
it's not, but I don't see how that could have any effect in the OS.