Update System RAM display

[Barb]

I purchased a laptop with Vista Home Basic that had only 894 MB RAM. (Two
slots with 512 MB sticks). I have lots of speed issues and was told by
someone that this was not enough RAM to operate Vista. My laptop maximum it
2 GB so I swapped out the two 512 MB sticks for two 1 GB sticks.

Under Control Panel>System, it is still only displaying 894 MB RAM. How do
I get this to display the upgraded RAM?

 

[Peter Foldes]

Do you have SP1 installed ??

 

[Anthony Baratta]

hi

first check bios boot screen, this screen is displayed at first boot, it
displays
installed memory, hdd's, ect

when you see this screen press the "Pause/Break" keyboard button to freeze
the screen so to view installed ram.

if this screen is not shown but a logo screen is shown instead
you will have to enter into cmos settings and disable logo screen

i would include steps here, but i notice that you have not included
the manufacturer of the laptop!

regards

 

[Barb]

I did not. When I went into Windows Update, for some reason this update
never successfully installed. Microsoft was contacted for support and after
a 5 hour execution of the System Update Readiness Tool I now have SP1. This
updated the
memory in Control Panel>System to 1.00 GB so I am still "missing" 1.00 GB.

I will also answer the other poster's question.

Thanks to you both.

 

[Barb]

My PC is a Toshiba Satellite A100-VA1.

I hope this is what you were asking for. When my computer boots up I have
an option to press F2 for system utilities. It says:

System Memory 633 KB
Extended Memory 915456 KB

In reply to the other poster's question, I did not have SP1 but did install
it. Upon installing SP1 I now see 1.00 GB in Control Panel>System, but am
still missing 1.00 GB.

Thanks to you both for your assistance.

 

[Ian D]

My PC is a Toshiba Satellite A100-VA1.

I hope this is what you were asking for. When my computer boots up I have
an option to press F2 for system utilities. It says:

System Memory 633 KB
Extended Memory 915456 KB

In reply to the other poster's question, I did not have SP1 but did
install
it. Upon installing SP1 I now see 1.00 GB in Control Panel>System, but am
still missing 1.00 GB.

Thanks to you both for your assistance.

The BIOS doesn't see the full 2GB, which indicates a hardware
problem.

Check to ensure both SODIMMs are seated properly. If they are
you could have a defective SODIMM. Remove one of the DIMMs,
and reboot. If the laptop doesn't boot, the installed DIMM is bad,
and if it does boot normally, that DIMM is good, so swap DIMM's,
and try again.

 

[jaf]

Hi Barb,
Shutdown the computer.
Unplug both memory modules and plug them in again.
Sometimes they are not fully seated.

John

 

[Jim]

Are they in the right "slots" ?

I did not. When I went into Windows Update, for some reason this update
never successfully installed. Microsoft was contacted for support and after
a 5 hour execution of the System Update Readiness Tool I now have SP1. This
updated the
memory in Control Panel>System to 1.00 GB so I am still "missing" 1.00 GB.

I will also answer the other poster's question.

Thanks to you both.

 

[Ian D]

The BIOS doesn't see the full 2GB, which indicates a hardware
problem.

Check to ensure both SODIMMs are seated properly. If they are
you could have a defective SODIMM. Remove one of the DIMMs,
and reboot. If the laptop doesn't boot, the installed DIMM is bad,
and if it does boot normally, that DIMM is good, so swap DIMM's,
and try again.

I forgot to add; use the same DIMM socket for the above tests. If
both DIMMs work, try the other socket. If the other socket doesn't
work, it may have been damaged during your RAM upgrade.