Which system? Your opinion please (or, Floppy installs Vista Blog)

[floppybootstomp]

Floppybootstomp

How are you going to have 4GB of ram showing in Vista 32bit?

Have I made a boo-boo here then?

Come on, somebody tell me, lol, I can take it

I was under the impression either version of Vista would recognise 4Gb memory - wrong?

If so I have misread information.

 

[muckshifter]

I repeat ... myself once again

Floppybootstomp

How are you going to have 4GB of ram showing in Vista 32bit?

By insuring he follows these rules ...

The chipset must support at least 8 GB of address space.

Chipsets that have this capability include the following:
Intel 975X
Intel P965
Intel 955X on Socket 775

Chipsets that support AMD processors that use socket F, socket 940, socket 939, or socket AM2. These chipsets include any AMD socket and CPU combination in which the memory controller resides in the CPU.

The CPU must support the x64 instruction set. The AMD64 CPU and the Intel EM64T CPU support this instruction set.

The BIOS must support the memory remapping feature. The memory remapping feature allows for the segment of system memory that was previously overwritten by the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) configuration space to be remapped above the 4 GB address line. This feature must be enabled in the BIOS configuration utility on the computer. View your computer product documentation for instructions that explain how to enable this feature.

Many consumer-oriented computers may not support the memory remapping feature. No standard terminology is used in documentation or in BIOS configuration utilities for this feature. Therefore, you may have to read the descriptions of the various BIOS configuration settings that are available to determine whether any of the settings enable the memory remapping feature.

Simple, yes ...

 

[guest_9323wk]

So if I carried out these steps on my GA965P DQ6 would I be able to have 4gb of ram in Vista 32bit or not.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks Mucks, I was just reading that stuff myself at the MS site.

But look at the last part of this excerpt from MS:

For Windows Vista to use all 4 GB of memory on a computer that has 4 GB of memory installed, the computer must meet the following requirements: • The chipset must support at least 8 GB of address space. Chipsets that have this capability include the following:• Intel 975X
• Intel P965
• Intel 955X on Socket 775
• Chipsets that support AMD processors that use socket F, socket 940, socket 939, or socket AM2. These chipsets include any AMD socket and CPU combination in which the memory controller resides in the CPU.

• The CPU must support the x64 instruction set. The AMD64 CPU and the Intel EM64T CPU support this instruction set.
• The BIOS must support the memory remapping feature. The memory remapping feature allows for the segment of system memory that was previously overwritten by the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) configuration space to be remapped above the 4 GB address line. This feature must be enabled in the BIOS configuration utility on the computer. View your computer product documentation for instructions that explain how to enable this feature. Many consumer-oriented computers may not support the memory remapping feature. No standard terminology is used in documentation or in BIOS configuration utilities for this feature. Therefore, you may have to read the descriptions of the various BIOS configuration settings that are available to determine whether any of the settings enable the memory remapping feature.
• An x64 (64-bit) version of Windows Vista must be used.

So, am I not stuffed?

I do actually meet all the other requirements.

It says elsewhere (via Google) that any 32 bit version of Windows will only recognise 3.12Gb at most.

I guess we shall find out soon then.

 

[Anon_F]

Good luck.

 

[muckshifter]

slam in the ram baby ...

So if I carried out these steps on my GA965P DQ6 would I be able to have 4gb of ram in Vista 32bit or not.

You should be able to use 8Mb ... maybe, maybe not ... there are some other 'minor' factors that will/may come into play, such as the PCI configuration requirements.

 

[guest_9323wk]

you mean 8gb what minor factors will I have with the PCI configuration requirements?

 

[muckshifter]

I said it once before, actually I've said it quite a few times ...

32-bit versions of Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate: supports 4GB Ram

Now, what people do not understand is that should read ... Addressable Ram.


64-it Vista supports up-to 128GB Ram, depending on what version of 64Bit Vista is used.

 

[guest_9323wk]

Ok Mucks,


Thanks for letting me know I might try this on Vista.

Thanks Again for the help.

wizkid

 

[muckshifter]

This is primarily Floppys thread, so, forgive me if I only answer his questions.


I have several other post on this same subject ... though I can't find one.

Here is one 'link' many of you may not have found ...

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/aa366778.aspx

... bookmark it, as I have, and read at your leisure ... if you do not understand much of what you read, feel happy in the fact that Vista is quite good at handling 2GB of Ram.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Thanks for the replies and that link Mucks.

I'm having to delay my Vista installation as I've run into a problem with my second machine.

I swapped the Corsair memory from the AMD machine with the OCZ memory that was in the Intel machine (2 x 1Gb in each case).

Together with the new Corsair memory this then gives me 4 x 1Gb identical Corsair memory sticks.

When I put the OCZ RAM in the AMD machine, it threw up a lot of errors on boot. This situation deteriorated, through forced low graphics, countless errors mostly based around running applications, until it wouldn't boot at all.

I first tried a repair on Win XP which didn't help and then formatted drive C and went for a fresh installation, assuming that somehow Win XP had become corrupted. During the installation Win XP told me my hard disk had damaged sectors so I suspected a faulty hard disk.

I downloaded latest version of The Ultimate Boot Disk, made a CD from the ISO and ran a few tests.

Western Digital disk manager showed the disk was fine, both on quick and extended tests. I then wrote a string of 0's to it, effectively wiping the disk, using the WD tool.

Then I ran Memtest. Straight away, almost, I got 23 errors.

I then put 2Gb of the Corsair memory in, ran Memtest for an hour - no errors at all.

Next I tried one stick of OCZ memory at a time and with the first one fitted the machine refused to boot. A-ha.

At this moment Memtest has been running on the second stick of OCZ memory for around 30 minutes and has so far shown three errors.

So it looks like somehow I have two faulty 1Gb sticks of OCZ memory.

I'm wondering how could this happen just transferring them between two machines? The only logical explanation and one which, if true, I find really difficult to believe, is static. I must confess I did not ground myself before handling the memory, although all the Corsair stuff is still good.

I purchased the OCZ memory from E-Buyer in March 2007 so I'm just about to contact them with a view to an RMA.

This means, assuming I get the AMD machine up and running ok with a fresh install of XP, my Vista installation will not only be delayed but go ahead with just 2Gb of memory.

Strange how things twist and turn eh?

 

[Adywebb]

Bummer


What happens if you put the OCZ back into the Intel machine - does that then get problems?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Bummer


What happens if you put the OCZ back into the Intel machine - does that then get problems?

I really didn't want to risk that tbh.

OCZ memory is now on it's way back to E-Buyer anyway. Cost £5.25 inc a Jiffy Bag to return to E-Buyer registered Post. E-Buyer didn't request registered post but I like to make sure.

I have to say the automated RMA service was painless, we shall see how E-Buyer perform with replacement memory.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Well, the Win XP Pro installation is going ok so far, all chipset drivers, audigy 2 drivers installed, just about to d/l latest Video drivers and Antivir.

So that's a relief, it definitely appears to have been iffy RAM.

 

[floppybootstomp]

XP Install going well, just d/l & installing all MS updates which takes forever.......

I've gathered all the Vista drivers for the Asus P5B Deluxe motherboard but I can't find any facility on Asus' site to make a RAID driver floppy disk for Vista 32 Bit.

I still have the 32 Bit drivers on a floppy disk which I made from the motherboard CD and I hope they'll do.

There are drivers there for the JMicron RAID controller, that's for external disk RAID arrays but I have that disabled in the Bios.

I have just updated the Bios on the P5BDL to V.1226 so I think we're all set to go soon.

Lots of questions coming at me here though, wondering which things will work. I see Asus have made a version of PC Probe (temp & fan speed monitoring software) for Vista but not an Update facility for use within Windows, as they did with XP. Will the old version work?

Will I be able to get some software to remove all recently used applications? Screen grab software?

I wonder.

Whatever, I shall find out and let you all know. Assuming I can install this thing to my RAID 0 array that is.

 

[Abarbarian]

This is a neat Image Capture prog which I use and it says it works with Vista ,

http://www.faststone.org/FSCaptureDetail.htm

I've used this on 5 machines and it seems to work 100% ok , its only up to august 2007 but it can be updated . Saves an awful lot of time .

http://downloads.littlbuger.info/index.php?dlid=675

 

[guest_9323wk]

Flops,

Just to let you know that Ebuyer refound you costs for sending items back to them if they are faulty. I phoned up and ask them to refound the postage costs and they did.


wizkid

 

[muckshifter]

Last time I checked, Windows Vista does not need RAID drivers. It should auto-detect your RAID array, assuming it's properly configured in BIOS. If not, well, I'll take a leaf out of your book ... you tell me what RAID chip you gonna be using.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Flops,

Just to let you know that Ebuyer refound you costs for sending items back to them if they are faulty. I phoned up and ask them to refound the postage costs and they did.


wizkid

Groovy

OCUK always refunded my credit card for delivery costs without me asking them, we shall see how e-buyer perform. If they don't pay out I shall request a payment.

Abarbarian, thanks for that link, interesting, I actually remembered about Irfan after I posted, I shall try that cos it's a good little freebie program, does most of what I use Photoshop 7 for, actually. I have been using a freebie named Grabbit for about the last ten years, it has done me well.

Mucks, yes, RAID 0's all set up, running now with XP, when I upgraded the BIOS I actually lost it as all Bios settings went back to default

But I reset all and all is good. It's 2 x 74Gb Raptors and I have a Samsung 250Gb SATA II Drive in there as well.

It's an Intel chipset for the RAID array, I think it's number is ICH8 off the top of me nut.

 

[muckshifter]

OK, then Vista can "see" SATA RAID 5/10 on ICH8R/7R, SATA RAID 0/1 on ICH8M-E/8R/7MDH/7R/6R, AHCI on ICH8M/8M-E/R/7MDH/7M/7R/6R/6M, matrix RAID on ICH8R/7MDH/7R/6R

Just install Vista, if it baulks out, then we have some more work to do.