Tech Help Windows Not Recognizing 4GB

[SilkyJohnson]

So I have Windows XP Professional on my home computer and I have 4 X 1GB sticks, they've all been tested and work fine. Windows will not recognize more than 2 GB, I have tried all sorts of combinations so I know they all are good.

Can anyone tell me what the hell is going on? Is it Windows, my motherboard (which has a 4GB limit)?

Any suggestions??

[Lane]

It's Windows. You need the 64-bit version of windows to get it all recognized.

32-bit windows recognizes up to 4gb, but that includes all kinds of memory you have on the system, like video card memory, and cache etc... You could get up to around 3gb of ram recognized usually. With beefy video cards, your limit is even less.

Same goes for Vista 32-bit. That also has the same limit. You would need 64bit version for that too.

[jonesonyou]

Good to know!

[SilkyJohnson]

It's Windows. You need the 64-bit version of windows to get it all recognized.

32-bit windows recognizes up to 4gb, but that includes all kinds of memory you have on the system, like video card memory, and cache etc... You could get up to around 3gb of ram recognized usually. With beefy video cards, your limit is even less.

Same goes for Vista 32-bit. That also has the same limit. You would need 64bit version for that too.

So if my dual video cards are a combined 256 MB and I have 4 Gig sticks in there shouldn't it recognize at least the 3 Gigs? Or would I have to get 2 512MB sticks to get it to recognize?

Also, a friend of mine said that maybe messing with the Bios could get it to recognize the 4 GBs...is there any truth to that?

[Lane]

It's something about setting up the /3gb switch in your boot.ini file

I haven't done it before, so I can only suggest googling it.

(edit: i found a link, which might help -> http://www.gehrytechnologies.com/cat...rge_memory.htm)

[SilkyJohnson]

Thanks...now let me ask you this:

Is there any reason I would need 4GB instead of the 2GB? Will any programs run faster/smoother with 4?

[g$$$]

buy a mac......think differently!

[Juicy D. Links]

Thanks...now let me ask you this:

Is there any reason I would need 4GB instead of the 2GB? Will any programs run faster/smoother with 4?

heavy multi tasking/video editting/anything else that gobbles memeory

[dodger21]

It's something about setting up the /3gb switch in your boot.ini file

I haven't done it before, so I can only suggest googling it.

(edit: i found a link, which might help -> http://www.gehrytechnologies.com/cat...rge_memory.htm)

Nope. the 32 bit version of XP wont recognize more than 3gb but wont use more than 2.

[SilkyJohnson]

buy a mac......think differently!

Fuck Macs!!

[SilkyJohnson]

heavy multi tasking/video editting/anything else that gobbles memeory

I think I'm good with 2GB then, I'm never running more than 3ds Max, Photoshop, and Illustrator at the same time and that's even rare. Usually it's IE and Battlefield 2 or 2142!

[SilkyJohnson]

Thanks for the helpful Tech Talk everybody!

[Juicy D. Links]

I think I'm good with 2GB then, I'm never running more than 3ds Max, Photoshop, and Illustrator at the same time and that's even rare. Usually it's IE and Battlefield 2 or 2142!

2 gigs should be enough , add some beefy fast RPM's HD's and youll be fine

[GatorB]

buy a mac......think differently!

Fuck off with that shit.

[Barefootsies]

Could be a BIOS problem with MOBO.

I had this same issue on my Lan Party board.

[GatorB]

Could be a BIOS problem with MOBO.

I had this same issue on my Lan Party board.

32-bit computers will not recognize 4 GB of ram. It will recognize 2.75-3.5 GB depending on the mobo chipset and BIOS