Lord, if you're listening......HELP!

1469 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Kalim, Jan 5, 2007

OLDWISEUNCLE

Discussion Starter · Jan 5, 2007

OK, check it out.................

My PC is expandable to 4 GB RAM, and I would like to do that (yea, I'm greedy).

Anyway, I can't get the system to recognize the last 2 GB of installed RAM. (Yes, all the sticks are PC3200 and compatible w/ my rig).

With all 4 Gig sticks installed, the system recognizes 2.5 GB. I have been doing some research and I think I have narrowed the problem down to either the BIOS or Windows XP MCE. I tried to alter the boot.ini file in windows to allow the full 4 Gigs, but it will not allow me to set it higher than 2 GB.

Everything that I have read seems to indicate something w/ the OS holding me back.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

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cjessee

· #2 · Jan 5, 2007

During the computer boot process, the BIOS should show you how much RAM you have installed, possibly when it is doing its memory test. If not, go into setup and it should give you a readout. What amount of RAM is the BIOS reporting?

Can you also post the mainboard that you have?

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OLDWISEUNCLE

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 5, 2007

My MB is a Microstar 7184

- Per my dxdiag run, my PC detects 4096M total mem, but is only utilizing the 2.5G.

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cjessee

· #4 · Jan 5, 2007

Try the suggestion here:

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

I imagine you are right clicking on my computer to see how much memory you have.

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cjessee

· #5 · Jan 5, 2007

Check this out as well:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888137/en-us

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TheMatt

· #6 · Jan 5, 2007

I would doubt that Windows would use all your 4 GB of RAM, and am surprised that it is using 2.5 GB. As long as Windows detects it and your BIOS does so as well, you are all set.

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Kalim

· #7 · Jan 5, 2007

4GB RAM is too much and you will hardly ever use it unless you be a very high end demanding user multitasking frenetically. :grin: And I am very surprised that you r system is using up 2.5GB RAM and if it isn't needing any more, then it wouldn't use it - so if BIOS and System Information in Control panel show 4GB RAM, then you have nothing to worry about.

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