Only 3.2GB memory showing in Vista..

MagicalTrevor · 31 Oct 2007 at 13:13

Its not a problem with Vista as I had 4GB running straight out the box on Vista64... without any updates installed.

Yellowbeard · 31 Oct 2007 at 13:36

MagicalTrevor said:
Its not a problem with Vista as I had 4GB running straight out the box on Vista64... without any updates installed.

You may simply have a newer image that has this patch included. However, this should resolve his issue and has been a very common problem.

RaiderX · 31 Oct 2007 at 14:13

vista 64-bit supports upto 128GB ram out of the box, if its not showing all the memory then its something to do with the motherboard bios.

Yellowbeard · 31 Oct 2007 at 14:33

RaiderX said:
vista 64-bit supports upto 128GB ram out of the box, if its not showing all the memory then its something to do with the motherboard bios.

This patch may or may not solve the problem here but it is a known issue. The same symptoms can occur during or after install. It appears with "some" versions of Vista 64 bit OSs and also reacts differently with some chipsets:

Patch: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929777

http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1292561&SiteID=17

http://brianleejackson.com/2007/10/21/vista-and-4gb-ram/

http://blogs.orcsweb.com/peter/archive/2007/09/06/vista-64-bit-with-4gb-ram-boot-issues.aspx

There are hundreds more posts like this if you care to Google. Many users had to do a clean install with 2gb, install the patch, power off and install the other 2gb, then all is well.

Street · 31 Oct 2007 at 15:06

Well we tried the patch, but it said it wasn't applicable to his system.. Might have already been install.

I might just get him to do an install with 2GB and then stick the other 2GB in later.. Worth a try anyway.

Cheers for the help!

TheMightyTen · 31 Oct 2007 at 16:05

Street said:
Well we tried the patch, but it said it wasn't applicable to his system.. Might have already been install.

I might just get him to do an install with 2GB and then stick the other 2GB in later.. Worth a try anyway.

Cheers for the help!

Did you definitely download the right KB929777, There's a 32 bit version and a 64 bit version?

Street · 31 Oct 2007 at 18:58

Yeh I made that mistake the first time, and made sure I got the right one the second time.. Said the patch wasn't applicable or something along those lines. :confused:

SixDemons · 31 Oct 2007 at 21:14

Definitely sound like motherboard bios problem... If the option memory remap isnt there, then im sorry to say it mate, but your MB cant support 4gb...
a friend of mine has the same problem on his abit p945 elcheapo... the memory mapping simply isnt there... try with the same memorys on a friends motherboad with vistax64...

Yellowbeard · 31 Oct 2007 at 21:33

Definitely sound like motherboard bios problem... If the option memory remap isnt there, then im sorry to say it mate, but your MB cant support 4gb...

Street said:
If I go into the BIOS, the board picks up 4096MB in the sysem info part so I assume its all there..

The board/bios detects 4096mb.

Street · 31 Oct 2007 at 22:44

Hes going to format and reinstall with 2gigs in, then patch it and stick the other 2 in.. Hopefully that will sort the problem!

mrk · 1 Nov 2007 at 00:00

There's an option called "memory remap" in the BIOS - this enables or disables support for +4GB ram on a 64bit OS - might be worth a check!

Street · 1 Nov 2007 at 00:21

mrk said:
There's an option called "memory remap" in the BIOS - this enables or disables support for +4GB ram on a 64bit OS - might be worth a check!

I've already checked for that with no such luck.. The Dell BIOS is extremely restricted!

mrk · 1 Nov 2007 at 00:22

mmm :/

Yellowbeard · 1 Nov 2007 at 17:16

I don't think you need to worry with memory remapping since your bios is already detecting 4gb. Just curious, what chipset is the MOBO built on?

SixDemons · 1 Nov 2007 at 20:10

Yellowbeard said:
I don't think you need to worry with memory remapping since your bios is already detecting 4gb. Just curious, what chipset is the MOBO built on?

When I install the 4gbs my mobo show the 4gigs... but windows only 2gigs with memory remapping off... memory remaping on solve all things...

Yellowbeard · 1 Nov 2007 at 20:16

SixDemons said:
When I install the 4gbs my mobo show the 4gigs... but windows only 2gigs with memory remapping off... memory remaping on solve all things...

That's great on a 965 chipset with that option in the bios. However, this user has already posted that he does not have that option so it's not a viable suggestion in this thread. We also don't know what chipset he has.

It's funny how many times the posts here in this specific thread contradict facts already given. The OP has edited to post all the facts and the suggestions are still OT.

Street · 1 Nov 2007 at 21:48

The motherboard is a Foxconn G33M02. On the Foxconn website they have the G33M listed but not the G33M02. The chipset is an Intel G33 + ICH9.

Not sure whether to get him to flash the board with the BIOS for the G33M off the Foxconn website..

Yellowbeard said:
It's funny how many times the posts here in this specific thread contradict facts already given. The OP has edited to post all the facts and the suggestions are still OT.

Always makes me laugh when people don't read threads.

Yellowbeard · 2 Nov 2007 at 01:37

Well, I can assure that the capabilities of the chipset are not the issue:

Intel G33 Chipset

robbi187 · 2 Nov 2007 at 10:21

Thought i'd pop my head in as it's my PC thats in question.

Think the Re-install with 2gb is the way to go.

We'll see :confused:

Street · 2 Nov 2007 at 10:59

Hopefully that will sort it.. Otherwise I'm stumped!