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RAM limit on XP

  • 10-09-2014 10:28pm
    #1
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭


    I'm aware that 32bit XP doesn't recognise above a certain amount of ram ( is it 3 or 4gb?)but what determines the exact amount it sees and shows? I have 4gb but its showing 2.66. The problem is, the program I'm looking to install only works right on XP and needs a min of 2.74GB. Is there any way to get it to show a bit more or is it luck of the draw on installation? Doing a bit of googling and plenty of people seem to be showing 2.99.


Comments

  • #2
    28064212
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,948 ✭✭✭✭28064212


    It's to do with your hardware, specifically your video card: Wikipedia link. You may be able to switch on PAE to make more RAM available, instructions here: http://www.ehow.com/how_6392410_enable-32-bit-windows-xp.html

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  • #3
    advertsfox
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭advertsfox


    It's not just XP, it's any 32-Bit version of Windows that has a limitation of how much RAM is usable (it's ~3.3GB).

    Updates are available in Vista onwards to display 4GB if 2 x 2GB or 1 x 4GB sticks are present (again though, only 3.3GB is usuable).

    The reason you are only seeing 2.66GB available is because your internal graphics card is allocated what looks to be about 512MB of RAM.

    This can be adjusted in the BIOS on most systems (128MB is more that enough for XP, even 64MB would be fine giving you over 3GB of RAM available).

    bios_select_gpu_memsize.jpg

    If you are trying to install software that need's that much RAM on XP, you are going to have a bad time. Is it Photoshop or AutoCAD?


  • #4
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Nothing fancy like that. It's car diagnostic software. I'm highly sceptical that it needs anything near 2.7 gb, but it won't let you past the system checks on install.

    I'll check in the bios later when I'm home but it looked fairly sparse In there option wise when I was installing xp

    The system is a lenovo q190.


    Edit: meant to say I have PAE enabled already but it hasn't helped.


  • #5
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,857 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    https://support.microsoft.com/kb/833721
    /3GB
    This switch forces x86-based systems to allocate 3 GB of virtual address space to programs and 1 GB to the kernel and to executive components. A program must be designed to take advantage of the additional memory address space. With this switch, user mode programs can access 3 GB of memory instead of the usual 2 GB that Windows allocates to user mode programs. The switch moves the starting point of kernel memory to 3 GB.


  • #6
    colossus-x
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,202 ✭✭✭colossus-x


    Microsoft advised me I could use no more than this much in my XP setup...http://wovember.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/09-fine-manx-ram.jpg


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