from 32 ram to under 4? wtf!

goz83

I built a pc in july and put 32gb of ram into it. I recently noticed that it wasn't performing. I first noticed it after an unexpected windows 7 crash, but it may have been slow before this. I can see on the system that I have 32gb of ram, but in brackets, it says 3.46 GB usable. Thats a huge difference. I only use the pc for browsing and some website building.

rolion

3.46 might be for dynamic shared video graphics !?
Check the task manager.

32-bit Windows?

tnegun

Karsini wrote: »

32-bit Windows?

Yup definitely sounds like s 32 bit O/s

goz83

Karsini wrote: »

32-bit Windows?

yes. Thats right. I need the 64 version? I spent an hour talking with Microsoft and this wasnt mentioned.

What is the easiest way to do this? I would actually like to have windows on my 250gb ssd instead of the 120gb ssd, so maybe this is a good time to do that. I have read that the same key can be used to move from 32 to 64 bit.

gctest50

there is no upgrade path from 32 bit to 64 bit afaik

so you need to get 64 bit windows and do a clean reinstall

back up your stuff on something totally separate if possible ( make sure the backup actually works, and unplug it before you start )

get a disc image here :

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

you can use this to put the disc image on a USB stick :

( it will delete everything on the USB stick )

https://rufus.akeo.ie

,

rraido

Just did the same myself about a month ago. Upgraded ram from 3 to 11gb. Had to do a complete re-install of Windows and you can use the same product key.

gctest50

you can use this to display your current Windows key


http://sourceforge.net/projects/ekeyfinder/files/v0.1%20Beta/EKeyfinder_v0.1beta7_win32.zip/download

ED E

More money than....ahem...


Clean install 64bit then run memtest for 5hrs to make sure its stable.

goz83

What a pain in the ballzack :mad:

Well now i know why the performance has been lagging at times. I have only a few programs on the C drive, so it shouldn't be a big deal. All my work and personal files are stored on other drives. I will get it sorted next week. can't deal with it now.


A bit crappy that I spent over an hour chatting to not one, not two, but THREE microsoft tech people, two of which were granted remote control of my system. None of them spotted the 32bit version, which was left open on the desktop on the system tab. I didn't know the difference between 32 and 64 bit, but I do know I originally had 64 bit until there was a big mess up when upgrading and trying to downgrade from W10. 32 bit version must have been selected in error when reuploading windows.

mordeith

goz83 wrote: »

Well now i know why the performance has been lagging at times.

goz83 wrote: »

I only use the pc for browsing and some website building.

Out of curiosity, what programs are you running? Even if you had only 4GB of usable RAM, it shouldn't have an issue running what you suggest in your initial post?

goz83

mordeith wrote: »

Out of curiosity, what programs are you running? Even if you had only 4GB of usable RAM, it shouldn't have an issue running what you suggest in your initial post?

Most of the time I would have about 20 tabs open between IE & Chrome. Aside from that, I will have my web building program open and maybe a photo editor at times. It lags if I am opening one website build when another is still open. Sometimes, there will be three websites open in the program.

I have norton 360 running in the background and i don't know what else.

To be honest, Norton 360 is probably part of your problem. Horrible bloated software.

goz83

Karsini wrote: »

To be honest, Norton 360 is probably part of your problem. Horrible bloated software.

Yeah, but not if the full 32gb is available to me. I'm burning the W7 image to disc now and will get it sorted during the week. I've been wanting to move the OS to the larger SSD anyway, so it's just a kick up the butt really. I was worried it might be damaged ram, so this is not so bad.

tnegun

Would you not go to Windows 10? It's a free upgrade and light years ahead on Win7 and you can install from usb easy enough.

Cuddlesworth

goz83 wrote: »

Yeah, but not if the full 32gb is available to me. I'm burning the W7 image to disc now and will get it sorted during the week. I've been wanting to move the OS to the larger SSD anyway, so it's just a kick up the butt really. I was worried it might be damaged ram, so this is not so bad.

Nope, still horrible bloated software. You can't polish a turd.

mordeith

goz83 wrote: »

Yeah, but not if the full 32gb is available to me.

Might be an issue if you don't have 64bit version of Norton maybe?

goz83

can i upgrade to the 64bit W10 without any trouble?

nvm. i know i need to do a clean install.

yoyo

You have to do a clean install going from 32bit to 64bit, no way around it! Even upgrading to Windows 10 you will only go to 32bit version of 10

Nick

TerrorFirmer

The fact you put 32GB of ram into a machine in July and only recently found it was a bit slow says a lot!

8GB is more than enough for your uses, 32GB seems obscene....

goz83

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

The fact you put 32GB of ram into a machine in July and only recently found it was a bit slow says a lot!

8GB is more than enough for your uses, 32GB seems obscene....

That's a lot of assumption.

I originally had the system set up with a master W7 key. I recently upgraded to W10 and hated it. I then dialled it back to W7 and that's when I ran into an issue a couple of weeks back. Eventually, I bought a genuine W7 key and by mistake, I must have clicked the 32 bit install.

I had noticed lagging performance, but it wasn't causing an issue for me, so I just ignored it until the other day, when I checked the system ram. I knew 32gb was overkill, but lets just say I wanted it for future proofing. I wanted the best build I could afford and that's what I got. And sure, why not? I know the system is sorted for a long time. If I want it for gaming, I only need to upgrade the GPU.

So I have now done a clean install of W7 Ultimate and I put it onto the 250gb ssd. Pretty much everything is back in place, so I'm all good now. Thanks all for the help.

Skerries

goz83 wrote: »

Eventually, I bought a genuine W7 key and by mistake, I must have clicked the 32 bit install.

generally there's not an option for installing either W32 or W64, the installation is usually one or the other so you might have bought a W32 version key?

unkel

goz83 wrote: »

Eventually, I bought a genuine W7 key.

goz83 wrote: »

I have now done a clean install of W7 Ultimate

You bought a genuine key of W7 Ultimate? Where did you buy it and how much did it cost you if you don't mind me asking?

RoyalMarine

unkel wrote: »

You bought a genuine key of W7 Ultimate? Where did you buy it and how much did it cost you if you don't mind me asking?

not sure if relevant, but you can get them on reddit for 24 euro.
Bought Windows 7 x64 Ultimate myself a few weeks back.

https://www.reddit.com/r/microsoftsoftwareswap/

unkel

Reddit licenses are not genuine though. They might work and they might activate your installation. But you would not have a valid license.

degsie

unkel wrote: »

Reddit licenses are not genuine though. They might work and they might activate your installation. But you would not have a valid license.

Invalid licence = non activation, no?

unkel

No, the keys are mostly valid. So the installation will activate.

The keys typically are ones that students / start up companies got for free from Microsoft. It is illegal to sell them (violates the T&C that you sign up to when getting them) and if you buy one of these from a reddit reseller, you are not buying a genuine license (just a working key)

RoyalMarine

worked fine to upgrade to Windows 10

unkel

RoyalMarine wrote: »

worked fine to upgrade to Windows 10

Sure. But if you're going to use a non genuine license, why pay someone €24 for it?

ED E

Guys why not take this to one the many threads already on the topic.

TLDR They're real keys, but you're breaking the terms of the licence and they may not work forever.

TerrorFirmer

From experience they're a major gamble, I've had a load stop working and several 'trusted' sellers who were recommended on boards do a runner. I would never recommend a Reddit key to someone on Building and Upgrading.

Robert ninja

goz83 wrote: »

Yeah, but not if the full 32gb is available to me.

RAM is not the only resource modern anti virus take up and it is also not the only bottleneck for performance. Modern anti-virus are more like a virus themselves. Hog performance, scan your system without warning, read/transmit private information and are difficult to uninstall or even close... plus they sometimes install toolbars n' such during setup.

I'd recommend you get rid of it completely. MSE + common sense is all you need.

GreenWolfe

Robert ninja wrote: »

RAM is not the only resource modern anti virus take up and it is also not the only bottleneck for performance. Modern anti-virus are more like a virus themselves. Hog performance, scan your system without warning, read/transmit private information and are difficult to uninstall or even close... plus they sometimes install toolbars n' such during setup.

I'd recommend you get rid of it completely. MSE + common sense is all you need.

There's a big difference between an application that needs wide-ranging system access to do its job and straight-up malware, i.e. the nature of the application being run.

MSE might be OK if you maintain your computer regularly and thoroughly, but I am quite concerned that its detection capabilities just aren't good enough anymore.

For example: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/microsoft-bombs-antivirus-tests,news-20703.html

Robert ninja

GreenWolfe wrote: »

There's a big difference between an application that needs wide-ranging system access to do its job and straight-up malware, i.e. the nature of the application being run.

If the symptoms are the same then to me there is no difference. Anti-virus solutions don't make my system more secure. If it's performance you're worried about then they're a hog and you're better off without and if it's protection for your data then they themselves are gathering data, are closed source and have commercial licenses... exactly the opposite of the kind of stuff you want in a computer with sensitive data.

The only time I can imagine them being useful is in a business environment where every machine has a Windows installation so as to keep one user from ruining the whole network for everyone else with something they've downloaded. At that point you're probably using payed solutions.

GreenWolfe wrote: »

MSE might be OK if you maintain your computer regularly and thoroughly, but I am quite concerned that its detection capabilities just aren't good enough anymore.

This is true, and every few months or so I do a virus scan just to be safe but promptly remove the software once I'm done with it because there's very few options for shutting it down or having it open only when you want to scan. Just like I said, hard to close and uninstall. They immediately set themselves to auto run on boot, sometimes across multiple accounts.

Snowbat

tnegun wrote: »

Yup definitely sounds like s 32 bit O/s

No, it sounds like most (but not all) 32-bit editions of Windows.

IA-32 versions of Linux, the BSDs, OS X, Solaris, Haiku, and the Enterprise/Datacenter versions of Windows support PAE.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

yoyo

unkel wrote: »

No, the keys are mostly valid. So the installation will activate.

The keys typically are ones that students / start up companies got for free from Microsoft. It is illegal to sell them (violates the T&C that you sign up to when getting them) and if you buy one of these from a reddit reseller, you are not buying a genuine license (just a working key)

They are mostly MSDN keys resold. Unless a seller will ship or even scan a copy of the key on the certificate it's probably this

Nick

unkel

yoyo wrote: »

They are mostly MSDN keys resold. Unless a seller will ship or even scan a copy of the key on the certificate it's probably this

They used to be mostly MSDN a few years ago but from what I gather most are Dreamspark / Bizspark now

goz83

Yes, it was a key i got from a reddit reseller, who seems to have been around for a while, so i first got the ms office key and then the windows key after i dialled back to W7 and the os needed activation.

Just on the anti virus; not everyone is competent enough to spot, or remove malware, or viruses. Ive used norton for years and so far it has managed to help keep my system free (afaik) of viruses and malware. I may have managed to build the computer, but to be honest, i mostly stumbled through the process and got the shopping list and help right here on boards. Keeping it virus free is something i rely on norton to do.

mordeith

goz83 wrote: »

. Keeping it virus free is something i rely on norton to do.

To be honest, that sentiment is what gets most people infected in the first place. AV software is of course important, but none are fool proof. Good browsing practice and vigilance need to be used in conjunction with your AV to keep your PC free of viruses, malware etc.