Got 4gb ram windows only shows 2gb?

Hi guys im a bit confused a got 4gb ram on my pc but windows vista only shows
it as 2gb, does this mean my computers only using 2gb ram because im doing
high render animations and i need the full potentional of the 4gb.
I have an xps 730 ?

Maybe the following links will offer some ideas:

(929605) The system memory that is reported
in the System Information dialog box in Windows
Vista is less than you expect if 4 GB of RAM is installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605/en-us

(964003) Windows Vista SP1 will report
4 GB of system memory (RAM) on systems
that have 4 GB of memory installed
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946003/

(888137) The amount of RAM reported by the
System Properties dialog box and the System
Information tool is less than you expect after you
install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888137/en-us

(929580) Windows Vista or Windows Server
2003 may report less memory than you expect
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929580/en-us

Have you installed SP1? That corrects a mis-shown RAM figure. Having said
that, unless you have 64 bit, which you omitted to say, Vista will only use
about 3.5 GB of your 4GB RAM....

Try going into the computer BIOS. Does it report 2048MB or 4096MB
memory installed? If the former, then the hardware only supports up to
2GB. If the latter, then you need to contact Dell support.

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 04:34:02 -0700, Susie
<Susie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi guys im a bit confused a got 4gb ram


Are you sure? How do you know? It's possible that you ordered it with
4GB, but it came with 2GB.


> on my pc but windows vista only shows
> it as 2gb,


Where are you seeing this? What does the BIOS say?


> does this mean my computers only using 2gb ram because im doing
> high render animations and i need the full potentional of the 4gb.
> I have an xps 730 ?


--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Hi Susie,

Firstly, what amount of installed RAM is your BIOS actually reporting? If it
only says 2GB rather than 4GB then this would explain things. If it does show
4GB then you need to check your system configuration settings. Click the
start orb and type 'msconfig' into the search box and press enter/return.
After providing administrative credentials, the 'System Configuration'
dialogue will appear. Select the 'Boot' tab and click 'Advanced options...'.
This should open the 'BOOT Advanced Options' dialogue panel. One of the
options here is 'Maximum memory:' and you should ensure that the checkbox is
clear (unticked). Click 'OK' twice to close the dialogue boxes and a pop-up
will appear saying "You may need to restart your computer to apply these
changes...". Click 'Restart'. When your PC has restarted, it should report
the correct amount of RAM. Note that if you haven't already installed SP1
(links to the 5 language standalone versions below - select 32-bit or 64-bit
as appropriate) then you should do so as it corrects a bug which causes Vista
to show the incorrect amount of RAM.
Dwarf

32-bit
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

64-bit
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

The correction is more of a "fudge", run msinfo32, this will tell you how
much memory you have and how much memory the system is using. You'll never
use the whole 4GB unless you load a 64 bit version of Vista. If you have a
32 bit version of Vista right now your serial number will also work on the
64 bit version.

Hey guys! I've got the same problem as Susie!
Got 4Gb ram installed and windows vista Ultimate 32 is showing only 2048Mb!!
the bios displays the 4Gn ram correctly.

I've got SP1 installed but still nothing. On my old system it used to
display at least 3Gb which I was told was the maximum windows 32bit will
support!

Any ideas?

Vista 32 (and XP 32) has a 32bit address space, that comes out to 4GB.
Some of that space must be used to access video RAM, the BIOS, etc.
What's left over is used for system RAM. See
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html

Still, 2GB is unusually low. Do you have multiple, fancy video
adapters with lots of onboard RAM? Something must be using that
address space!

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(Shell/User)
Slattery_T@bls.gov
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

this is simple your mother board is rejecting it its obvikopusly too much for it to handle just get new mother board, what is your spec?