Access over 4 Gigs of Ram for 32 bit Vista and Windows 7
Have a Graphics client who would like to install and utilize more RAM.
How can I get the machines to access more than 4 gigs?
Cjoego
How can I get the machines to access more than 4 gigs?
Cjoego
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Alright Then,
Let me put it in the Politically Correct format to make you Happy:
Is there a Switch, Registry Edit or clever configuration that will allow this to happen?
Cjoego
Let me put it in the Politically Correct format to make you Happy:
Is there a Switch, Registry Edit or clever configuration that will allow this to happen?
Cjoego
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
I guess that's the way it is.
Question closed, I know--
But comment ID: 26451452 & ID: 26451879 only are the true answers to your question....
Think of it as asking, is it possible to fit 2.5GB of Data on a 2GB USB key..
Simply as in the decimal system, there are only 10 digits 0 to 9 & if you want to address 11, then you will have to address it with 2 digits, as there is no way of addressing 11 with a single digit in the Decimal system. So 4 GB is a limitation of a 32bit Archtecture and there is no way out of it.
Computers can't address a memory space of 4GB with 32-bit architecture as there is no memory address left left to use. The next address you try to use will be a repeat of some address already used causing a failure of the entire design.
Ravi.
But comment ID: 26451452 & ID: 26451879 only are the true answers to your question....
Think of it as asking, is it possible to fit 2.5GB of Data on a 2GB USB key..
Simply as in the decimal system, there are only 10 digits 0 to 9 & if you want to address 11, then you will have to address it with 2 digits, as there is no way of addressing 11 with a single digit in the Decimal system. So 4 GB is a limitation of a 32bit Archtecture and there is no way out of it.
Computers can't address a memory space of 4GB with 32-bit architecture as there is no memory address left left to use. The next address you try to use will be a repeat of some address already used causing a failure of the entire design.
Ravi.
From a purely technical standpoint there is no reason why a 32 bit OS could not access as much as 64GB of RAM. Many server systems are doing just that.
32 bit processors are referred to as such because of the 32 bit virtual address space. But this is completely independent of the physical address space which is 36 bits on most processors. This allows for the addressing of up to 64GB of RAM. This is done in server systems by the use of the PAE kernel. Contrary to many uninformed sources this is not a hack. It simply adds a third level of address translation. 64 bit systems always use 4 level translation, even with less than 4GB of RAM.
Unfortunately, during early testing Microsoft discovered that many popular device drivers caused data corruption and crashes when used with more than 4GB of RAM. These drivers improperly assumed that the physical address space would never exceed 4GB. This was in spite of the fact that the relevant guidelines had been in place since the release of NT 3.1 in 1992. Many of these drivers were for older devices and would never be updated. Because of the widespread nature of the problem Microsoft decided that client systems would be limited to no more than 4GB of RAM. And since the 4GB address space had to be shared with memory mapped hardware devices the total addressable RAM would
be even less.
32 bit client versions of Windows are hard coded to ignore any RAM above the 4GB mark. This could only be circumvented by the use of a modified kernel. Since access to Windows source code is strictly controlled the creation of such a kernel would be very difficult, and contrary to licensing restrictions.
The situation regarding servers is quite different. Here the need for large amounts of RAM is more important and these systems are managed by people why could be expected to install only compatible devices.
To access more than 4GB RAM in a client OS you must use a 64 bit OS.
32 bit processors are referred to as such because of the 32 bit virtual address space. But this is completely independent of the physical address space which is 36 bits on most processors. This allows for the addressing of up to 64GB of RAM. This is done in server systems by the use of the PAE kernel. Contrary to many uninformed sources this is not a hack. It simply adds a third level of address translation. 64 bit systems always use 4 level translation, even with less than 4GB of RAM.
Unfortunately, during early testing Microsoft discovered that many popular device drivers caused data corruption and crashes when used with more than 4GB of RAM. These drivers improperly assumed that the physical address space would never exceed 4GB. This was in spite of the fact that the relevant guidelines had been in place since the release of NT 3.1 in 1992. Many of these drivers were for older devices and would never be updated. Because of the widespread nature of the problem Microsoft decided that client systems would be limited to no more than 4GB of RAM. And since the 4GB address space had to be shared with memory mapped hardware devices the total addressable RAM would
be even less.
32 bit client versions of Windows are hard coded to ignore any RAM above the 4GB mark. This could only be circumvented by the use of a modified kernel. Since access to Windows source code is strictly controlled the creation of such a kernel would be very difficult, and contrary to licensing restrictions.
The situation regarding servers is quite different. Here the need for large amounts of RAM is more important and these systems are managed by people why could be expected to install only compatible devices.
To access more than 4GB RAM in a client OS you must use a 64 bit OS.
ASKER
that will allow me to do this?
Cjoego