Vista and Memory

  • Thread starter Thread starter Elizabeth
  • Start date Start date
E

Elizabeth

Will the 32 bit versions of Vista see/use the 4GB of RAM on my Dell XPS/410
(dual core E6700) ?

If not, how likely is is that I will find the drivers I need for 64 bit
Vista editions; when I installed the 64 bit version of XP it was a disaster
as far as finding drivers ... and immediately went back to XP/Pro 32 bit
.....

TIA

E
 
Hi Elizabeth,

See? No, it's a limitation of 32-bit addressing.

Use? Yes

Drivers for x64? You'd have to ask Dell. All drivers *must* be signed in
x64, you can't force others. If Dell cannot/will not provide them, check
with the device manufacturer. Frankly, unless you're using software that can
take advantage of x64, stick with the 32 bit version for now.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
Will the 32 bit versions of Vista see/use the 4GB of RAM on my Dell XPS/410
(dual core E6700) ?
Click to expand...

It will be just like XP. Although the system uses the full 4GB, only
about 3.5GB are available to the user.
If not, how likely is is that I will find the drivers I need for 64 bit
Vista editions; when I installed the 64 bit version of XP it was a disaster
as far as finding drivers ... and immediately went back to XP/Pro 32 bit
....
Click to expand...

Why not search for the drivers you might need now? Unless you listed
every hardware component, there's not really a way for anyone to tell you.
It's getting better with the 64bit drivers, but their coverage is not even
close to 32bit XP.
 
Rick Rogers said:
Hi Elizabeth,
Click to expand...
See? No, it's a limitation of 32-bit addressing.
Click to expand...

I don't get this ... 2^32 = 4,294,967,296 ... why the address limitation ?
Use? Yes
Click to expand...

ok ... so how does it use it ?
Drivers for x64? You'd have to ask Dell. All drivers *must* be signed in
x64, you can't force others. If Dell cannot/will not provide them, check
with the device manufacturer. Frankly, unless you're using software that
can take advantage of x64, stick with the 32 bit version for now.
Click to expand...

Guess I don't understand why I wouldn't want my 32 bit software to use the
memory even if it doesn't specifically take advantage of the 64 bit
instructions, registers, etc .. ??

Doesn't Dell provide what the device makers give them ??

Dell drives me nuts; they told me SPECIFICALLY that ALL versions of XP Pro
could address the entire 4GB ...

Thanks ....

E


--
 
Will the 32 bit versions of Vista see/use the 4GB of RAM on my Dell
XPS/410 (dual core E6700) ?

If not, how likely is is that I will find the drivers I need for 64 bit
Vista editions; when I installed the 64 bit version of XP it was a
disaster as far as finding drivers ... and immediately went back to XP/Pro
32 bit
Click to expand...

Look through previous posts about this. It has been discussed many times.
 
Hi Elizabeth,
I don't get this ... 2^32 = 4,294,967,296 ... why the address limitation ?


ok ... so how does it use it ?
Click to expand...

Some of the addresses are reserved by the hardware, so they can't be
assigned to memory, but they can be remapped and still used. Read up here,
about halfway down the page:
http://help.lockergnome.com/vista/Vista-32bit-recognize-memory-ftopict22482.html
Guess I don't understand why I wouldn't want my 32 bit software to use the
memory even if it doesn't specifically take advantage of the 64 bit
instructions, registers, etc .. ??
Click to expand...

The 32 bit version will still take advantage of the memory access up to 4GB,
but the application will run at the same speed in x86 or x64 if it cannot
take advantage of the processor enhancements. Installed on x64, it will run
in 32-bit mode.
Doesn't Dell provide what the device makers give them ??
Click to expand...

Yes, but they don't always get and modify all the drivers made available to
them, and then in turn make these available to the user. Sometimes it's due
to conflicts that develop, sometimes they just choose not to. Dell, like
many manufacturers, sells their systems with the intent that they not be
modified by the user other than adding peripherals. In fact, many of their
support agreements are predicated on the stipulation that you do not upgrade
any components or the operating system.
Dell drives me nuts; they told me SPECIFICALLY that ALL versions of XP
Pro could address the entire 4GB ...
Click to expand...

The PAE switch is what this is about, but what you see will not change due
to the addressing limitations.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

<snip>
 
Michael Cecil said:
It will be just like XP. Although the system uses the full 4GB, only
about 3.5GB are available to the user.
Click to expand...

Please explain exactly and in easy to understand sentences what you
mean.

Thank you.
 
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