Re: XP not seeing 4 gb RAM

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Sunny

By system, I was referring to system hardware, ie motherboard and its
functions.. the system as a whole does indeed benefit..

--
Mike Hall
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User



"Sunny" <sunny@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:NOZYf.2612$pZ3.371509@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User wrote:

Sunny

Your system allocates memory to various areas all of the time.. with 2gb
or less installed, it does it as required.. with over 2gb installed, it
can start to permanently allocate memory to the hardware.. this is NOT a
bad thing.. every function of the computer needs resource to work,
whether you can directly see it or not..

I specifically asked what hardware *other* than integrated video uses
dedicated RAM, and you responded "various areas".

From a user standpoint, there would be no point is seeing what was
happening throughout the system.. the only 'easy to ascertain' functions
are in RAM available for programs, and video memory.. as long as BIOS
recognises the full amount, and assuming that the motherboard functions
are all a-ok (BSODs would show that they are not), then your system as a
whole is benefiiting..

Not according to the Microsoft document at the URL Bob I posted:

"The physical address space is used to address more than just RAM. It is
also used to address all of the memory and some of the registers presented
by devices. Consequently, if a machine is configured with the maximum
amount of physical memory, some of that memory will be unusable because
some of the physical address space is mapped for other uses."

That explains why you can't tell me what other hardware uses dedicated
RAM - because there isn't any.

It also disproves your claim that "your system is getting the full benefit
of all of the 4gb". In fact the system is not using the "missing" RAM at
all, because it's *addresses* have been allocated elsewhere, so the system
cannot access the RAM.

Sunny



.provided a link to, you are dead wrong.the system is not benefiting from
the additional RAM because XP allocates memory and memory addresses for
communicating with devices. Any memory address used for device
communication may not be used for RAM access.


.

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