512mb Ram suddenly only 480mb????

What is at Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Information ---> System Summary.

OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation
System Name VALUED-A069BA8D
System Manufacturer Sony Corporation
System Model PCV-RX741(UC)
System Type X86-based PC
Processor x86 Family 6 Model 6 Stepping 2 AuthenticAMD ~1526 Mhz
BIOS Version/Date Award Software, Inc. ACPI BIOS Revision 1003VX, 5/16/2002
SMBIOS Version 2.3
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Locale United States
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)"
User Name VALUED-A069BA8D\SHANE
Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 180.69 MB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 1.10 GB
Page File C:\pagefile.sys


what should I be looking for here?

That's 512MB. I'm unsure where you got the other number.

In closing, in XP there is a feature in a menu somewhere that is labeled "Limit memory to" and you may have set it for some reason and forgot. But your last post shows you do indeed have 512MB.

Bob

...you have 480 MB at System Properties (at Control Panel) but showed up as 512MB(what has been actually installed) at System Information--->system summary, and you want to know why ?

Try changing memory modules to different slots and see whether 512 MB is indicated at both ''Properties'' and ''Summary''.

The 512MB did show. Please look at the "Limit memory" setting. Do not change memory modules.

Bob

"/MAXMEM=
Limits Windows to ignore (not use) physical memory beyond the amount indicated. The number is interpreted in megabytes. Example: /MAXMEM=32 would limit the system to using the first 32 MB of physical memory even if more were present."
- boot.ini documentation.

The MSCONFIG method.
1. Click Start, click Run, and then type Msconfig.
2. Click OK.
3. Click BOOT.INI
3. Click Advanced Options.
4. Click to select the MAXMEM Limit check box, and then increase the amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) to 64 MB or higher.

Or you can disable MAXMEM there.

Bob

at the link below...you should be able to find what you need to know about your PC. The WEB is great but it also helps to have the manual handy in event the PC isn't working and you can't get to the soft copy.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SYCustomerCare?storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&langId=-1#

VAPCMD

Ahhhh! Most OEMs have a build-n video port. Once ram allocated it stays so until, unallocated even if disabled. Why because this is a 2 separate processes of the bios, thus enter bios and reduce some ram allocated and see what action is taken. Also, understand a "base amount" is *deciated* to video and that deciated amount has risen over the years, last I knew of it was 16mb, but 8mb was common before, maybe 32mb is it now, but that's an open answer but by deafault some amount has to be there in order to get video output. Check it...

tada -----Willy

went back in and found the vga allocation. was set to 32 (so far so good) changed to 16, and continued into windows, sure enough system allocation now 496.

so the question is...the only options for the vga settings are 16,32,64. My video card has 128 onboard. do i need to allocate more than 16? lowest option. I don't mind so much now that i know what the issue was, and since I want to max out to 1 gig, will the extra 24 megs (512x2=1024)that my computer wont recognize be allocated to this or is that just unusable excess memory?

i can set the allocation to 16,32, or 64. no option for off unless its hiding somewhere else.

Post the contents of the BOOT.INI file for all to see that it's not that.

chips- 2 x 256mb

motherboard bios: 512mb listed, VGA allocation now set to 16 (from the initial 32 mb noticed missing)
graphics card-radeon 9250 with 128mb onboard

boot.ini- maxmem limit now goes to 496 (512-16 for vga), changed from the 480 noticed originally. box is UNCHECKED.

which part of the boot file would you like posted, the text box, or the window with the Maxmem showing? I'll post it later this evening when I get home.

BOOT.INI is just a few lines long, reveals nothing personal and would quash that possibility in one post.

Why drag this out?

Bob

Now that you found out there is a video allocation that is deciated, you won't be able to return it *all* to the main memory stack. The lowest video ram amount you can set is thus lost "if" you can't use that video port. Under XP os, you can actually have dual monitors setup. That's besides the point that deciated video ram is lost to you or it simply not accessible as system reported with on-board video disabled. You can add on to the current ram to whatever your system can handle, just know the blip, the video ram takes away. Now, this has nothing to do with your separate video card installed now, that video ram is truly deciated 100% to video and no fiddling with the bios will change that, these are separate edities.

As for ram totals 512x2=1024, this is an old math usage problem. 1000 vs 1024 bases. Yeah, the 1024 is present and will be reported as such minus the 16mb(on-board video). With my explanation and others, I hope you get the picture.

ciao -----Willy

there are a few other 64 k chunks of memory that the Operating system doesn't allow to be used to insure compatibility of various things. Thus your loss of a small chunk is totally insignificant, especially when you get to the Gigabyte.

why..a generic driver is better than no driver to run run the puter if your card goes **** up for some reason..id rather have small mb graphics than none till i was flush enough to get a new card or work the prob out
.get your self one of these mobo analizers. the manual will giude you through the beep patterns and the digital readout.. your comp doesnt even need to be running
you can get all up with postage for around 30 bux or so.. check ebay cheers from graham_00

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 3/15/2008, 12:50:22
Machine name: GMANSMAINFRAME
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
System Model: System Product Name
BIOS: BIOS Date: 09/27/07 23:06:21 Ver: 08.00.12
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4800+, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 896MB RAM
Page File: 432MB used, 1735MB available
Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.2180 32bit Unicode

Thanks to all that have contributed info to this thread.

I just reinstalled XP Home on my notebook (and have installed all the updates through SP3), and System Info now lists my 512MB memory as 496. MAXMEM is unchecked (but only goes up to 496 as well).

I have software that requires 512MB to install, so it won't proceed.

I thought I ran into this and fixed it before, but can't remember where the change was made.

Any additional direction would be appreciated...

If that's the case, then the integrated graphics card IS going to use some RAM.. The best way to accomplish your goal is to add RAM.

Hope this helps.

Grif

Thanks for the reply. What's strange is that I must have solved this before cause I've had the software running and it was showing 512 in My Computer > properties > General. I recently reinstalled the system using Toshiba's restore DVD, and now it only shows 496 and I can't remember how I changed it previously.