Wasted RAM?

I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?

Seems like a shame to have it go to waste.

Joe Parsons

On Mar 25, 2:22*pm, jmparsons <jmparso...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
> only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
> use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>
> Seems like a shame to have it go to waste.
>
> Joe Parsons

Only the system and the graphics card can use system memory. Most
inbuilt video chips use system memory. If your PC's motherboard has an
inbuilt graphics chip, you should be able to set it to use the maximum
amount of memory in the BIOS.

Visit http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/BIOS.htm if you need information
on it, such as howto access it, etc.

I take it that you have two 2GB sticks, so nothing is going to waste
because half of the second stick is being used. As long as the system
is running optimally, who cares?

Eric,
PC Buyer Beware!
http://www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk/

"jmparsons" <> wrote in message
news:84e2620a-fceb-40cd-9031-...
>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
> only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
> use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>
> Seems like a shame to have it go to waste.
>
> Joe Parsons

Joe,

No it is not extra, it is being used for shadowing certain hardware memory
addresses etc.
You do not have access to this memory for any purpose.
Also note it is not 3Gb it depends on your PC and hardware you have. With
4GB installed you may see 3.2G or even more - it all depends.

--

Mike Brannigan

Some friendly advise, you let Vista operating system handle the memory
install in the system, Vista knows what it is doing. Vista looks at memory
like you look inside a tool box, it will use what ever memory or allocate it
based on the jobs or task that you want/need to accomplish. Based on your
question if you start tinkering around with memory in your system all your
likely to do is cause a bunch of problems you really don't ever want to
have.
You don't have to worry about wasting memory, your operating system (Vista)
will not *waste* any of it.
The rest of your comments about virtual disk and Ready Boost reinforce the
above comments of why you don't and should not tinker. Disk, virtual disk
and Ready Boost are different subjects all together. They have nothing to
do with subject wasted RAM.

H Brown

"jmparsons" <> wrote in message
news:84e2620a-fceb-40cd-9031-...
>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
> only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
> use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>
> Seems like a shame to have it go to waste.
>
> Joe Parsons

jmparsons <> wrote:

>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
>only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
>use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?

No. There's no way for the 32-bit machine to address that RAM, that's
the whole problem. See http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html for
an explanation.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(Shell/User)

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt

On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:32:34 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:

> jmparsons <> wrote:
>
>>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will only
>>use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like use it as
>>a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>
> No. There's no way for the 32-bit machine to address that RAM, that's
> the whole problem. See http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html for an
> explanation.

Actually, with PAE, a 32 bit OS can access 64gb - as I understand it, 4gb
at any particular instant. See wikipedia on Physical Adress Extension for
an explanation.

"ray" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:32:34 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:
>
>> jmparsons <> wrote:
>>
>>>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will only
>>>use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like use it as
>>>a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>>
>> No. There's no way for the 32-bit machine to address that RAM, that's
>> the whole problem. See http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html for an
>> explanation.
>
> Actually, with PAE, a 32 bit OS can access 64gb - as I understand it, 4gb
> at any particular instant. See wikipedia on Physical Adress Extension for
> an explanation.


Windows Server 2008 can do this. Vista can't..


--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:35:29 -0400, Mike Hall - MVP wrote:

> "ray" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:32:34 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:
>>
>>> jmparsons <> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
>>>>only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
>>>>use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>>>
>>> No. There's no way for the 32-bit machine to address that RAM, that's
>>> the whole problem. See http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html for
>>> an explanation.
>>
>> Actually, with PAE, a 32 bit OS can access 64gb - as I understand it,
>> 4gb at any particular instant. See wikipedia on Physical Adress
>> Extension for an explanation.
>
>
> Windows Server 2008 can do this. Vista can't..

That is correct. Linux can also do that. Vista can't.

"ray" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:35:29 -0400, Mike Hall - MVP wrote:
>
>> "ray" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> On Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:32:34 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:
>>>
>>>> jmparsons <> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I have 4 GB installed in my 32 bit Vista machine. I know Vista will
>>>>>only use 3 GB, but is there anything I can do ith the "extra?" Like
>>>>>use it as a virtual disk, or for ReadyBoost?
>>>>
>>>> No. There's no way for the 32-bit machine to address that RAM, that's
>>>> the whole problem. See http://members.cox.net/slatteryt/RAM.html for
>>>> an explanation.
>>>
>>> Actually, with PAE, a 32 bit OS can access 64gb - as I understand it,
>>> 4gb at any particular instant. See wikipedia on Physical Adress
>>> Extension for an explanation.
>>
>>
>> Windows Server 2008 can do this. Vista can't..
>
> That is correct. Linux can also do that. Vista can't.


I think that Vista was artificially restricted but there was a reason for
it. Running 64bit is a better way to make use of more than 4gb..


--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

ray <> wrote:

>Actually, with PAE, a 32 bit OS can access 64gb - as I understand it, 4gb
>at any particular instant. See wikipedia on Physical Adress Extension for
>an explanation.

Yes, but Microsoft enables the PAE kludge for additional memory only
on server systems, NOT on XP or Vista.

PAE is used on XP and Vista, but only for DEP (Data Execution
Prevention), NOT for additional memory space.

--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(Shell/User)

http://members.cox.net/slatteryt