Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
5 Posts
0
28489
March 18th, 2008 22:00
XP doesn't support 4 GB RAM!
A friend on mine recently ordered -- on my advice -- a Vostro 400 tweaked to its highest settings with Windows XP Home, a quad core processor and 4 GM RAM. Fresh out of the box, it started up with the BSOD. After hours spent with tech support, we finally got a tech to the site with a new hard drive and video card. After installing them, he experienced exactly the same problem. He tried several things and finally called his tech support. I won't go into the gruesome details, but after trying to see if there was a bad memory stick, he discovered the problem only occured when all 4 sticks were in. After discussing this with the phone tech, I heard him say "Oh, I remember reading about that." Then he explained that 32 bit Windows XP will not handle 4GB memory, but that the 64 bit version will. We decided to keep the system with just 3 GB RAM in it.
My question is: Why does someone ordering this configuration not trigger and "incombatibility problem" response??
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 18th, 2008 22:00
It`s capable of holding 4 gig of ram. That dosen`t mean it is all used. At best you can use 3 1/2 gig. It`s not right, but that is the way it is in 32 bit.
Dell Dimension 9100
XP Pro, SP 3
Intel Pent. 4 CPU, 3.00 GHZ.
2 GIG.Ram DDR2, 533
160 GIG HD
AtI Radeon X600k, 256 MB.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 18th, 2008 23:00
It won`t recognise the 4 gig. If the computer is having a problem with the ram you could very well get the BSOD. When you removed the stick of ram, did it solve the problem?
Dell Dimension 9100
XP Pro, SP 3
Intel Pent. 4 CPU, 3.00 GHZ.
2 GIG.Ram DDR2, 533
160 GIG HD
AtI Radeon X600k, 256 MB.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
basalone
5 Posts
0
March 18th, 2008 23:00
AWWang
44 Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 01:00
basalone
5 Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 01:00
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 02:00
Let me make a further suggestion. Buy a copy of XP Pro quickly. Microsoft will not support XP home after next January. XP Pro will be supported until 2014. Being this is a Vostro for business, are you sure it is XP home. Check it out before buying XP Pro.
Dell Dimension 9100
XP Pro, SP 3
Intel Pent. 4 CPU, 3.00 GHZ.
2 GIG.Ram DDR2, 533
160 GIG HD
AtI Radeon X600k, 256 MB.
Tomorrow will be a new day.
bweed6
806 Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 11:00
basalone - apparently you have a bad stick of ram on your hands. as noted, a 32 bit OS will not reconcile 4gb of ram. it will show 3gb and change. however, having more than 3gb should NOT cause a bsod.
i recommend you identify the bad stick by swapping/process of elimination and contact dell to have it replaced.
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 14:00
bweed6
806 Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 14:00
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 21:00
basalone
5 Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 21:00
To give an update to this problem:
1) To clarify: Brand new computer, out of the box, got BSOD when first turned on. 4 GB present.
2) Dell tech arrived on site (not going into the hours spent on the phone first), replaced Hard Drive and video card.
Got the same BSOD when he turned it on.
3) He tried testing the memory, but only got the computer to turn on without an error when there were only 3 GB.
Each individual stick has tested OK. Not one was bad.
4) When the computer came up with 3 GB, it went into a routine lasting about an hour that the tech said was normal.
After he left and the routine completed, the screen was the one you normally see when setting up new computer --
a walk through of naming the computer, the user, etc.
5) When it finished this, I installed the virus checker (NOD32) and plugged in the Internet.
6) Did the 30 odd Windows updates. So far, every thing normal.
7) At the restart, did not get the BSOD, but -- I don't remember the exact wording --
something like Non-System disk, reinsert and try again.
8) Turned off and turned on again, pressing f12 at Dell logo. Told it to boot from the SATA drive. It did.
9) But before the arrival of the tech, I had had to do this at virtually every restart --
there are many when you are installing and updating your old software and recovering your backed-up data.
Eventually the F12 prompt no longer showed and the F12 key would not do anything.
10) We didn't want to go through all this again. So we went to Help and System info
so that we could easily see the Service Tag and Express service code.
9) Called Customer Service to send the system back.
I wanted more people know about the 4GB RAM problem with XP.
I want to thank SugarBear for the advice about Windows Professional.
And I want to ask for advice about what hardware to get on computer we order
to replace this one. For example, is there any advantage to getting quad-core when you
are using XP?
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 19th, 2008 22:00
AWWang
44 Posts
0
March 20th, 2008 01:00
I've only got BSOD in the middle of moderate to high end computing.
Now since I got my Inspiron 530 this is what happens in boot up:
1. Dell Logo
2. There is a message that says:
Diskette Drive 0 Seeks Faliure
Press F1 to countinue or Press F2 to enter setup.
3. Tried setup, didn't work... Tried continue and booted up normally.
4. This message is causing me to worry.
LOL, Dell have to improve their cheapish compies. At least they are better than HP/Compaq and Sony! :)!
bweed6
806 Posts
0
March 20th, 2008 11:00
sugarbear18
2.3K Posts
0
March 21st, 2008 01:00