Cannot see the 3rd GB of RAM in a MAC-PRO

[Juan Dent]

Hi,

I apologize for placing this question in this forum since it is likely this
is not the place. Yet I do not find any forum that seems suitable so I am
placing the question here.

I recently purchased a MAC PRO with 3GB of RAM and using Bootcamp 1.3 beta I
installed XP SP2 in another partition. The problem is, and Apple won't help
here, that although system information reports 3GB of memory, system
properties and the task manager reports only 2GB.

So, what could be happening? one guy at Apple suggested that perhaps the
combination of 2 1GB DIMMS with 2 512 MB DIMMS was not recognized in Windows.

Does this make any sense?
Any ideas?

[Gary Chanson]

Post by Juan Dent
Hi,
I apologize for placing this question in this forum since it is likely this
is not the place. Yet I do not find any forum that seems suitable so I am
placing the question here.
I recently purchased a MAC PRO with 3GB of RAM and using Bootcamp 1.3 beta I
installed XP SP2 in another partition. The problem is, and Apple won't help
here, that although system information reports 3GB of memory, system
properties and the task manager reports only 2GB.
So, what could be happening? one guy at Apple suggested that perhaps the
combination of 2 1GB DIMMS with 2 512 MB DIMMS was not recognized in Windows.
Does this make any sense?
Any ideas?

If it's recognized by the BIOS, it should be recognized by Windows.

[Stephen Kellett]

Post by Gary Chanson
If it's recognized by the BIOS, it should be recognized by Windows.

That isn't how it works.

Windows provides 2GB to the user by default. 2GB for the user, 2GB for
the kernel. Thats what happens regardless of how much memory is in the
machine.

To get the 3GB user space you need to add the /3GB switch to the
boot.ini.

Stephen

[Gary Chanson]

Post by Stephen Kellett

Post by Gary Chanson
If it's recognized by the BIOS, it should be recognized by Windows.

That isn't how it works.
Windows provides 2GB to the user by default. 2GB for the user, 2GB for
the kernel. Thats what happens regardless of how much memory is in the
machine.
To get the 3GB user space you need to add the /3GB switch to the
boot.ini.

You're talking about virtual memory, not real memory. I think the OP
was talking about real memory: "system properties and the task manager
reports only 2GB".

[Juan Dent]

That's right, I am talking about real memory. And the strange thing is that
System information recognizes 3GB while System Properties recognizes only 2GB.

Why this discrepancy?
--
Thanks in advance,

Juan Dent, M.Sc.

Post by Gary Chanson

Post by Stephen Kellett

Post by Gary Chanson
If it's recognized by the BIOS, it should be recognized by Windows.

That isn't how it works.
Windows provides 2GB to the user by default. 2GB for the user, 2GB for
the kernel. Thats what happens regardless of how much memory is in the
machine.
To get the 3GB user space you need to add the /3GB switch to the
boot.ini.

You're talking about virtual memory, not real memory. I think the OP
was talking about real memory: "system properties and the task manager
reports only 2GB".
--
- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools

[Gary Chanson]

I can't answer that.
--
- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools

Post by Juan Dent
That's right, I am talking about real memory. And the strange thing is that
System information recognizes 3GB while System Properties recognizes only 2GB.
Why this discrepancy?
--
Thanks in advance,
Juan Dent, M.Sc.

Post by Gary Chanson

Post by Stephen Kellett

Post by Gary Chanson
If it's recognized by the BIOS, it should be recognized by Windows.

That isn't how it works.
Windows provides 2GB to the user by default. 2GB for the user, 2GB for
the kernel. Thats what happens regardless of how much memory is in the
machine.
To get the 3GB user space you need to add the /3GB switch to the
boot.ini.

You're talking about virtual memory, not real memory. I think the OP
was talking about real memory: "system properties and the task manager
reports only 2GB".
--
- Gary Chanson (Windows SDK MVP)
- Abolish Public Schools

[Stephen Kellett]

Post by Juan Dent
That's right, I am talking about real memory. And the strange thing is that
System information recognizes 3GB while System Properties recognizes only 2GB.

Isn't this information going to buried somewhere in an obscure key/value
pair under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE?

Stephen

[Stephen Kellett]

Post by Stephen Kellett

Post by Juan Dent
That's right, I am talking about real memory. And the strange thing is that
System information recognizes 3GB while System Properties recognizes only 2GB.

Isn't this information going to buried somewhere in an obscure key/value
pair under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE?

What about
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
HARDWARE\
DEVICEMAP\
RESOURCEMAP\
System Resources\
Physical Memory

Stephen