Windows 7 32 bit and 4GB limit

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Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#75730 22-Jan-2011 10:18

Installed Windows 7 Ultimate last night, was happy with XP but since buying this pc over christmas with the 9800GT video card i wanted Directx10 for games. So went the whole hog and brought the ultimate edition.

With 32bit like xp I have the ram limit, unless I upgrade processor to 64bit theres no go? But I was googling last night and read abit about PAE Physical Address Extension. How does this work, can I open up the limit so 4gb is running instead of 3?

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From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

lurker

831 posts

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#429776 22-Jan-2011 10:26

It's your OS, not the CPU, at least if you have a fairly recent system. It's highly likely you are ready for a 64-bit OS, I think there's an Upgrade Advisor somewhere that will tell you? If you got Windows 7 Ultimate retail then I believe it has both 32 & 64 bit versions available. If you only got 32-bit OEM version then I'm not sure what your options are (without buying 64-bit)

Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429777 22-Jan-2011 10:30

Under System Properties - Enviromental Variables the Processor Architecture states X86.

CPU specs:
2 x Intel dual core Xeon 5130 at2.0 Ghz EACH.8.0GHZ Dual 771-pin LGA Sockets 2 physical CPUs, 4 physical cores. Sockets Supports Intel 64-bit Quad-Core Xeon Processor 5300 sequence

So I would have to upgrade to 64bit processor first?

But this PAE I mention above, whats that about.

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#429781 22-Jan-2011 10:54

No, you need Windows 7 64 bit. Why did you install the 32 bit version?

Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429788 22-Jan-2011 11:37

freitasm: No, you need Windows 7 64 bit. Why did you install the 32 bit version?

Cause im an idiot.

I thought I have to upgrade the processor to 64bit first, but the pc is capable as it is to run 64bit OS.

System Type X86 based PC so I thought 32bit OS only. But I find out my PC will run a 64bit OS.

*BANGS HEAD AGAINST THE WALL*

This is legal right?: If I download the 64bit OS of Win7 Ultimate then use my valid license to install it. Thats okay. or Not.

eg:

OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate

Other OS Description Not Available

OS Manufacturer Microsoft Corporation

System Name KIWI-PC

System Manufacturer Supermicro

System Model X7DA8

System Type X86-based PC

Processor Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5130 @ 2.00GHz, 1995 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)

Processor Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5130 @ 2.00GHz, 1995 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 2 Logical Processor(s)

BIOS Version/Date Phoenix Technologies LTD 6.00, 29/05/2007

SMBIOS Version 2.4

Windows Directory C:\Windows

System Directory C:\Windows\system32

Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume1

Locale New Zealand

Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "6.1.7600.16385"

User Name Gaming-PC\Gaming

Time Zone New Zealand Daylight Time

Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB

Total Physical Memory 3.00 GB

Available Physical Memory 2.07 GB

Total Virtual Memory 6.00 GB

Available Virtual Memory 4.88 GB

Page File Space 3.00 GB

Page File C:\pagefile.sys

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

freitasm

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#429789 22-Jan-2011 11:45

If you have Windows 7 Ultimate then you should have both 32 and 64 bit media available on your DVD case.

Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429795 22-Jan-2011 11:56

okay thanks will check and reinstall to 64bit.

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

ieatservers

73 posts

Master Geek

#429810 22-Jan-2011 12:19

yeah, you need to install the x64 version.

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TwoSeven

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#429825 22-Jan-2011 12:34

If you have DEP enabled on your system then PAE will also be enabled.

Also I might suggest that the P in PAE standard for paging, the processes linear address space is still limited to 4GB on the 32bit OS with the user mode address space still 2GB.

As suggested might be worth looking at 64bitness if you have that option :)

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Kaos36

709 posts

Ultimate Geek

#429890 22-Jan-2011 15:43

All done.

http://i52.tinypic.com/25ai7td.jpg

Worst Response To A Crisis:
From a readers' Q and A column in TV GUIDE: "If we get involved in a nuclear war, would the electromagnetic pulses from exploding bombs damage my videotapes?"

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#429999 22-Jan-2011 20:22

looking good man. i found a tweak to get "my computer" to display the whole 4gb as useable, but in task manger it still said "3gb" so i gave up, bought 8gb ram and changed to 64bit.
i have heard 64bit said to be "gaming edition" since most pc gamers end up with high end hardware sooner or later.

enjoy your pc ! with all 4gb ram :P

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Snowflake

#430482 24-Jan-2011 11:05

b0untypure1: looking good man. i found a tweak to get "my computer" to display the whole 4gb as useable, but in task manger it still said "3gb" so i gave up, bought 8gb ram and changed to 64bit.

LOL. thats like putting sticker on the outside of your box that says "Dual Core" when you still have a "single core" processor inside... it aint gonna change anything except how it looks to your mates :P

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TwoSeven

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#430655 24-Jan-2011 17:41

b0untypure1: looking good man. i found a tweak to get "my computer" to display the whole 4gb as useable, but in task manger it still said "3gb" so i gave up, bought 8gb ram and changed to 64bit.
i have heard 64bit said to be "gaming edition" since most pc gamers end up with high end hardware sooner or later.

enjoy your pc ! with all 4gb ram :P

3GP switch by any chance?

...they/their/them...

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#430702 24-Jan-2011 19:57

Regs:
b0untypure1: looking good man. i found a tweak to get "my computer" to display the whole 4gb as useable, but in task manger it still said "3gb" so i gave up, bought 8gb ram and changed to 64bit.

LOL. thats like putting sticker on the outside of your box that says "Dual Core" when you still have a "single core" processor inside... it aint gonna change anything except how it looks to your mates :P

or having a full hd sticker on a CRT monitor :)

b0untypure1

1426 posts

Uber Geek

#430707 24-Jan-2011 20:03

TwoSeven:
b0untypure1: looking good man. i found a tweak to get "my computer" to display the whole 4gb as useable, but in task manger it still said "3gb" so i gave up, bought 8gb ram and changed to 64bit.
i have heard 64bit said to be "gaming edition" since most pc gamers end up with high end hardware sooner or later.

enjoy your pc ! with all 4gb ram :P

3GP switch by any chance?

sorry im not sure of the name as this was 1 year and 2 months ago.
it was a registry edit key that i downloaded and entered into the registry however