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Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?


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Guest Meinolf Weber
Posted

Hello Patrick,

 

Thats by design of 32bit software. If you like to see all 4GB RAM install

the 64bit version. And 2003 Standard 32bit can only use 4GB RAM in total.

 

Best regards

 

Meinolf Weber

Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers

no rights.

** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

 

> Hi,

>

> We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However,

> we are only able to see 3.4GB memory.

>

> Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and

> will be able to see all RAM available.

>

> We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB

> RAM, does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be

> used, what is the point in adding AWE ?

>

> Thanks

>

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Guest Patrick
Posted

Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

Hi,

 

We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However, we are

only able to see 3.4GB memory.

 

Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and will be

able to see all RAM available.

 

We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB RAM,

does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be used, what is

the point in adding AWE ?

 

Thanks

Guest Patrick
Posted

Re: Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

Dear Meinolf,

 

Thanks for your prompt reply.

 

From your reply, my understanding is that we can use (not view only) all 4GB

RAM if AWE is enabled ?

 

Thanks

 

"Meinolf Weber" <meiweb(nospam)@gmx.de> wrote in message

news:ff16fb6655b78cad721c4c734ff@msnews.microsoft.com...

> Hello Patrick,

>

> Thats by design of 32bit software. If you like to see all 4GB RAM install

> the 64bit version. And 2003 Standard 32bit can only use 4GB RAM in total.

>

> Best regards

>

> Meinolf Weber

> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and

> confers no rights.

> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

>

>> Hi,

>>

>> We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However,

>> we are only able to see 3.4GB memory.

>>

>> Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and

>> will be able to see all RAM available.

>>

>> We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB

>> RAM, does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be

>> used, what is the point in adding AWE ?

>>

>> Thanks

>>

>

>

Guest Thee Chicago Wolf
Posted

Re: Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

>We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However, we are

>only able to see 3.4GB memory.

>

>Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and will be

>able to see all RAM available.

>

>We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB RAM,

>does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be used, what is

>the point in adding AWE ?

 

Meinolf already replied on this issue re 32-bit OS. AWE won't help you

but you can try and use the /3GB switch and eek out a little bit more

for your apps. It does borrow away from kernel paging but I've not had

any issue with it starving for memory in the 2+ years I've implemented

it. Nope, 3.4 is not too bad for 4GB of available RAM from your

server. We're right around 3.65 ourselves. If you're on SP2 and fully

patched, drivers up to date and such, /3GB will help more than /AWE.

Good luck.

 

- Thee Chicago Wolf

Guest Glenn Clark
Posted

Re: Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

If I remember correctly the switch you need to use for 4gb is /PAE

 

Hope this helps

 

Glenn

 

"Thee Chicago Wolf" <.@.> wrote in message

news:9e4db41amq9cao9c1qdoh9l8s7qkulpd52@4ax.com...

> >We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However, we

> >are

>>only able to see 3.4GB memory.

>>

>>Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and will

>>be

>>able to see all RAM available.

>>

>>We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB RAM,

>>does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be used, what is

>>the point in adding AWE ?

>

> Meinolf already replied on this issue re 32-bit OS. AWE won't help you

> but you can try and use the /3GB switch and eek out a little bit more

> for your apps. It does borrow away from kernel paging but I've not had

> any issue with it starving for memory in the 2+ years I've implemented

> it. Nope, 3.4 is not too bad for 4GB of available RAM from your

> server. We're right around 3.65 ourselves. If you're on SP2 and fully

> patched, drivers up to date and such, /3GB will help more than /AWE.

> Good luck.

>

> - Thee Chicago Wolf

Guest Thee Chicago Wolf
Posted

Re: Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

>If I remember correctly the switch you need to use for 4gb is /PAE

>

>Hope this helps

 

Page Address Extension is to see more than 4GB RAM in Server

Enterprise or higher.

 

- Thee Chicago Wolf

Guest Bruce Sanderson
Posted

Re: Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

You don't "enable AWE" in boot.ini. AWE is an API - applications have to be

specifically coded to use it.

 

The issue with not being able to use all of 4 GB of RAM is a hardware design

issue. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605.

 

For a general discussion about RAM etc. see

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/WindowsGeneralWeb/RAMVirtualMemoryPageFileEtc.htm.

--

Bruce Sanderson

http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders

 

It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.

 

 

 

"Patrick" <Patrick@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:%23SHAprPCJHA.5316@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Dear Meinolf,

>

> Thanks for your prompt reply.

>

> From your reply, my understanding is that we can use (not view only) all

> 4GB RAM if AWE is enabled ?

>

> Thanks

>

> "Meinolf Weber" <meiweb(nospam)@gmx.de> wrote in message

> news:ff16fb6655b78cad721c4c734ff@msnews.microsoft.com...

>> Hello Patrick,

>>

>> Thats by design of 32bit software. If you like to see all 4GB RAM install

>> the 64bit version. And 2003 Standard 32bit can only use 4GB RAM in total.

>>

>> Best regards

>>

>> Meinolf Weber

>> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and

>> confers no rights.

>> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

>> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

>>

>>> Hi,

>>>

>>> We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However,

>>> we are only able to see 3.4GB memory.

>>>

>>> Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and

>>> will be able to see all RAM available.

>>>

>>> We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB

>>> RAM, does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be

>>> used, what is the point in adding AWE ?

>>>

>>> Thanks

>>>

>>

>>

>

>

Guest Patrick
Posted

Re: Can we access all 4GB RAM for Windows 2003 ?

 

Dear Bruce,

 

Thank you for your advice. I have searched the web and found that we can

only use the /3G switch in boot.ini & there is no AWE switch.

 

Regards,

Patrick

 

 

"Bruce Sanderson" <bsanders@newsgroups.nospam> wrote in message

news:uKfLZgLDJHA.2480@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> You don't "enable AWE" in boot.ini. AWE is an API - applications have to

> be specifically coded to use it.

>

> The issue with not being able to use all of 4 GB of RAM is a hardware

> design issue. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605.

>

> For a general discussion about RAM etc. see

> http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/WindowsGeneralWeb/RAMVirtualMemoryPageFileEtc.htm.

> --

> Bruce Sanderson

> http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders

>

> It is perfectly useless to know the right answer to the wrong question.

>

>

>

> "Patrick" <Patrick@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:%23SHAprPCJHA.5316@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> Dear Meinolf,

>>

>> Thanks for your prompt reply.

>>

>> From your reply, my understanding is that we can use (not view only) all

>> 4GB RAM if AWE is enabled ?

>>

>> Thanks

>>

>> "Meinolf Weber" <meiweb(nospam)@gmx.de> wrote in message

>> news:ff16fb6655b78cad721c4c734ff@msnews.microsoft.com...

>>> Hello Patrick,

>>>

>>> Thats by design of 32bit software. If you like to see all 4GB RAM

>>> install the 64bit version. And 2003 Standard 32bit can only use 4GB RAM

>>> in total.

>>>

>>> Best regards

>>>

>>> Meinolf Weber

>>> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and

>>> confers no rights.

>>> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

>>> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

>>>

>>>> Hi,

>>>>

>>>> We just set up a Windows 2003 Server (32 bit) with 4GB RAM. However,

>>>> we are only able to see 3.4GB memory.

>>>>

>>>> Someone has suggested that we can change the BOOT.INI to add AWE and

>>>> will be able to see all RAM available.

>>>>

>>>> We would like to know if we do add AWE and we are able to see all 4GB

>>>> RAM, does it mean that we can use all 4GB ? If just 3.4GB can be

>>>> used, what is the point in adding AWE ?

>>>>

>>>> Thanks

>>>>

>>>

>>>

>>

>>

>


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