The system does not see all the RAM. Not all RAM is available: how to use its full capacity
Question: Installed memory 8GB (3.97GB available)
Windows began to use half of the memory, before which all 8 GB were used. The problem is, I don’t know when and under what circumstances this happened, because I haven’t used the computer for about a month.
MotherMemory
4x Samsung PC10600 1333MHz 2 GB eachI rearranged them in places, checked each one separately, wiped the contacts with cologne, played with memory remap, reset the BIOS with a jumper, took out the processor, clicked on MemOK, in general I tried a lot of things from other forums. And yes, the checkbox in msconfig is disabled.
Such a trick, when you take out a die from the second slot, i.e. I left three sticks in slots 1,3,4, the system began to see and use all 6 gigs. So it goes. Maybe someone knows the solution?
Tried to monitor
Answer: Thanks everyone, the problem has been resolved. I still didn’t understand what it was, because after two hours of rearranging memory dies in different combinations, I managed to find one in which the system turns on and all the memory is used. In general, apparently the connectors are dying, it’s better not to touch them again.
Question: Windows 7 x64 with 8GB RAM (3.99GB available)
Computer parameters:
Motherboard - Asus p7h55
Processor - Xeon x3440
RAM: 2 sticks of 4 GB
PSU at 450w
Hard drive, floppy drive and all the goodies.
Windows 7 Professional x64 system. In the system properties, 8GB is displayed, but only 3.99GB is used. Everest also sees 2 4 GB sticks, but only 3.99 GB is actually used. I have already tried a bunch of methods: through msconfig I unchecked the “Maximum memory” item and through the BIOS in the “Memory Remap Feature” item I set “Enable”, I swapped the strips (in different sequences), I wiped the contacts on the memory. The result is the same - nothing happens. What's the problem anyway? How should it be decided? I have looked at so many topics here and on other forums - nothing helps.
Answer:
Message from persen27
I asked about amdeshnoy just in case. The dog is buried in
So change that one
Thank you, I'm already taking steps to replace it. I hope everything will be successful!
Question: Additional memory is not available (ASUS P7H55-V)
Friends, we really need your help.
I have an ASUS P7H55-V motherboard, which worked for several years with 4GB of RAM (2 dies of 2GB each)
Today I bought 2 more similar dies, inserted them, Windows sees them, but the memory is inaccessible.
The installed memory is displayed as 8.00GB - and the available memory is 3.97GB
Windows 7 (Ultimate, X64) - tried reinstalling (from another disk), no result
New dies are 100% working (I took out the old ones, ran them only on new ones - everything works)
The BIOS sees only 4096 available memory (I updated the BIOS but it didn’t work)
In boot parameters (MSCONFIG) - all checkboxes are unchecked
Processor Core i5-750 OEM<2.66GHz, 2.5 GT/s, 8Mb, LGA1156 (Lynnfield)
Old memory DDR3 4096Mb (pc-10600) 1333MHz Kingston, Kit of 2
New memory KINGSTON VALUERAM KVR13N9S6/2 DDR3 - 2GB 1333, DIMM, Ret
I swapped the dies - no result
I reinstalled Windows, updated the BIOS, reset settings, swapped plugs - no result, please help with advice
The motherboard supports 16GB of RAM - the problem is definitely not there..
Answer: In general, does any strip separately (that is, insert only one strip) in any slot work?
If all else fails, change the new memory to a normal one, 8 or 16 chip. The kind of Kingston you bought is generally unknown where it is used.
Question: Out of 8Gb of RAM, 3.19Gb is available
Hello, dear forum users! After many hours of “smoking” the forum, I still haven’t found an answer to my question. Computer config:
- OS Windows 7 Prof 64 bit
- Motherboard MSI A88XM-E35 (MS-7721)
- Perc AMD A8-5600K
- RAM: one Crucial 8Gb stick (CT102464BA160B.C16)
And I began to surf the Internet... After reading numerous posts, I performed all the actions that were possible. It doesn't lead to anything. Once a slot change resulted in “only” 2.5 gigs being reserved, and then only until the computer was rebooted.
Further more. I began to suspect incompatibility between the memory module and the motherboard, but a visit to the MSI website dispelled my doubts. I dug into the BIOS (everything seems to be in Russian, but everything is illogical), but there are no real memory settings there, except for changing the frequency and delays. Well, I started trying to play with the frequency... The memory is 1600, and it also starts, I set it to 1866 - it started normally, no changes. Then I put 2133, the motherboard did not pass the post. I don’t give up, I try again - voila, Windows has loaded, I go to the computer properties and see all the memory available! But after a few seconds, error windows and a blue screen begin to appear. I didn’t immediately pay attention to the properties of the hardware when going through the post, but then I noticed that it writes 4 gigs of memory, and when the frequency increases to 2133, it sees 8 gigs, but it doesn’t work stably. I can't raise the voltage. I don’t know what to do, there is no way to check on another mother yet. According to information, the memory is compatible with this motherboard, where should I dig next?
Answer: Hello, I had the same problem, nothing helped, I have clicl bios 2 like you, what helped was that I installed 1600 hertz RAM in the OC settings in BIOS 2 button on the left. Good luck
Question: There is less RAM than there should be
People are interested in the question. Let’s say I have 8 GB of RAM on my computer and it’s Windows 10 64-bit. And when I open the properties of my computer, it says that it is installed: 8 GB of RAM (7.78 available). Question: why is 7.78 available and where does the remaining 0.22 GB of RAM go?
And if you open htop on ubuntu 16.04 64-bit, then it generally says Mem: 7.58
Why can't I use all 8192 MB of RAM? And why do different operating systems have different amounts of RAM available?
Answer:
Message from krazy2013
Built-in video eats up memory
Right
Message from krazy2013
but smoothly. 256, 1024mb....
Dynamically bites off how much in this moment it takes so much and it takes a bite
outZone, publish the config, right?
Question: 6 GB - 3.18 GB available
Guys, I have a Sony Vaio laptop with 6 GB of RAM (2 and 4) 2.8 reserved hardware! so I inserted the 1st strips, in the 1st slot there is a black screen (2 and 4), the 2nd slot works fine (2 and 4) reserved. apparatus. ~800mb. with 2 laptop sticks the system starts up showing 6GB (3.18 available). PS There is no checkmark for maximum memory.
Answer: I guess thanks. I thought it would reinstall the BIOS, I found the original one, when I tried to install it, it says: this program is already installed; reinstallation is not required.
Question: The computer does not see all the memory:wall:
Assembled a computer (percentage: Intel core i5 760
board: Asus P7H55-M
RAM: Crucial DIMM DDR3 2x2
video: Nvidia GeForce GT 640 MSI)
The problem is this: Installed memory: 4 GB (1.97 available), surfed the forums, did everything possible. In msconfig, uncheck the box, change the Memory Remap value to enabled in the BIOS, update the BIOS, remove the battery. A problem arose when I rearranged the strips themselves, the monitor did not light up in all positions except
1 -
2 +
1 -
2 +
Nothing helps.
One day I had to assemble a computer for my friends. I do this extremely rarely, but since I am a “computer geek”, I also have to repair computer furniture :) In general, I used the following components for assembly:
Motherboard ASUS M5A97 R2.0;
Processor AMD FX-8350 Black Edition, OEM;
RAM DIMM DDR3, 8GB (2x4GB), Kingston HyperX FURY blue;
Cooler Zalman CNPS10X Performa.
After I assembled everything, I didn’t see another 4 GB of RAM in the BIOS, i.e. instead of 8, there were 4GB. Having rummaged through the settings, I saw that the motherboard “sees” both memory sticks, but for some reason its final value was 4GB. Installing Windows did not bring any clarity, but made things even more confusing. In particular, in Properties of computers there was " Installed memory (RAM): 8 GB (3.90 GB available)".
After looking at the resource monitor, I finally came to a dead end, 4 GB was occupied by “Reserved Equipment”.
I began to figure out step by step how to solve this problem and I will describe all my thoughts and actions step by step from the simplest and most obvious method to dancing with a tambourine. Please note that if in your case the BIOS does not “see” part or all of the RAM, then of all the methods, pay more attention to setting up the BIOS and the hardware. If the entire amount of RAM is available in the BIOS, but not in Windows, then among all the methods listed below, select only those that relate to Windows settings.
Check the bitness of the operating system.
First of all, in the system properties, look at the bit depth of the operating system. We must not forget that 32-bit Windows systems have a limit of 4 GB of RAM, and even if you install 16 GB, the computer will not see them (there are workarounds, but this is not about that now and they do not always work correctly).
If you want to use more than 4 GB of RAM, you must reinstall the system to 64-bit.
Your version of Windows has a RAM limit.
Each version of Windows has its own limit of RAM it can work with, for example:
Maximum available amount of RAM on Windows 7
| X86 | X64 | |
| Windows 7 Ultimate | 4 GB | 192 GB |
| Windows 7 Enterprise | 4 GB | 192 GB |
| Windows 7 Professional | 4 GB | 192 GB |
| Windows 7 Home Premium | 4 GB | 16 GB |
| Windows 7 Home Basic | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Windows 7 Starter | 2 GB | Not available |
Maximum available amount of RAM in Windows 8
| X86 | X64 | |
| Windows 8 Enterprise | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Windows 8 Professional | 4 GB | 512 GB |
| Windows 8 | 4 GB | 128 GB |
Therefore, first of all, check.
Check your motherboard's limitations.
Each motherboard has limitations in the amount of perceived RAM. Older ones can see a maximum of 4 GB of memory, others 16 GB, and there are already those that can work with 32 GB or more. Therefore, look at its capabilities in the documentation for the motherboard or on the manufacturer’s official website. Also note that the motherboard supports the operating frequency of the higher RAM.
Make sure there are no restrictions when loading Windows.
There are cases when restrictions are set when loading Windows, so part of the RAM may be inaccessible. To check this, press the key combination “Win” + “R” and enter “msconfig” in the line.
Then open the "Download" tab, click the "Advanced options" button.
In the window that opens, make sure that the checkbox next to the “Maximum memory” line is not checked.
You can try to enter the size of RAM you use in this field. In my case, this did not help; after I restarted the computer, the check mark remained and the value became 0.
Make sure the memory is working.
There are times when the RAM has failed or you have acquired a defective one, so check its functionality. Attention!!! All manipulations with RAM strips should be done with the computer turned off. Take out all the memory sticks and plug one into the same port one by one, after changing each stick, turn on the computer and in the BIOS or in Windows, make sure that the computer sees this memory stick. Or, on another work computer, check each strip or all together.
Shuffling RAM sticks.
For dual-channel operation of RAM strips, it is recommended to use the same manufacturer and even the same model and the volume itself. If you use different manufacturers, then you can experiment by changing the connector, connecting the strips and determining the sequence in which the computer sees all your RAM.
BIOS update.
It is also important what version of BIOS is used on the motherboard. Very often, updating the BIOS leads to solving related problems, including the ability to “see” RAM. Here's an example how to update firmware on ASUS motherboard .
In my case, unfortunately, even this method did not help, although for some reason I was sure that it would help.
Reset BIOS settings.
Another important point is resetting the settings to factory settings in the BIOS. Someone may say that they have never changed anything there and why reset something there. In fact, I know of cases where resetting to factory settings actually solves problems for which the solution is not obvious. In order to reset the settings, press the "Exit" button in the BIOS and in the menu that appears, select "Load default settings" or remove the battery on the motherboard for a few seconds and put it back.
Cleaning the computer and checking connections.
Another effective way to make your computer see all the RAM is to clean the RAM sticks and ports from dust. Also, don’t forget to clean the processor, pull it out of the socket, and check if the legs are bent. Many will say that this method is the most ineffective, especially those who are assembling a new computer, like me :) But it helped me. It turned out that either I inserted the processor incorrectly (although I can’t imagine how you can insert it incorrectly without breaking several legs), or I overtightened the bolts holding the cooler (I think this version is more likely to be true), or the computer decided I don’t know that I would have given him a few more hours. But only after I removed the cooler, pulled out and reinstalled the processor, and installed it without tightening the cooler bolts too much, everything worked and the BIOS, and with it, Windows saw the entire amount of RAM.
I really hope that this article will help you in solving problems related to RAM and you will spend less time fixing it. I would be grateful if you share your method of solving RAM-related problems in the comments.
If you decide to upgrade your computer by adding some RAM, it may happen that after installing it, the system will display the amount of memory that you installed, but not all of it will be available, and this is despite the fact that a 64-bit operating system is installed system.
Just recently, I had to face a similar situation. In general, to a computer that had 2GB of RAM installed, it was necessary to add another stick with the same amount of memory.
As a result, after installation, the system saw all 4GB of RAM, but it indicated in brackets that only 3GB was available. But the most surprising thing was that Windows 7 x64 was installed on the computer, therefore no restrictions should be imposed on the RAM, as is usually the case on x32.
Having started to figure it out, I eventually found a solution that helped me return my memory to its place and will gladly share it with you. Below in the article I will show what you can do if you see only 3 GB of RAM on Windows x64 instead of 4, 8 or 16 GB of RAM.
On a 64-bit system, instead of 4, only 3 GB of memory is available, what should I do?
Of course, the first thing I thought was that it was all about the system, perhaps some kind of crooked assembly was installed, but after reinstalling Windows from a licensed image, nothing changed and only 3 GB of memory was available as before.
Based on this, we can assume that the problem is in the hardware or in the BIOS settings.
Once in the BIOS, I started looking in the settings for any parameters that were somehow related to RAM.
After spending about 15 minutes turning various parameters on and off, as well as checking the results, I finally found something that helped me.
This is a parameter called " Memory Remap Feature", precisely after I changed its value from " Disable" on " Enable", in the system properties the memory began to be displayed normally, that is, all four gigabytes of RAM were now available.
How to find this parameter? Below I will show a clear example of where I managed to find this function. Of course, I understand that today there are quite a few different motherboards that have different appearances. But for now I’ll stick to my example, and then, if possible, I’ll add something new. I can recommend looking for it in the chipset settings, most often that’s where it is located.
So, we reboot or turn on the computer and enter the BIOS; let me remind you that the standard keys for entering the BIOS are “ Del And F2", if nothing suits you.
Go to the tab " Advanced" and using the navigation arrows go down to the section " Chipset" or maybe " Chipset Configurations».
The next step is to go to the “ North Bridge Configuration" By the way, many people may not have this point; if so, it’s okay, skip this step and move on.
Having reached the desired location, select the option “ Memory Remap Feature", by pressing "Enter", set the value " Enable».
Afterwards, we confirm the selected value and restart the computer, saving all the changes made, by pressing the F10 key.
If earlier on a 64-bit system you only saw 3 GB of RAM instead of 4, now everything should change and after booting the computer, the system properties will show that all 4 (or more) gigs are in use.
At least it helped me, so the advice has been tested in practice and that is why I recommend using it first of all.
What else can you do if only three gigabytes of memory are available instead of four?
Everything is clear with the “Memory Remap” function, but what should those who don’t have it do? Yes, it may be that you won’t find this item at home, especially for laptop owners.
The fact is that this function can be built into the BIOS, even if there is no such parameter there. In such cases, of course, it is recommended to use the latest version. And only after this “Memory Remap” will begin to fulfill its functions.
You can also look for the parameter “ Memory Hole" its value should be set to " Disabled».
HPET Mode Another parameter that is recommended to be checked and set to “ 64-bit».
Opening through the window " Execute».
Move to the tab "" and click on "".
And here we uncheck the “” parameter.
Apply the new settings and restart the computer.
Also, some amount of RAM can be used by the built-in video. For example, if your monitor cable is connected next to the USB ports, then you are using built-in video, therefore, for it to work fully, a certain part is taken from the total amount of RAM and transferred to the GPU, and that is why instead of 4 GB you can see that there is slightly less memory available , for example 3.5 GB. Here you will have to measure yourself or buy a discrete video card.
There is also information that even with a separately installed video card, the processor continues to take up RAM for the needs of integrated video. In this case, you need to change the processor graphics value to the minimum or disable it completely by setting the value for integrated graphics in the BIOS to Disable (PCI or Auto). After the reboot, all missing RAM should return to its place and be displayed in full.
And of course, there is a possibility that instead of the installed amount of memory you see much less due to the fact that your motherboard simply does not support, for example, more than 3 or 4 GB, but this usually happens on quite old motherboards .
As you understand, there can be a lot of reasons for displaying 4 GB of memory instead of 3 GB, and everyone’s solutions may be different. In this instruction, I showed you what really helped me and what else you can try to get out of this situation. If anything, as always, I look forward to your comments, and together we will look for the answer to your question.
Some users continue to ask why they have, for example, 8 GB of RAM, but the system sees only 4 GB, or maybe even less. The answer to the question is very simple - this only happens with 32-bit systems. Whether you have Windows XP, Windows 7 or the current “ten”, but with a 32-bit architecture, it will not see more than 4 GB.
When viewing system properties, you can see even less available RAM, why is this happening? The answer is simple, part of the so-called address space goes to servicing connected peripheral devices. The video card turned out to be the most useful. Although some devices do not even use RAM. The amount of address space depends on the chipset and other parameters, for example, BIOS, computer configuration.
The system does not see part of the RAM
The only way to get rid of this problem is to reinstall the OS to the 64-bit version. Then you will have more than 4 GB available.
There is also one trick to the system. Press Win+R and enter the command msconfig. Next, the “System Configuration” window opens. Go to the “Download” tab and click on the “Advanced options” button there.
Uncheck the box "Maximum Memory".
Solution option number 2
It happens that devices for the computer configuration take up some of the memory, but not very much. Therefore, there is no need to worry about this.
Another option is to make sure which one is supported by the motherboard. But this applies more to older technologies.
You also need to enable the function in the BIOS Memory Remap Feature(also has names: Memory Hole Remapping, H/W Mem Remap And H/W memory hole Remapping). After that we install a 64-bit system. Sometimes these options are already enabled automatically on modern boards, so you can just make sure.
If you actually have less than 4 GB of RAM on a 64-bit system, then the Memory Remap Feature parameter should be disabled in any case. Not only will the available capacity become even smaller due to this, but some devices will also freeze, which especially affects simulation and gameplay.
It happens that the BIOS does not see the required amount of RAM, then it is worth updating it. This is a risky business and should be approached carefully and cautiously. Instructions for updating can always be found on the official website of the motherboard.
More materials:
If the installed modules are detected in the BIOS, but not in Windows, then you should check the manual for the motherboard. It usually says about connecting specific RAM modules, for example, which mode is better - single-channel or dual-channel. On the official website you can find out about the models that may suit you and the connection option.
If the system does not see the RAM, this may be due to an incorrectly set power supply value, as well as due to faulty modules. Moreover, if one of the strips fails, then the system may not start at all, then you need to get rid of it.
Let's sum it up
So, we figured out why the computer does not see RAM, as well as a certain amount of it. I’ll describe point by point what needs to be done if this happens:
- Reinstall the OS to the 64-bit version;
- In System Configuration, uncheck the “Maximum memory” item;
- Check the maximum amount of RAM on the motherboard;
- Check the serviceability of the RAM modules;
- Rearrange the RAM strips;
- — instructions on the official websites of motherboards;
You can also clean your computer from dust and dirt. Wipe the contacts on the RAM modules and clean the slots. I hope this article helps you!
People often ask the question: why is it that out of four (six or eight) gigabytes of RAM installed in a computer, only 2.23 (3.25 or 2.87, etc.) are available? The following are possible reasons for incomplete RAM detection.
Why does the computer not see part of the RAM?
1. A 32-bit operating system is installed.
Any 32-bit OS will “see” no more than 4 GB of RAM. More often - from 3.15 to 3.5 GB. And here it’s not so important whether it’s XP or “eight”. This happens due to the specific distribution of the memory address space. Accordingly, in order to avoid getting into such a situation, you need use 64-bit Windows OS.
2. The computer uses an integrated video adapter
An integrated (or “built-in”) video card can “cut off” part of the RAM for its own needs. This is very common in laptops. This situation is normal. And if the amount of remaining RAM is not enough for you, there is only one piece of advice: increase its volume by adding or replacing modules.
It is also important to understand here that:
- different integrated video adapters take up different amounts of RAM;
- the same video card is capable of taking up different amounts of memory, depending on the amount of RAM installed in the computer. Let's say when there was 2 GB of RAM, the video card took 512 MB. And when they installed 4GB, the graphics began to cut off 1GB.
- There are hybrid video adapters that have their own memory, but are also capable of expanding it by borrowing memory from RAM.
Because of these two reasons, it can sometimes be quite difficult to understand why a particular amount of RAM is available. After all, it may turn out that out of 6 installed gigabytes, 32-bit Windows “saw” 3.25 GB, and the video card “cut off” another 512 MB from this volume. As a result, in the system properties it will be written 6GB (2.73 available). The solution to such a combined problem will again be replacing the operating system with a 64-bit one and, if necessary, increasing RAM.
3. OS edition restrictions on the maximum amount of RAM
Younger editions of Windows 7 and Vista have limitations on RAM usage. For example, Windows 7 Starter only works with 2 GB of RAM, Home Basic x64 with 8 GB, and Home Extended x64 with 16 GB. Naturally, in this case, the only solution would be to install another edition of the operating system (for example, Pro).
4. Some memory modules are faulty or there is no contact
Turn off your computer. Unplug the power cord from your desktop PC or remove the battery from your laptop. Press the power button several times to remove the charge from the capacitors.
Remove all memory modules, clean their contacts with an eraser, then clean them with alcohol. Place the strips in place and check that they are all detected by the system. This can be conveniently done in the free CPU-Z program. Go to the SPD tab. On the left side of the window there is a drop-down list that displays information about the installed RAM sticks in each slot:
If empty fields are displayed when selecting a certain slot, it means that either there is no module in it, or it does not work.
5. Modules are installed incorrectly
In some motherboard models, some slots may not work until priority slots are occupied. Therefore, such nuances should be clarified in the manual for the motherboard (on the manufacturer’s website or in the brochure).
6. RAM module compatibility problem
Check the operation of the strips individually using Memtest86+ ().
If each module independently works correctly (it is detected in the system, its volume is displayed correctly, there are no errors in tests), and when several are installed together one is not detected, then there is a problem with the compatibility of the strips with each other. To avoid this, try to install absolutely identical modules ().
conclusions
Once again about the most important things. In order for the operating system to use the RAM to the maximum, it is recommended to install 64-bit Windows editions such as Professional. When it comes to modern operating systems (Windows 7, 8.1 and 10), there are no problems installing the 64-bit version. And if you have a choice, feel free to choose this option.
But XP x86 and XP x64 are actually different systems with different kernel versions. And Windows XP 64 bit edition is considered quite unstable. Therefore, it is recommended to either install Windows 7/8.1/10 (if the computer is designed to work with one of them), or leave XP 32 bit.
