Vista showing RAM at 3GB but have 4GB

[enzu1221]

So I just got a new computer recently for multi boxing and when I started it up, it says it only has 3GB of RAM. I checked inside the system and the 4 chips were there with 1GB each. I also checked the BIOS and it said there was 4GB. But when I run my 4-boxing on my one computer, the Task Manager shows my Max RAM as 3GB.

Anyone know what is happening?

My system specs:
20" widescreen
Inter Core2 Quad CPU 2.40GHz
Windows Vista Home Premium
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX

[Xzin]

Windows Vista Home Premium

Not Vista 64 is what is happening.

[enzu1221]

Is Home Edition placing a limit or something on my RAM? And which version is Windows Vista 64? Sorry, but I know nothing about how the versions affect my hardware.

[Xzin]

Found after 30 seconds of Googling....

"The Ultimate edition comes with both x86 and x64 DVDs in the box, with all the other retail editions you only get the x86 DVD in the box, but you can send off for the x64 DVD for the cost of postage & packing. With OEM discs you have to specify which version you want up front, so if you buy x86 and want to move to x64 you would have to buy a new OEM disc."

In short, you have a 32 bit OS but 64 bit hardware. Install a 64 bit OS and go to town with 4 gigs.

[enzu1221]

It looks like my OS/PC is running on 32bit. If I do a clean install of Windows Ultimate, will I be able to run the 64bit version?

[Xzin]

Only if you install the 64 bit version.

[Ughmahedhurtz]

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid&ID=929605

[yarr]

OK i may be wrong on this but i read somewhere on microsoft's site that you can download a 64-bit upgrade if you already have a liscense for the 32-bit vista.

Again i could be wrong because im a newbie who knows very little about vista (i dont even own vista ^_^)

[enzu1221]

I went out today and bought a copy of the "Upgrade to Vista Ultimate" package and made sure it had the 32bit and 64bit DVDs in it.

When I got home, I popped in the 64bit DVD and it gives me this error from trying to start it on desktop:

"Setup can not run on this version of the Operating System. To install Windows please try booting from the install media."

So I decided to boot the PC from the disc and install it that way. And it gave me another error saying something similar to:

"You must have a genuine copy of Windows to install this on."

And that's where I'm stuck.

[Xzin]

If you want my opinion, I think you were stuck the moment you decided to buy Vista.