8GB RAM, DxDiag only says I have 3554MB Ram? - Hardware & Software

Hey, so my newly built PC is up and running, I'm chuffed! It's great. Really can't wait to play games. Sadly had to format the PC as it kept bluescreening every time Windows would start up (the little Windows logo with the green bar that moved at the bottom, would freeze after starting and just Blue Screen). Anyways, problem is in the title. I have 8GB of Corsair DDR3 RAM yet only 3554MB shows up in DXDiag, what gives? Thanks for the help.

[QUOTE=ballads;37005330]32 bit[/QUOTE] So you're saying I need to upgrade my Windows to 64 bit, correct? As 64 bit is compatible with >4GB of RAM, yeah? How would I go about upgrading my Windows to 64 bit?

Acquire a Windows boot disk that is 64 bit and reinstall Windows.

[QUOTE=Teddybeer;37005470]You can't upgrade from 32bit to 64bit, you will need to re-install it completely.[/QUOTE] Sorry for my lack of technical abilities, but would re-installing format my hard drive? I'm pretty sure it won't, but just checking.

[QUOTE=loopoo;37005582]Sorry for my lack of technical abilities, but would re-installing format my hard drive? I'm pretty sure it won't, but just checking.[/QUOTE] yep it will

[QUOTE=Sokrates;37005843]yep it will[/QUOTE] Damn. There's no other way around this? I really don't want to format my hard drive.

[QUOTE=loopoo;37005896]Damn. There's no other way around this? I really don't want to format my hard drive.[/QUOTE] Nope, I'm sorry. Backup your saves and important documents into a flash or upload them temporarily to a file sharing website, then re-install your shit.

[QUOTE=mp3karas;37006028]Nope, I'm sorry. Backup your saves and important documents into a flash or upload them temporarily to a file sharing website, then re-install your shit.[/QUOTE] Well shit. Could I buy Windows 8 and then download their Windows 8 64-bit Installer then install that? Might as well upgrade from Vista.

[QUOTE=loopoo;37006044]Well shit. Could I buy Windows 8 and then download their Windows 8 64-bit Installer then install that? Might as well upgrade from Vista.[/QUOTE] Vista? Fuck that, get Windows 7. Windows 8 (far as I've heard) is pretty terribad, but I haven't had the confidence nor the money to get it. Also, I think when you're switching between Windows your shit gets annihilated as well. You're kind of screwed here since (i'm not a tech expert, bear with me) all the programs you have are set for 32 bit, so after switching to 64 bit all the 32 bit programs won't work, including your anti-virus and other software.

[QUOTE=mp3karas;37006249]Vista? Fuck that, get Windows 7. Windows 8 (far as I've heard) is pretty terribad, but I haven't had the confidence nor the money to get it. Also, I think when you're switching between Windows your shit gets annihilated as well. You're kind of screwed here since (i'm not a tech expert, bear with me) all the programs you have are set for 32 bit, so after switching to 64 bit all the 32 bit programs won't work, including your anti-virus and other software.[/QUOTE] Haha, fuck my life. Ah well, at least my PC is up and running and I've got a decent setup now. I'll just format and get it over with, watch a movie whilst everything gets reinstalled or whatever. Thanks for the help man!

[QUOTE=loopoo;37006363]Haha, fuck my life. Ah well, at least my PC is up and running and I've got a decent setup now. I'll just format and get it over with, watch a movie whilst everything gets reinstalled or whatever. Thanks for the help man![/QUOTE] Re-installing windows 7 takes up to 2-3 hours at max (for me at least). Don't forget to back up important stuff into a DVD/CD/USB/FileSharing website. Oh, and one more thing: [B]Why did you buy Vista WHY WHY[/B]

[QUOTE=mp3karas;37006394]Re-installing windows 7 takes up to 2-3 hours at max (for me at least). Don't forget to back up important stuff into a DVD/CD/USB/FileSharing website. Oh, and one more thing: [B]Why did you buy Vista WHY WHY[/B][/QUOTE] Long story short: Basically had this PC for about 4 years or so, sister ended up taking it to some dodgy PC fixer guy who stole all my parts from my gaming PC and left me with shitty everything (motherboard, power unit, ram, stole one of my graphics cards [I was running SLI at the time]) so it's only now that I've scrounged up the money and gone and gotten myself a new graphics card / motherboard / power unit / ram. So it's running Vista cause at the time it was sold, 7 wasn't out yet.

iirc you can actually "upgrade" from vista if you have the disk space, which will install win7 and scrobble all your old files into a "Windows old" folder.

[QUOTE=Drsalvador;37006764]iirc you can actually "upgrade" from vista if you have the disk space, which will install win7 and scrobble all your old files into a "Windows old" folder.[/QUOTE] No, that's for re-installing with the same bits. When installing from 32 to 64 or vice versa, all your files get deleted because of incompatibility.

[QUOTE=mp3karas;37006864]No, that's for re-installing with the same bits. When installing from 32 to 64 or vice versa, all your files get deleted because of incompatibility.[/QUOTE] are you sure? i updated from Vista to 7 in 2010 and got the option to. it shoves them into essentially an archive folder.

[QUOTE=Drsalvador;37006917]are you sure? i updated from Vista to 7 in 2010 and got the option to. it shoves them into essentially an archive folder.[/QUOTE] Huh, I must have made a mistake. I think you can, then, but all the installed software won't be compatible with your 64-bit system because all of it is 32-bit.

It's cool guys, I'll format anyways. I had to format my 500gb hard drive (which only had 70gb of free space left) which sucked major balls but it had to be done as windows kept blue screening whenever I'd turn the PC on. Ah well. It's a fresh install and has been for about 2 hours so I won't lose much.

[QUOTE=Sokrates;37005843]yep it will[/QUOTE] No it won't, it'll move the contents of the drive into C:\Windows.old.

Guys, to save having to open a new thread, here's another problem I have: I have two 500GB hard drives. However, one of them doesn't show up. It's ever since I formatted my PC a while ago, I formatted both partitions. When I booted up Windows, one of the hard drives was working fine, but the other just showed an icon in the My Computer view. Upon double-clicking the icon, it brought up a little primitive formatting program. I clicked format, but then cancelled after five minutes as it was taking too long. Ever since then, the hard drive hasn't been visible. I don't know how to format it and get it to show. Did I ruin it?

[QUOTE=mp3karas;37007022]Huh, I must have made a mistake. I think you can, then, but [B]all the installed software won't be compatible with your 64-bit system because all of it is 32-bit[/B].[/QUOTE] That's not true, lot's of the programs will work just fine. @loopoo During the install, try to format and create a partion on that hdd, see if it shows up then.

[QUOTE=0lenny0;37008558]That's not true, lot's of the programs will work just fine. @loopoo During the install, try to format and create a partion on that hdd, see if it shows up then.[/QUOTE] Thing is, the hard drive doesn't even show up. Only 1 out of my 2 500GB hard drives shows up. Trying to load the driver doesn't work either, and I'm positive it's plugged in right. Maybe I just fucked it up and broke it permanently when I cancelled the Computer format tool.

[QUOTE=mp3karas;37007022]Huh, I must have made a mistake. I think you can, then, but all the installed software won't be compatible with your 64-bit system because all of it is 32-bit.[/QUOTE] are you retarded 32-bit software works fine under 64-bit, it's 64-bit that doesn't work on 32.

[QUOTE=Drsalvador;37013594]are you retarded 32-bit software works fine under 64-bit, it's 64-bit that doesn't work on 32.[/QUOTE] Dude, no need to be a douche. He made a mistake.

[QUOTE=0lenny0;37008558]That's not true, lot's of the programs will work just fine. [/QUOTE] Ah, alright then, thanks for correcting me. [editline]31st July 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Drsalvador;37013594]are you retarded 32-bit software works fine under 64-bit, it's 64-bit that doesn't work on 32.[/QUOTE] Oh, I mixed it up then, sorry. (no need to be a douche about it, but then again this is facepunch)

Yea you can't be wrong or have different beliefs on facepunch.

[QUOTE=QuikKill;37016656]Yea you can't be wrong or have different beliefs on facepunch.[/QUOTE] You mean the Internet?

[QUOTE=QuikKill;37016656]Yea you can't be wrong or have different beliefs on facepunch.[/QUOTE] I can see where he's coming from. You're in the technical support sub-section, you should be aware of the help you give. For example, due to mp3karas's help, I put off formatting as I didn't want to lose some programs, whereas if I'd have known it wouldn't delete everything, I'd have gone and done it pronto. But all is okay.

[QUOTE=loopoo;37006044]Well shit. Could I buy Windows 8 and then download their Windows 8 64-bit Installer then install that? Might as well upgrade from Vista.[/QUOTE] Don't buy Win 8....