Why would 256mb DDR ram show up as only 224mb?

[Phil Meehan]

Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install windows xp
pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard sound
and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into the
motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
unstable, there must be something wrong.

Thanks for any help.

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

Phil,

Your reduced RAM may be due to either your BIOS or onboard video card
reserving some.
See your hardware vendor for more information.

As regards your instability - is all of your hardware certified for use with
Windows XP ? is it on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/
--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

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

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions.
Please use these newsgroups

"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
...
> Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install windows
xp
> pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard sound
> and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into the
> motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> unstable, there must be something wrong.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
>

[Joe727]

Did you run the XP compatibility program to make sure all of your =
components including the BIOS can handle XP? The XP compatibility =
program is on the XP installation disk.

You might want to look at the ECS website for addition info:

http://www.ecsusa.com/

Your onboard sound and video chip will use some of your RAM, but that is =
not what is causing the problem.

Without knowing more about your setup, I would guess that you might have =
an out of date BIOS, motherboard chipset drivers, plus out of date video =
and sound drivers as well.

Again, because of the little info you provided, I can only guess at the =
source of the problem.

Joe

"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message =
...
> Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install =
windows xp
> pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard =
sound
> and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into =
the
> motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> unstable, there must be something wrong.
>=20
> Thanks for any help.
>=20
>

[Bob S.]

Sounds like your on-board video/graphics card is using 32Mb. Should be
selectable in your BIOS.

Bob S.

[larry samuels MS-MVP \(XP Shell/User\)]

Hi Phil,
The K7SOM has onboard video adjustable in the BIOS from 8mb to 64mb.
Yours is currently set to 32mb shared video memory.

--
Larry Samuels MS-MVP (Windows-Shell/User)
Associate Expert
Unofficial FAQ for Windows Server 2003 at
http://home.earthlink.net/~larrysamuels/WS2003FAQ.htm
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
_____________________________________________
"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
...
> Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install windows
xp
> pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard sound
> and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into the
> motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> unstable, there must be something wrong.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
>

[Phil Meehan]

"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
...
> Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install windows
xp
> pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard sound
> and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into the
> motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> unstable, there must be something wrong.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
>

I have now installed all the devices, onboard audio, video, usb controller
etc, and they are all recognised as working properly by windows. Now I only
seem to be getting problems on startup and shutdown. If Windows actually
decides to load, then it runs ok, but if I shut down, more often than not,
it's straight to BSOD. If it manages to shut down, then it is a guaranteed
BSOD when I restart. One error I had was "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" which
was apparently caused by the file win32k.sys. Another error was
"IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". Would replacing the win32k.sys file with the one
from the Windows cd make any difference I wonder?

The annoying thing is, the errors and blue screens seem completely random,
there is no pattern to them. If it was the same error all the time, the
problem would be easier to pinpoint.

[Joe727]

Did you always have two hard drives installed?

How many watts is your power supply?

Joe

"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message =
...
>=20
> "Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install =
windows
> xp
> > pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard =
sound
> > and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged =
into the
> > motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> > restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> > unstable, there must be something wrong.
> >
> > Thanks for any help.
> >
> >
>=20
> I have now installed all the devices, onboard audio, video, usb =
controller
> etc, and they are all recognised as working properly by windows. Now I =
only
> seem to be getting problems on startup and shutdown. If Windows =
actually
> decides to load, then it runs ok, but if I shut down, more often than =
not,
> it's straight to BSOD. If it manages to shut down, then it is a =
guaranteed
> BSOD when I restart. One error I had was "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA" =
which
> was apparently caused by the file win32k.sys. Another error was
> "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". Would replacing the win32k.sys file with the =
one
> from the Windows cd make any difference I wonder?
>=20
> The annoying thing is, the errors and blue screens seem completely =
random,
> there is no pattern to them. If it was the same error all the time, =
the
> problem would be easier to pinpoint.
>=20
>

[Phil Meehan]

"Joe727" > wrote in message
...
Did you always have two hard drives installed?

How many watts is your power supply?

Joe

Hi Joe,

I don't have 2 hard drives installed, just a 20 gb hd split into two
partitions with Win XP on the C: partition. My power supply is 300w.




"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install
windows
> xp
> > pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard
sound
> > and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into
the
> > motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> > restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> > unstable, there must be something wrong.
> >
> > Thanks for any help.
> >
> >
>
> I have now installed all the devices, onboard audio, video, usb controller
> etc, and they are all recognised as working properly by windows. Now I
only
> seem to be getting problems on startup and shutdown. If Windows actually
> decides to load, then it runs ok, but if I shut down, more often than not,
> it's straight to BSOD. If it manages to shut down, then it is a guaranteed
> BSOD when I restart. One error I had was "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA"
which
> was apparently caused by the file win32k.sys. Another error was
> "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". Would replacing the win32k.sys file with the one
> from the Windows cd make any difference I wonder?
>
> The annoying thing is, the errors and blue screens seem completely random,
> there is no pattern to them. If it was the same error all the time, the
> problem would be easier to pinpoint.
>
>

[Joe727]

"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message =
...
> "Joe727" > wrote in message
> ...
> Did you always have two hard drives installed?
>=20
> How many watts is your power supply?
>=20
> Joe
>=20
> Hi Joe,
>=20
> I don't have 2 hard drives installed, just a 20 gb hd split into two
> partitions with Win XP on the C: partition. My power supply is 300w.
>=20
<snip> Sorry, I thought you had 2 hard drives. Anyway, did you update =
your chipset drivers?

Joe

[Len Segal]

Phil,

I suggest that you go to MVP Jim Eshelman's Webpage on Shutdown
problems,identify each error message and try troubleshooting it from the
info on his Webpage.
http://aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm

--

Regards,
Len Segal, MCP
Microsoft - MVP
--------------
My reply address is intentionally wrong to reduce SPAM Email.
NOTE: We do not respond to unsolicited Email support questions,
please post questions in newsgroup.

"Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Phil Meehan" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Is this an indication that it is bad ram? I am trying to install
windows
> xp
> > pro onto a machine with an ECS K7S0M motherboard, which has onboard
sound
> > and graphics, so the ram is the only thing that has been plugged into
the
> > motherboard. I keep getting all sorts of STOP errors, the pc keeps
> > restarting etc. I finally managed to get XP installed, but it is so
> > unstable, there must be something wrong.
> >
> > Thanks for any help.
> >
> >
>
> I have now installed all the devices, onboard audio, video, usb controller
> etc, and they are all recognised as working properly by windows. Now I
only
> seem to be getting problems on startup and shutdown. If Windows actually
> decides to load, then it runs ok, but if I shut down, more often than not,
> it's straight to BSOD. If it manages to shut down, then it is a guaranteed
> BSOD when I restart. One error I had was "PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA"
which
> was apparently caused by the file win32k.sys. Another error was
> "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL". Would replacing the win32k.sys file with the one
> from the Windows cd make any difference I wonder?
>
> The annoying thing is, the errors and blue screens seem completely random,
> there is no pattern to them. If it was the same error all the time, the
> problem would be easier to pinpoint.
>
>