"Grillo" wrote in message
...
Subject: Memory limit on XP Pro??? 8/19/2005 5:37 AM PST

By: Eric Boltz In: microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics


A client of mine recently purcahsed a graphics workstation. Huge rig, top
of
the line hardware. He got 4GB of ram in it, and all 4gb is seen during
POST
and BIOS checks. However, Windows XP will only show 3GB installed. I was
able to get it to 'utilize' 3GB with the use of the /3gb switch in
boot.ini,
but still... is there any way to get XP pro to utilize all 4gb of ram, or
did
he blow a bunch of cash on extra hardware he'll not be able to use?

Windows XP can and does utilize all of the ram. However, a user process
only gets to use 2GB unless you invoke the 3GB switch.
The remaining part of the virtual address space is used to map the system so
that the user can get it to do things.
Your client's system should run very fast with 4GB of ram. That extra GB is
most definitely not wasted unless, of course, your client never read or
writes to devices such as disks or monitors, never connects to a modem,
never accesses the internet, etc. If you client never does any of those
things, he does not need a computer.
Jim