SOLVED 4 GB of RAM with 3.14 Usable?

[Prodigous]

Hi, I installed some RAM today and it was a 4 GB stick since I wanted 8, but it says 3.14 is usable now I would appreciate some help

Please help!

 

[Trouble]

Is the video card integrated? If so how much system RAM is dedicated to it?

 

[Prodigous]

Is the video card integrated? If so how much system RAM is dedicated to it?

How exactly do I check that? I got a new video card recently so I don't think so.

 

[Tim Locke]

"it was a 4 GB stick since I wanted 8" You added a 4GB stick? Presumably you had a 4GB stick in before as the machine was working?
Did you go into the BIOS and check the PC thinks it now has 8GB? Most PCs for the last 20 years do that automatically and your PC has an I7 so it ain't that old!

From your display looks as if it did not recognize the new memory. Are both sticks the same type and speed? They should be DDR3 and at least close to the same speed.

 

[Prodigous]

"it was a 4 GB stick since I wanted 8" You added a 4GB stick? Presumably you had a 4GB stick in before as the machine was working?
Did you go into the BIOS and check the PC thinks it now has 8GB? Most PCs for the last 20 years do that automatically and your PC has an I7 so it ain't that old!

From your display looks as if it did not recognize the new memory. Are both sticks the same type and speed? They should be DDR3 and at least close to the same speed.

I already have 3 DDR3 Sticks then I Got a new DDR3 Stick a G.SKILL One that has 4 GB and now it says this so... IDK.
I recently got the i7

 

[Tim Locke]

So what memory sticks are plugged into the PC's memory sockets? Number and size?

 

[Trouble]

And remember, Windows 10 can be a bit picky when it comes to memory, so it is generally a good idea when purchasing memory to do so in sets or at least something with identical specs at a minimum.

 

[Prodigous]

I just ordered the same stick, so I'll update this when that comes in

 

[Trouble]

I recently got the i7

Did you upgrade the processor and then do the install or did you do the install and upgrade the processor afterwards?
You don't perhaps have max memory configured in msconfig -> boot tab -> advanced button..... do you?

 

[Prodigous]

Did you upgrade the processor and then do the install or did you do the install and upgrade the processor afterwards?
You don't perhaps have max memory configured in msconfig -> boot tab -> advanced button..... do you?

View attachment 1889

Yeah I did that, it didn't work unfortunately.

 

[Tim Locke]

Can we start again here.

You have a PC with a motherboard with either 2 or 4 memory slots right?
What was in those slots before you bought the new memory stick?

Need to know the type ( DDR2 or DDR3) and speed which is usually embedded in a number on the memory...something like xxxxx800xxx or yyy1600yyy and how many of your slots had memory in.

 

[Prodigous]

Can we start again here.

You have a PC with a motherboard with either 2 or 4 memory slots right?
What was in those slots before you bought the new memory stick?

Need to know the type ( DDR2 or DDR3) and speed which is usually embedded in a number on the memory...something like xxxxx800xxx or yyy1600yyy and how many of your slots had memory in.

It has 4 slots and there were 1GB of Ram for each stick. They're DDR3

 

[Tim Locke]

OK so you'll have to replace sticks in pairs I think. Choices are
slots 0 and 1 each with a 4GB and slots 2 and 3 each with a 1Gb to give you 10GB
or 0 and 1 each with 4Gb and 2 and 3 empty.


I don't think that 0 and 2 with 4GB and 1 and 3 with 1Gb would work but I'm not sure.

If your new 4GB sticks are a different speed, like faster, than the 1Gb sticks that are in place I'd just go with 2 * 4Gb.


the machine should just come up showing 8GB with a bit less than that usable

As Trouble said last night...Windows can be funny about memory configurations


Just for interest, is this machine new? A machine with a fast I7 cpu and only 4Gb of memory sounds like a machine built to a price. How fast and big is the HDD? I bet a 1TB 5400 rpm drive or maybe a 2Tb 7200 rpm drive.

 

[Dan99]

Your earlier upload indicates that Windows 10 is not activated. Why not?

 

[Prodigous]

Your earlier upload indicates that Windows 10 is not activated. Why not?

View attachment 1890

I got new parts so the windows isn't activated anymore and I can't get the product key because I got it for free when it was released.

I'm stupid and never realized the product key was there :C

 

[Dan99]

You may be able to recover the key. Here is a link to ProduKey;

http://download.cnet.com/ProduKey/3000-2094_4-10457063.html

I tried it but got a different key from my original but try it it may work and if not there is an automated phone call you can use to get activated.

 

[Trouble]

As I suspected and asked earlier...

Did you upgrade the processor and then do the install or did you do the install and upgrade the processor afterwards?

You have changed too many parts in order to maintain your "activation".
You'll likely need to contact Microsoft and explain what happened and see if they will activate it for you.
You may want to wait until you've finished upgrading the kit first.
AND
You may have to go back to your original version of Windows that qualified for the upgrade and start over.

 

[Prodigous]

As I suspected and asked earlier...

You have changed too many parts in order to maintain your "activation".
You'll likely need to contact Microsoft and explain what happened and see if they will activate it for you.
You may want to wait until you've finished upgrading the kit first.
AND
You may have to go back to your original version of Windows that qualified for the upgrade and start over.

Since I can't recover the product key I need to contact them, do I just call the microsoft number?

 

[clifford_cooley]

Lets backup a bit. Tell us when you received your machine and which operating system was on it at the time.

Assuming there is license activation key available, can you get the original operating system back? Maybe there are recovery disk or a recovery partition still available to you.

 

[Prodigous]

Lets backup a bit. Tell us when you received your machine and which operating system was on it at the time.

Assuming there is license activation key available, can you get the original operating system back? Maybe there are recovery disk or a recovery partition still available to you.

I got this computer in 2011, it's a Alienware Aurora 2011 and we got it with Windows 7 Ultimate, since then a lot of stuff happend and I've factory reset it so we had to install another windows 7 then we upgraded to windows 8 and then we finally upgraded to windows 10