Windows 2000 reports less memory than in fact installed   

I've got into a strange stuation trying to increase the RAM from 256MB to 512 
MB. Computer running Win2000 was too slow :) having 256MB RAM, so I installed 
the second stick. BIOS immediately reported 512 MB, but alas! The Windows (in 
the "My Computer/Properties", as well as in the "System Information" utility 
and in the Performance tab of the Device Manager) reports the same 256 MB.
I tried to resit the sticks in the slots, to insert to another (unused) 
slots, and to use them by one. In all the cases (whether a single stick is 
installed - or the both) result is the same - BIOS reports the correct value, 
but Windows - when there is 512 MB installed - does not.
I got thrilled and found one 512 MB stick (I made sure the motherboard - oh, 
and that is Shuttle AP60B - should support RAM I was using). To my surprise 
even in this situation nothing changed - 512MB according to BIOS and 256 MB 
according to Windows.
Has anyone experienced similar problem, and does anyone have an idea of what 
may be the reason for this weird problem?
Thanks in advance,
Mike

date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 19:38:00 -0700   author:   Mike Faynberg

RE: Windows 2000 reports less memory than in fact installed   

Hello Mike,

in Windows XP there is an option that you can set in the boot.ini:
/MAXMEM=

Maybe in your boot.ini there is the /MAXMEM=256MB set.
The other way to check if the failure depends on hardware or software is to 
simply boot from a linux live cd (like knoppix). If linux can access the 
whole 512MB, then there is defintely a problem in your windows installation 
(maybe the above mentioned boot.ini setting).

Kind regards.

"Mike Faynberg" wrote:

> I've got into a strange stuation trying to increase the RAM from 256MB to 512 
> MB. Computer running Win2000 was too slow :) having 256MB RAM, so I installed 
> the second stick. BIOS immediately reported 512 MB, but alas! The Windows (in 
> the "My Computer/Properties", as well as in the "System Information" utility 
> and in the Performance tab of the Device Manager) reports the same 256 MB.
> I tried to resit the sticks in the slots, to insert to another (unused) 
> slots, and to use them by one. In all the cases (whether a single stick is 
> installed - or the both) result is the same - BIOS reports the correct value, 
> but Windows - when there is 512 MB installed - does not.
> I got thrilled and found one 512 MB stick (I made sure the motherboard - oh, 
> and that is Shuttle AP60B - should support RAM I was using). To my surprise 
> even in this situation nothing changed - 512MB according to BIOS and 256 MB 
> according to Windows.
> Has anyone experienced similar problem, and does anyone have an idea of what 
> may be the reason for this weird problem?
> Thanks in advance,
> Mike

date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 01:51:00 -0700   author:   Karl-Heinz Fuchs