First let me just start off by saying that I have read a couple of other threads on these boards and seen a couple of answers to my question but they either weren't addressing my particular system or weren't making sense to me or flat out didn't work.
As stated, I am currently using an HP Pavillion dv9260nr.
I have had the system for about 9 mos but I just upgraded my HD to a Seagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420AS 200GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive - OEM purchased from newegg.com here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148307&Tpk=22-148-307.
I am also in the process of upgrading my RAM to 2 modules (4gbs) of Kingston 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Laptop Memory For HP/Compaq - Retail also from newegg.com here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134623&Tpk=20-134-623.
I installed the HD first and got a fresh install of Vista 64-bit just fine. I got all the updates installed (including 929777 which is supposed to address the 4gb issue). I installed the memory and went to a blue screen at boot up. After doing some more research I found that my bios was out of date so I flashed it with the latest version from HP's site.
Upon rebooting my bios reads 4gb but my system reads 3. I have heard here and elsewhere that HP is diverting the missing gb for video memory but this explanation just doesn't make sense to me. I have had my system set up with 2 gbs (out of the box), 3gbs (while trouble shooting my RAM modules and blue screen error) and now 4gbs. If the above explanation is accurate then why didn't my system read 1gb when 2gbs were installed or 2gbs when 3 gbs were installed.
If anyone could please either help me get my system to read the full 4gbs or offer up a more detailed explanation for the missing gb it would be greatly appreciated!
As stated, I am currently using an HP Pavillion dv9260nr.
I have had the system for about 9 mos but I just upgraded my HD to a Seagate Momentus 7200.2 ST9200420AS 200GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive - OEM purchased from newegg.com here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148307&Tpk=22-148-307.
I am also in the process of upgrading my RAM to 2 modules (4gbs) of Kingston 2GB 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Laptop Memory For HP/Compaq - Retail also from newegg.com here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134623&Tpk=20-134-623.
I installed the HD first and got a fresh install of Vista 64-bit just fine. I got all the updates installed (including 929777 which is supposed to address the 4gb issue). I installed the memory and went to a blue screen at boot up. After doing some more research I found that my bios was out of date so I flashed it with the latest version from HP's site.
Upon rebooting my bios reads 4gb but my system reads 3. I have heard here and elsewhere that HP is diverting the missing gb for video memory but this explanation just doesn't make sense to me. I have had my system set up with 2 gbs (out of the box), 3gbs (while trouble shooting my RAM modules and blue screen error) and now 4gbs. If the above explanation is accurate then why didn't my system read 1gb when 2gbs were installed or 2gbs when 3 gbs were installed.
If anyone could please either help me get my system to read the full 4gbs or offer up a more detailed explanation for the missing gb it would be greatly appreciated!