Windows 7 Not Showing All of My Installed Memory

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JBRONCFAN

JBRONCFAN

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Jul 24, 2015
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Finished building my new rig couple weeks ago, been running flawlessly ever since. Very happy with my system temps and timings.

When I go to Computer>Properties I get the description of my system and the Windows 7 running on it. It describes my system in detail and when it gets to describing my memory, it reads "8 gigs installed (3.91 gigs available).

I've never seen this before on any of my other builds or others' pcs. It's meaning is clear but I need to know WHY the whole 8 gigs is not available?? Windows Update won't allow me to update, says it runs out of memory. I opened Task Manager, select the Performance tab and leave it open and shows during an attempted update the pc running out of memory.
 
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Earlier in this thread you mentioned you set the pagefile to 0. Did you set up a pagefile as suggested?

You also said that with only 1 stick installed, all 4GB is usable. With 1 stick installed, how much is hardware reserved (using the second screenshot page you referenced above).
 
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Found this on a similar thread about our problem:

"
Hi guys. I stumbled across the same problem today. Just want to let people know, in case they are looking for answers that I fixed it by dialing back my HT and CPUNB ratio by one step. Seems like the memory controller just did not cope with 16GB with a controller of 2600mhz. After this it showed 16/16 gb again."
 
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A bent pin wouldn't do that to you, as you would have had the issue from day 1. Also you said you tried resetting everything in your BIOS to default, so those overclock settings wouldn't have an effect either (unless you have AMD Overdrive programmed to overclock via software on startup, I hope you do not).

The problem is you said it did work fine, until one day you turned it on and it didn't. Are you 100% sure from day 1 it did not have this issue?

Also with removing 1 stick and now not showing hardware reserved, that is strange.
 
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Can't be 100% sure. All I think is I have been to the Computer>Properties page a bunch of times when I first got up and I cannot remember ever seeing any unusable RAM. Wasn't until I tried to update Windows and it kept going and going and I got an error. Discovered the error meant I didn't have enough memory which seemed strange. THAT is how I found out about the unusable RAM.
 
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Ok so depends how deep you want to dive here but a bent pin could do it, although it should cause other issues as well. You could also try to downclock your memory in your BIOS.

For your memory, did you buy something off the reccomend list from ASUS?
 
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Bought off the QVL.

Bought two of the exact same Corsair Vengeance Performance.

I downclocked the HT and CPU/NB frequencies to match the memory of 1600mhz. PC wouldn't post so I assume that was too much. The post about this does say they downclocked ONE step which I think would be 2200mhz.
 
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I must admit this is the second new CPU I had to install in my new rig. First CPU I ended up REALLY bending a few pins. I haphazardly screwed in the Coolmaster Cooler. When the second CPU came in I took my time and screwed each screw in 3 turns at a time going in an "X" pattern. I was super careful and like I said I am pretty sure there was at least a few days that my RAM was solid. I did a very large Windows Update successfully. I mention that because my lack of RAM won't allow me to install the next set of updates.

Do you have any idea where exactly on the CPU the pins are that control the memory controller?? I still have the old CPU with the bent pins and I'd like to know if they are in the same part of the CPU that controls the memory controller.
 
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No idea, I am not even sure thats something you can find out there in the world.

That said based on what happened to you I'd say its possible something in the socket was damaged causing this. If you have some thermal paste and about 30 minutes you may have your answer.
 
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I went 5 months with a computer cause I fucked around too much between overclocking, messin with the voltages and timings. I made a promise NOT to ever fuck with this one EVER!!! I pull out that CPU and it's pristine.....now I gotta worry all over again if I'm gonna bend a pin or two when I re-install it!!!!

My rig is absolutely gorgeous, cost a good amount of money (I try to buy the best parts), is running unbelievable and is super cool. Don't wanna risk all that for something that technically I don't need. Don't know what I'm gonna do if I wanna update Windows again. Shouldn't need an update for a while I got Service Pack 1. Couldn't have gotten it without all my RAM available so my RAM was all usable at a week ago.

Any ideas how I could get Windows Update if I can't download it directly??
 
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I don't know if you can anymore, you used to be able to download them manually. Honestly you're gonna spend your life chasing updates (theres tons weekly) or figure out the problem. Running with only 4gb of ram in there is a HUGE handicap. And while the update may have worked before, maybe the new update just needs more memory.

Now that said did you turn back on your pagefile and virtual memory? If this was on then it should download the updates.
 
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Good call on the VM I will try to download update shortly.....

breaking fuckin news!!!! The ASUS website says my CPU the 8350 is supported since BIOS 1604. I'm running BIOS 2501 which is actually listed for a different ASUS MOBO. I think I should be downloading 1604 yes?? Any way you can confirm this??
 
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You shouldn't have been able to update the BIOS to one it doesn't support. However if everything is running ok, And theres no special features or fixes in a BIOS, you shouldn't update the BIOS at all. A BIOS update could in theory cause this issue as well. However BIOS 2501 is available for that motherboard, so unless you think you downloaded the wrong one, its very likely you have the correct one. v1604 is just the first one that supported it. Did you update the BIOS and maybe that was the change that happened?

EDIT: Where did you get 1604 from, this says v 1006:

http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_990FX_R20/HelpDesk_CPU/

You downloaded from here right?

http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/SABERTOOTH_990FX_R20/HelpDesk_Download/

 
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Just read about it never downloaded anything.

Just tried Windows Update and got nothing. Just kept going and going. I got all the old Windows Updates that got me current. Is Windows still updating Win7??? Cause my Win Update just keeps spinning and spinning and I don't even get a memory error. Like 7 whole minutes of looking like it is searching but nothing happens.
 
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Better than a memory error. Yes there still are updates, that said its probably downloading Windows 10, thats why its just going and going. I'd leave it alone overnight see what happens.

Did you check your computer properties now that you turned virtual memory back on?
 
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Well I am officially a Windows 10 BE-ATCH!! One thing I noticed with this unusable RAM problem, everyone seems to be running Win7. I was happy with Win7 but I figured Win10 will have better security and mostly it's NOT Win8 (probably the worst OS out there).

Of course I still have unusable RAM with Win10. Guess I'll be spending the morning getting my new Win10 straightened out. I read about a lot of people that have this unusable RAM problem. Let me know if you can think of anything else.
 
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Just realized Windows Update works just fine as I updated to an entirely different OS (well...you know what I mean). Win10 seems to really have me hopping around the net pretty good, just gotta learn how Win10 is different from Win7. Updating was the only problem I saw with this weird unusable RAM thing so I guess I am done worrying about this. Thanks for all the help.
 
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We literally went through every solution I can think of for this problem. I've dealt with it before and one of these things usually cured it. Win 10 is excellent, its so much better than everything else.

I feel like this should come down to something really simple, like the ram not completely snapped into the slot. It may seem like its in but it needs some force. Thats the most common way to clear this issue.
 
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