Windows 7 not using 4GB of it's ram

Hi Everyone

I posted this a while ago in the support section. I thought for the second time I had fix my problem. Though it has happen again. So what's going on is I have 6144mb of ram on my Compaq Presario CQ62 402AU. So I have the 2GB Hp stick which cam ewith the laptop (2GB DDR3 1066MHz) and I have a 4GB stick from G-Skill). So there should be 5.76GB usable, but I only have 1.74GB usable. This is what is it when I only had the 2GB. THe Bios says there is 6144GB in there. Windows says there 6.0GB in there also.

So what I have tried:

• Running Mem Tests (Hp one which came with my laptop and Memtestx86)
• Taking out the ram and putting them in there sorts again
• Taking out the ram, running a pencil eraser over the connecters and then putting them back in
• Doing testing so Only 1 is in and try that in both slots for both sticks of ram
• Swapping the ram positions
• Making sure that Max ram is not selected in Msconfig

So basic System info you may want to know (Most of my profile info is there of my computer)

• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit SP1
• Installed Memory (Ram) (This is from the basic system info page) 6.00GB (1.74GB Usable)

The odd thing is that it worked fine for a while. Today I went to school with the 5.76GB and I come back home 8 hours later, the computer has only been on lock for this time and there is only 1.76GB usable.

Hope you can come up with a fix for this. Any other information you may need, just ask and I will try to give it to you as well as I can

So I have the 2GB Hp stick which cam ewith the laptop (2GB DDR3 1066MHz) and I have a 4GB stick from G-Skill). So there should be 5.76GB usable, but I only have 1.74GB usable. This is what is it when I only had the 2GB. THe Bios says there is 6144GB in there. Windows says there 6.0GB in there also.

I am not following that.

You say it showed 1.74Gb when it only had the 2Gb. Then you said with both sticks, the BIOS says 6144Gb (I assume you mean 6144MB) and Windows shows 6Gb.

That all sounds right to me.

So it appears you are saying sometimes the extra 4 appears and sometimes it does not. Did it ever work consistently?

I cannot find the specs for your notebook. Are you sure it supports 6Gb?

Hello

So to clear some stuff up. Your correct about your thoughts. Windows detects that 6.00GB has been installed, but isn't using it. It still is at 1.76GB usable. I did have it working for about 2 weeks with both sticks (5.75GB usable). After keeping my laptop on lock for 8 hours it changes back to a single stick I have checked the laptop manuel and it supports up to 8.00GB on the board.

Then my "guess" is you got a bad stick, or your two sticks just don't play well together.

What if you run with just the 4Gb stick? What happens?

The 4GB stick works fine by itself

The 4GB stick works fine by itself

So it seems the 4Gb works fine by itself and the 2Gb works fine by itself, but the two don't play well together, right?

That happens. Memory modules can even test perfectly fine with Memtest86 or Windows 7's own tester (did you try that?) and still not play well with other sticks. You may be stuck with just 4Gb - but that's a whole lot better than being stuck with 2Gb - especially since you have 64-bit Windows 7, which can take advantage of the whole 4Gb (vs 32-bit operating systems).

If me, I would try to find another 4G just like that one and toss the 2Gb stick. This could also be a problem with the motherboard's memory controller trying to sort out the dual-channel configuration with the mis-matched RAM. So a second 4Gb will give the motherboard a matched pair of sticks - and Windows will have more (and faster) RAM to play in - something you will notice with better performance.

Thanks for your opinion, I will in the near future be getting a another 4G stick and will try that. Thanks for your help anyway.

It's the onboard shared video hogging all the memory that's why there's hardly any left for Windows. Compac, HP and other OEMs are infamous for their third rate onboard video shared memory chips.

Compac, HP and other OEMs are infamous for their third rate onboard video shared memory chips.

Infamous? No, not really. It should be noted that on-board graphics is more than adequate to meet the needs of the vast majority of computer users. If all you do is read email, surf the Internet, do "Office" work, and watch the occasional DVD or even BluRay, you just don't need more graphics horsepower - though ample amounts of RAM is essential.

hey Grumpy! i was referring to the "shared memory" component not slamming onboard video but that being said, IMHO always buy a laptop/rig with a dedicated video card. you'll get a lot more cash for it when you put it up for sale and they just flat out perform better...........