Windows 7 32-bit with full 4 GB or 8 GB RAM support

[MBrys331]

My Windows 32-bit has the full i had {3gb) showing know i have 8 GB RAM showing in the bios and in windows and they are Active

in the Internet often haunts the statement a 32-bit operating system can technically only managed a maximum of 4 GB of RAM. This is wrong and Microsoft is even evidence itself

The kernel of the 32-bit version of Windows 7 has only a lock, which prevents access to more memory. More dramatically is this lock in the 32-bit version

in the 32-bit version of Windows 7 from 4 GB usually only 3.25 -3.5 GB of RAM are usable:

In general many people believe this "not usable" RAM is occupied by the graphic card RAM:

The Russian Programmers Group "staforce" has written a small program witch removes the lock in the kernel of the 32-bit version of Windows 7. "ICE Technologie" has translate this program into English. The program automatically makes a copy of the kernel file "ntkrnlpa.exe" and saves the copy as separate file "ntkrlICE.exe". Then the program removes the lock in the copied file "ntkrlICE.exe" and integrates the new kernel file as an extra boot menu entry in the Windows 7 boot menu. So then you have the option to start Windows 7 either as usual with the original kernel file "ntkrnlpa.exe" or with the modified kernel file "ntkrlICE.exe".

The text that appears in the boot menu can be found under "description".

"testsigning = Yes" allows the patched kernel to start despite modification.

The copied and modified kernel is called "ntkrlICE.exe".

With "pae = ForceEnable" the address extension for the RAM is activated.

Edited February 19, 2011 by MBrys331

[NIM]

I'm guessing that same can be achieved by adding the /PAE switch to boot.ini file, but using /PAE switch will not address more than 3.2GB of RAM in the same manner as 64-bit Operating System does.

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/pae/paedrv.mspx

[Mr_Smartepants]

Well, having a utility written by Russian hackers certainly does NOT boost my confidence and seems to be more trickery than actual usefulness, but that's just my opinion.

N1K is correct. Simply using the /PAE switch will accomplish exactly the same thing as this phantom utility.

The 32-bit limitation is how the system is limited by the addressing space, NOT the vendor. Linux is limited in exactly the same way. Any more than 4 GB RAM on a 32-bit system is just not seen by the OS, but a portion CAN be used by the BIOS.

Here's the math:

2^32=4294967296 (4.29 GB)

So a 32-bit system can only address roughly 4.29 GB of RAM AT THE MAXIMUM. This is a system limit, not an OS limit.

If you have a motherboard with on-board video, then you can have 6 GB of RAM total and allocate 2 GB of that RAM to the video and the remaining 4 GB would be available to the OS.

The OS kernel needs to reside within that 32-bit address space so it as some overhead and RAM "wastage".

The PAE extension is built into all modern 32-bit OS (not needed on 64-bit for obvious reasons) and basically allows a second kernel to address the remaining RAM.

More info:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/pae/paedrv.mspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

[EB1000]

Well, having a utility written by Russian hackers certainly does NOT boost my confidence and seems to be more trickery than actual usefulness, but that's just my opinion.

N1K is correct. Simply using the /PAE switch will accomplish exactly the same thing as this phantom utility.

The 32-bit limitation is how the system is limited by the addressing space, NOT the vendor. Linux is limited in exactly the same way. Any more than 4 GB RAM on a 32-bit system is just not seen by the OS, but a portion CAN be used by the BIOS.

Here's the math:

2^32=4294967296 (4.29 GB)

So a 32-bit system can only address roughly 4.29 GB of RAM AT THE MAXIMUM. This is a system limit, not an OS limit.

If you have a motherboard with on-board video, then you can have 6 GB of RAM total and allocate 2 GB of that RAM to the video and the remaining 4 GB would be available to the OS.

The OS kernel needs to reside within that 32-bit address space so it as some overhead and RAM "wastage".

The PAE extension is built into all modern 32-bit OS (not needed on 64-bit for obvious reasons) and basically allows a second kernel to address the remaining RAM.

More info:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/pae/paedrv.mspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_Address_Extension

You can still use more than 3.5GB ram limit in any 32bit os by using the entire unassigned memory as a RAMDISK and then using this randisk to place the pagefile' so technically you have a full use of the entire installed ram. Look for a software named Ramdisk plus (ver 11) by Superspeed... I have Win7 32bit with 16GB memory in full use (3.25GB by OS and the remaining converted to a Ramdisk emulating a fixed HD with Partition table available very early during startup so can be safely used as pagefile location)

See here:

http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?55238-Guide-for-Win-Xp-installation-with-Diskpar-%28alignment%29-nLite-Ramdrive-Page-file-Tweaks-Browser-Tweaks-My-Doc-folder-move-and-Print-Spooler-on-Vertex

Edited March 7, 2011 by EB1000