Windows XP doesn't recognize all my RAM?

The problem lies with Windows, not with your MacBook. Windows 32-bit systems have a RAM limitation. Theoretically they can recognize up to 4GB of RAM, but under most circumstances only utilize about 3GB. There is no such limitation on Windows 64-bit systems, which is one of the main reasons people get Vista 64-bit. I have 6GB on my Dell Studio XPS, for example.

Bob N.

If the XP is 32-bit that's your answer. You are limited to 3GB.

This is pure nonsense. XP's limit is close to 4GB. What probably happens is that your in our MacBooks the RAM is shared with integrated graphics, and therefore you can only see whatever is left after your graphic card has been allocated its share.

Incidentally, it is the same with OSX, but the System Profiler reports the amount of RAM installed, not the amount available to the OS.

Using a 64 bit version of Windows won't make a difference at all

How do you figure? Of course there is the shared RAM at 256MB but he is losing another 1GB by using a 32-Bit system. The 1GB is due to 32-bit OS Process Address Space which doesn't exist in a 64-bit system. Previous computers were limited by the hardware itself rather than the OS. Think about this. 3GB-256MB is is 2.75GB. It isn't a coincidence the OP is seeing 2.76GB available.

I stand corrected. Thank you for the explanation. I didn't take the effort to conver the memory available into GB. Thanks for getting me out of my error.

gpotts wrote:
How do you figure? Of course there is the shared RAM at 256MB but he is losing another 1GB by using a 32-Bit system. The 1GB is due to 32-bit OS Process Address Space which doesn't exist in a 64-bit system. Previous computers were limited by the hardware itself rather than the OS. Think about this. 3GB-256MB is is 2.75GB. It isn't a coincidence the OP is seeing 2.76GB available.

gpotts..

Yes you're correct on this, that why Apple's Logic Audio comes apart at the seams when huge sample libraries are loaded into the virtual instruments, once the 3GB memory space is full Logic becomes unstable and will eventually crash the machine.

Here's what my PC reports:

BIOS Version/Date Award Software International, Inc. F4b, 3/25/2008
SMBIOS Version 2.4
Windows Directory C:\WINDOWS
System Directory C:\WINDOWS\system32
Boot Device \Device\HarddiskVolume3
Locale **** ****
Hardware Abstraction Layer Version = "5.1.2600.3311 (xpsp.080212-0005)"
User Name BIG-MOJO\ *****
Time Zone * * Standard Time
Total Physical Memory 4,096.00 MB
Available Physical Memory 3.15 GB
Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB
Page File Space 3.59 GB
Page File D:\pagefile.sys

To the original poster.

Stick with WinXP, you want speed and stability over anything else right?
I don't even know if Apple has Vista 64-bit drivers, if they do, I'm sure they're not stable at this point. Wait for Windows 7 to go 64-bit. From what I've seen it's going to be an excellent OS.

pancenter-

9tigereatrice wrote:
thanks pancenter
I installed Windows XP professional x64, but was having some real trouble >finding the drivers for it. Do you happen to know where I can find the drivers >I need?

Well, if Apple doesn't have them you are going to be hard pressed to find them. I don't understand why it'[s so important to see that extra gig of RAM, WinXP 32-bit is very efficient at using RAM (more so than OSX). You would have much better performance and stability using WinXP 32-bit.

If you wanted to look for 64-bit drivers you will have to know the exact hardware on your Macbook, even then it's doubtful, it's up to Apple to support the hardware.

another question
If I'm gonna go with Vista, would I have to get 64 bit vista also, or will
32bit vista work?

Apple barely supports Win Vista. You should look on some of the Mac hardware boards for this kind of info. Take a look over at http://www.insanelymac.com/
go to the Forums and scroll down to Appleworld.

pancenter-