OS won't install on new PC

[Yakumo]

Thanks for all the ideas and help guys but as it stands, XP under any format will not work on my new MotherBoard. It just isn't compatible. No worries though since I bought win 7 Ultimate Edition. It's about time I upgraded to something modern as far as PC's go.

Yakumo

[Cyantist]

So I borrowed my brothers copy of 7 64bit and it still only saw 3.25gb. What gives?

[Trenton_net]

That's strange. If your using a 64-bit operating system you should see the full 4gb of space. Under a 32-bit OS, your limited by the amount of memory you can address so that's understandable. The exception is if your using Linux which can use PAE kernals (Physical Address Extension) to change the physical address size from 32 bits to 36 bits.

EDIT: Note that Windows can technically do PAE, but Microsoft artificially gimps it for licensing reasons. Ie. They want you to fork over the $$$. Linux naturally has no restrictions.

[Alchy]

Thanks for all the ideas and help guys but as it stands, XP under any format will not work on my new MotherBoard. It just isn't compatible.

Really? My current motherboard had issues with XP but adding the drivers to the right directory in the install disc sorted that (I used nLite to edit the iso). I seem to remember Biostar being pretty cheap so maybe they just don't care about XP at this point, wouldn't be that surprising.

I'd definitely advise the 64-bit of 7, anyway. Even if the computer only has 4GB of RAM, it still makes sense to go 64-bit these days. (Obviously you're already set so this is just a general observation rather than direct advice.)

[Cyantist]

So an E5400 can definately do 64bit?

[jammanutz]

Just to add my 2Pence , i run 64 bit Windows 7 and i have yet to have any software issues, also i like that my 64 bit windows see all ^gig of ram i have.

[Trenton_net]

So an E5400 can definately do 64bit?

Intel list's it as a 64-bit chipset so yes, it should.

[Yakumo]

Only one more day until win 7 arrives. I can't wait to play some Daytona USA arcade on my LED TV through the PC's HDMI out. Many, this will be great!

Yakumo

[bob]

I would recommend using professional instead of ultimate, ultimate is way more bloated while 7 pro is made for efficiency

[LeGIt]

Try disabling Hyperthreading in the bios,

Windows XP supports Hyper-Threading. I was loving it on my P4 3.06GHz back in March 2003 :P

I'm on the new PC journmey myself, on piece at a time. I'm going for Windows 7 Home Premium x64 though - I don't see th ned to pay extra when I won't connect it to a domain etc and many things don't even work with the XP mode (just as almost nothing used to work with compatability mode) but not to worry XP mode will probaly work well by Windows 9 or 10 :P

[z_killemall]

So I borrowed my brothers copy of 7 64bit and it still only saw 3.25gb. What gives?

Are you sure your graphics card isn't eating the rest? My laptop looks like it had something between 3.25 and 3.75GB because it takes up to 768MB for the integrated video card.

[Alchy]

Are you sure your graphics card isn't eating the rest? My laptop looks like it had something between 3.25 and 3.75GB because it takes up to 768MB for the integrated video card.

The point is that he's running a 64-bit OS, which isn't limited to a 4GB address space. So if he has 4GB RAM and 768MB on the graphics card they shouldn't overlap.

[Bad_Ad84]

I extremely doubt your PC is "Not compatible with Windows XP"

I work in deployment and still have to create images for the latest machines with XP... It can take some integrating of sata (AHCI) drivers using nlite, but its always possible.


But, if you have bought 7 already, then I guess its not an issue anymore :)

[BM-Viper]

The point is that he's running a 64-bit OS, which isn't limited to a 4GB address space. So if he has 4GB RAM and 768MB on the graphics card they shouldn't overlap.

I think he's suggesting that the video chipset is using system memory as VRAM, as many integrated graphics do and perhaps that's where the 'missing' ram is.

[Cyantist]

I have a 5770 for a video card. Not onboard, It has its own 1gb GDDR5 ram

[z_killemall]

I think he's suggesting that the video chipset is using system memory as VRAM, as many integrated graphics do and perhaps that's where the 'missing' ram is.

This is exactly what I was suggesting :nod:

Try opening Resource Monitor and check in the Memory section if any RAM appears as "Hardware Reserved". Windows Vista and 7 can reserve additional RAM to improve the graphics card performance (sometimes it happens even when the card doesn't actually need the additional RAM).

[Cyantist]

I opened resource monitor and it gave me 770mb hardware reserved 1.5k mb in use and 1601 on standby which gives me roughly 3.25gb. I am however in 32bit windows at this point. Maybe I might dual boot 64bit and pull it up in there.

[Twimfy]

I opened resource monitor and it gave me 770mb hardware reserved 1.5k mb in use and 1601 on standby which gives me roughly 3.25gb. I am however in 32bit windows at this point. Maybe I might dual boot 64bit and pull it up in there.

Well that pretty much answers your question. 700mb is being reserved for a piece of hardware and it's likely, others have said, your onboard graphics. A simple change of bios options will most likely free it up.

[Yakumo]

Well, after waiting weeks for Windows 7 to arrive (it came from China!) it finally arrived and I'm quite a happy man. It should have been a Japanese language version since it was bought from yahoo auction but I was sent an English version. great for me but a right shitter for a Japanese person that the auction was aimed towards. Good old Chinese :-P Anyway, I installed it last night and all is going well apart from my capture card not working with it :banghead:

At the moment my son is watching a 1080p blue-ray rip of Toy Story 3 from the PC to the HD TV via HDMI while I'm working on the PC. No slow down at all. I'm very impressed and this is only a i3 with an Intel HD graphics chip. No sexy graphics card. I have noticed one problem though. There's no sound through the HDMI to the TV. Do PC's output audio via HDMI?

I also spent ages looking for Outlook express only to find out Windows 7 only has a stupid "cloud" based mail service. Bollocks to that so I installed Thunderbird. Thank you Mozilla !

Yakumo

[Bad_Ad84]

Yes, you can get sound over HDMI from a PC.

Likely need to set the default output device or install the HDMI audio drivers