Upgrading Memory

[djmeznyc]

Hey guys I have the HP G62-435 DX Laptop and it came with 4gbs of ram installed but It always said 1.74gb usable ram in the last 3 months... I just bought 2 new 4gb sticks to make 8gbs and now it says Installed memory 8gb, total physical memory 3.74gb, available memory 3.74 gb, it seems that I have a bad memory slot, this was also the problem before i installed the new ram, it was 4gb installed 1.74 gb usable, my system now shows 4.26 gb of reserved system memory which is a problem, i hope that i can fix this somehow, i have tried removing and reseating the ram but to no avail, i have read that I may have to reseat the processor in windows seven forums and that this problem has been common in HP laptops, and the only way I have seen it solved is by users removing the cpu and making sure there are no bent pins, but i never touched the cpu in my laptop so how could it have bent pins, Please help me guys...

[RBBrittain]

djmeznyc: Is your laptop's integrated graphics getting its RAM from main memory? Most laptops have integrated graphics for obvious reasons; most IGPs use main memory for their RAM.

Also, are you using a 32-bit version of Windows? You can't use more than 4GB of RAM without a 64-bit OS; 3.74GB usable sounds about right for a 32-bit OS. The remaining 0.26GB is reserved for access to BIOS, peripherals, etc. in a 32-bit OS since they must be allocated within the 4GB address limit of 32-bit mode; that doesn't happen with 64-bit mode which has a much higher address limit.

I suspect your integrated graphics was using 2GB of main RAM before the upgrade, which left the 1.74GB usable. Once you upgraded it increased to 3GB, but took it out of the second stick of RAM (otherwise inaccessible to a 32-bit OS), leaving 1.26GB unusable--0.26GB on stick 1, 1GB on stick 2.  (Edit:  I just realized it could also be taking only 2GB from stick 2, with the remaining 2GB unusable in 32-bit Windows.  In fact, that may be more likely.)

If you were to upgrade to 64-bit Windows, you could use the unusable 1.26-2.26GB (5-6GB total); but the remaining 2-3GB will still be reserved for graphics. To use the full 8GB, I suspect you will need BOTH (a) 64-bit Windows (likely a complete reinstall, but doable) AND (b) a new graphics card in your laptop (highly unlikely unless it has an open low-profile PCIe slot built-in).

[djmeznyc]

I have 64bit windows 7 im sorry i thought I had stated that...

and my graphics card is only using 256mb of ram. I have saved a system information file and I can upload it to my skydrive or dropbox but you need to tell me how you will be able to view my file because i dont think  i can attach it on this site or you can send me your email and i will email you back the info.

[RBBrittain]

I got your PMs, downloaded your file from Skydrive, and mapped out the first 4GB of RAM from there. I suspect your laptop has detected the stick installed in the bad memory slot, but is unable to access it; that plus the 256MB video RAM allocated from the working stick (unavoidable with an IGP) caused the discrepancy both before and after the RAM upgrade. Your laptop's bad memory slot needs to be fixed before you can use more than one stick of RAM.

The listing I drew up in Excel (from the Hardware Resources > Memory page of your NFO) says you have 3.5GB available RAM, with 0.50GB reserved (0.36GB for video card including shared addresses with network, hard drive, sound card & USB; 0.14GB for other uses). That roughly matches up with your report of 3.74GB available and 256MB (~0.26GB) for graphics; the rest of the 0.50GB reserved is included in the 3.74GB. (That's normal; my PC currently has 6GB installed, with 100% usable because it's a desktop with a separate video card that has its own RAM.)

From that and your earlier report, it seems you had 2 x 2GB sticks before; the system was only using one, leaving 1.74GB available after deducting video RAM. The same is true now except you have 2 x 4GB sticks, so after video RAM you have 3.74GB available from the one functioning stick.

[djmeznyc]

Thanks for your input and your time, I also agree that i have a bad memory slot, now I cannot afford to send this laptop back to HP because i use it every day, I have a warranty for another 6 months and I will call them tomorrow and see what they say, Next, I will try switching the sticks and booting with just 1 and see what happens but I dont think it will work with just 1 stick in there, I also probably need to reseat the cpu just to check if the pins are all good, I have read that people with the similar problem fixed it by reseating the processors.  If you think of anything else message me, again thanks for your time, its one of those crazy problems, i hope its not a bad slot that makes no sense to me, i take care of my computer unless something shorted out the one slot..

[RBBrittain]

Thanks for your reply.  Actually, I think the bad-slot theory is MORE likely than the bent-CPU-pin one.  Bent-pin issues are more likely with home-built PCs than anything from a factory; that issue should be caught in factory QC, and if even if that's sloppy it'll likely be caught by the buyer the moment he/she turns it on.  OTOH, a memory-slot glitch is more likely to occur from a minor manufacturing flaw that doesn't manifest itself till months later, as apparently happened here.  Go ahead and let HP look at it.

[Joat90066]

I have a P6210y which came with 6 and I can upgrade to 8gb.  I purchased the 2gb item from HP and have installed it.  But HP phone says they are in training so call back later ... hours have passed.  Good for them taking a bit of time away on a national holiday.  Maybe you can help me.  I think it is working ... but I can't really tell.  When I go to "library" and hit computer, the bottom says I have Memory: 8gb; and System Properties says "Installed Memory: 8gb",  BUT the first library screen under Computer says :hard disk drives (3); and the bar for "HP (C)" shows the same 88% full as before I installed. 

My question is ... did I successfully install. 

If so, how do I 'reset' the Library page to reflect the upgrade. 

[RBBrittain]

Joat90066:  Yes, it's working; you're confusing RAM (memory) with hard-drive space.  The extra 2GB RAM is installed, as reflected in the "Memory" & "Installed Memory" totals.  However, your main hard drive "HP (C)" (i.e., the C-drive) is still 88% full; adding RAM has NO impact on that number.  The only ways to fix that are (a) delete some files or (b) upgrade the hard drive.

[Joat90066]

Thanks RB.  You are right, I am confused.  I thought the memory was where my photos are stored and need more space to add more.  And the 88% is making downloading of videos from the web extremely slow and halting.  If I delete the photos, they will no longer be saved on Carbonite.  I have heard the external drives like a Simple Drive I have are not sure things for saving.  What options are there for me?

[Woodwood]

Bit off-topic (Memory upgrading) here, but I keep my photos on an external (USB) HD, had to because my HD was like yours, getting too full.

I'm not the right person to comment on HDs,, and this not the place.

Your HD seems a bit fyull at 88%, I have noticed that i can't defrag my disk until its got 15% free space.

Another thing - is your system backed up ? If your 88% full disk goes down, ask yourself what will you lose ?

3.January.20122