Computer only registers 16 RAM - have 64

[Jeff Richards]

That "Limit Memory To ?" setting is the one that's causing the problem. You
need to get it unchecked somehow. If you can find a manual for BIOS setup
it may explain why it's checked and set to 16, and how to clear it.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"NCVET61" <NCVET61@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2F5C002D-76AB-4B4C-8C75-CEDFFAD19145@microsoft.com...
> No where that I can find. f1 setup shows the memory at 16, but it's "blue"
> and I can not access it to change it there. in MS Config, advance, -
> "limit
> memory to" is checked and has 16. I tried unchecking it, and I tried
> increasing the memory to 64 but to no avail
>

 

[philo]

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
news:OBcwtHunIHA.5280@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> That "Limit Memory To ?" setting is the one that's causing the problem.
You
> need to get it unchecked somehow. If you can find a manual for BIOS setup
> it may explain why it's checked and set to 16, and how to clear it.



Here is an AMI BIOS data sheet someone had posted:

http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~dranch/HARDWARE/ami-bios-beeps.txt


Though I agree that *if *the bios has a 16 meg RAM limit setting...that
would be the solution...
There appears to be no such uption. I'd of course have another look in the
bios at *all* options.

The OP mentioned that he observed that option in msconfig...
which of course is only going to list what the BIOS detects



> Jeff Richards
> MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
> "NCVET61" <NCVET61@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:2F5C002D-76AB-4B4C-8C75-CEDFFAD19145@microsoft.com...
> > No where that I can find. f1 setup shows the memory at 16, but it's
"blue"
> > and I can not access it to change it there. in MS Config, advance, -
> > "limit
> > memory to" is checked and has 16. I tried unchecking it, and I tried
> > increasing the memory to 64 but to no avail
> >
>
>

 

[Ben Myers]

"NCVET61" <NCVET61@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:AFD335DF-E0C6-40A9-AD88-C331AA0D0FB5@microsoft.com...
> My BIOS battery went dead. When I replaced the battery and started my
> computer, it only registered 16 MB of RAM. I have 64 MB RAM on 2 - 32 banks
> and 2 empty slots. It is an older HP Platinum 40 with W95 whicjh I had
> upgraded to W98SE2. I can't find anyway to get it to register the 64 MB RAM.
> I tried MS Cong and F1 setup to no avail.

Double-check the memory modules to make sure they are really 32
megabytes. Please note that 32 bit is not the same thing as 32 megabytes.
Also, the 16 megabytes you are seeing may be built into the motherboard.
To see if this is the case, try booting the computer without the modules.

Ben

 

[Buffalo]

NCVET61 wrote:
> It didn't work. I think I'll try to get new memory and see what that
> does. I appreciate everyone's help, THANKS !!!
>
> "Fan924" wrote:
>
>> I believe AMI used the delete key to get into the bios setup.

Have you been able to get into the BIOS yet?

 

[Buffalo]

NCVET61 wrote:
> It didn't work. I think I'll try to get new memory and see what that
> does. I appreciate everyone's help, THANKS !!!
>
> "Fan924" wrote:
>
>> I believe AMI used the delete key to get into the bios setup.


I would be surprised if the memory went bad. You really need to get into the
BIOS and set it up, I believe.
If you have your BIOS version and your model number of your PC, the info on
how to do this is should be available.
One question though, was this computer not in use for years and then when
you tried it, you found the MB battery dead?
When you get if fixed, please post back.
Thanks

 

[philo]

"Ben Myers" <benjmyers@mindR-e-m-o-v-Espring.com> wrote in message
news:ehvAxhvnIHA.4712@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
"NCVET61" <NCVET61@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:AFD335DF-E0C6-40A9-AD88-C331AA0D0FB5@microsoft.com...
> My BIOS battery went dead. When I replaced the battery and started my
> computer, it only registered 16 MB of RAM. I have 64 MB RAM on 2 - 32
banks
> and 2 empty slots. It is an older HP Platinum 40 with W95 whicjh I had
> upgraded to W98SE2. I can't find anyway to get it to register the 64 MB
RAM.
> I tried MS Cong and F1 setup to no avail.

Double-check the memory modules to make sure they are really 32
megabytes. Please note that 32 bit is not the same thing as 32 megabytes.
Also, the 16 megabytes you are seeing may be built into the motherboard.
To see if this is the case, try booting the computer without the modules.

Ben


I was also thinking that the RAM could have initially failed and caused the
checksum error...
and it might not have been a bad cmos battery.

Just a though anyway

 

[Jeff Richards]

MSConfig will report that limit because that's what the BIOS is initializing
its internal setting to. That setting may or may not correspond to a
specific item in BIOS setup. More likely, it's the result of some other
setting, for instance assigning video RAM space at 16Mb. If that's done,
then the BIOS sets the memory limit flag to provide a quick way for any
interrogating code to check whether or not that memory can be used.

The BIOS might also set that limit if the POST RAM test detects unreliable
memory above 16Mb. That could be because of faulty memory, but it could
also be because of an I/O card being accidentally mapped into memory space.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"philo" <philo@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:ezp5kXunIHA.4964@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
> "Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
> news:OBcwtHunIHA.5280@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> That "Limit Memory To ?" setting is the one that's causing the problem.
> You
>> need to get it unchecked somehow. If you can find a manual for BIOS
>> setup
>> it may explain why it's checked and set to 16, and how to clear it.
>
>
>
> Here is an AMI BIOS data sheet someone had posted:
>
> http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~dranch/HARDWARE/ami-bios-beeps.txt
>
>
> Though I agree that *if *the bios has a 16 meg RAM limit setting...that
> would be the solution...
> There appears to be no such uption. I'd of course have another look in the
> bios at *all* options.
>
> The OP mentioned that he observed that option in msconfig...
> which of course is only going to list what the BIOS detects
>
>
>
>> Jeff Richards
>> MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
>> "NCVET61" <NCVET61@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:2F5C002D-76AB-4B4C-8C75-CEDFFAD19145@microsoft.com...
>> > No where that I can find. f1 setup shows the memory at 16, but it's
> "blue"
>> > and I can not access it to change it there. in MS Config, advance, -
>> > "limit
>> > memory to" is checked and has 16. I tried unchecking it, and I tried
>> > increasing the memory to 64 but to no avail
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

 

[philo]

"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
news:exE1OW6nIHA.4232@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> MSConfig will report that limit because that's what the BIOS is
initializing
> its internal setting to. That setting may or may not correspond to a
> specific item in BIOS setup. More likely, it's the result of some other
> setting, for instance assigning video RAM space at 16Mb. If that's done,
> then the BIOS sets the memory limit flag to provide a quick way for any
> interrogating code to check whether or not that memory can be used.
>
> The BIOS might also set that limit if the POST RAM test detects unreliable
> memory above 16Mb. That could be because of faulty memory, but it could
> also be because of an I/O card being accidentally mapped into memory
space.
>


Yep...without being in front of the machine it's hard to say exactly what
happened...
If that machine was in front of me...I'd methodically check the bios and go
right down the line checking
every possible setting...