I upgraded to 3GB RAM, but Windows/BIOS only shows 2GB

[thank mr skeltal]

I ran CPU-Z and it shows the 3GB fine, I upgraded my BIOS (and to XP SP3) and it only shows the 2GB still, as does windows. I'm aware of the 4GB limit with 32-bit XP, and my video card is only 128MB. I've got 2x 512MB of the old chips and my new ones are 2x 1GB. It lists the new chips alone as 2GB in Windows, but won't show the extra gig. I've tried every combination in the 4 slots as I can, updated all mobo/BIOS drivers and nothing is doing.
From what I've read I should be able to expect 3.25-3.75GB considering my video card isn't special, but it's capping off at an even 2GB. Again, I can get that 2 with my new two chips alone, and inserting even 1 or 2 of the old chips doesn't work. All chips work. I've tried a ton of different things in the BIOS including resetting it.

Details:
Motherboard: MSI MS-7125 v1 K8N Neo4 (I've googled this well and am convinced my board can handle up to 4GB)
RAM: See pics (if I have to, I'd be ok with running it in single channel mode if I have to to get the 3GB, as I use a lot of RAM-intensive stuff like Flash compiling.. it's currently set to dual channel and I'm not entirely positive on how to change it in the BIOS)
RAM slots #1 and #3 and totally identical, as are slots #2 and #4

Any ideas? I'm about to just live with 2GB and pawn off the 2x 512s on Ebay or something.

[Infernus]

Do this and see what it says http://www.crucial.com/systemscanner/

[Mr. E]

There is a 2 GB limit on 32-bit windows XP, not a 4 GB limit. However, you can sneak you way to 3 GB ram showing with the /LARGEADDRESSAWARE workaround.

[SneeBeezums]

There is a 2 GB limit on 32-bit windows XP, not a 4 GB limit. However, you can sneak you way to 3 GB ram showing with the /LARGEADDRESSAWARE workaround.

You can have 4gb, but it will actually be about 3.3gb

Taken from Microsoft's website:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...its_windows_xp

[lolturnip]

You can have 4gb, but it will actually be about 3.3gb

Yep my 32bit PC at work says I have 3.5GB of memory.

Have you tried resetting the options in the bios to optimal / default etc to see if your PC will pick up the memory?

Run memtest86 to make sure you haven't got faulty memory.

[Mr. E]

Well ok, I reckon that's true (I was just going of what I had heard anecdotally), but his largeaddressaware variable may still be the issue/solution

[thank mr skeltal]

Yep my 32bit PC at work says I have 3.5GB of memory.

Have you tried resetting the options in the bios to optimal / default etc to see if your PC will pick up the memory?

Run memtest86 to make sure you haven't got faulty memory.

It all shows up fine in CPU-Z and the BIOS can read each individual one fine if I try them one at the time.


To answer the 2nd post about running CrucialScan:

Guaranteed-compatible memory upgrades for your MSI (Micro Star) MS-7125 (K8N Neo4-F) Motherboard .
We were not able to determine the manufacturer and/or model of your PC, but we were able to complete our scan with information from your motherboard.

The scan thinks I have 4x 512MB for a total of 2GB. I actually have 2x 1GB and 2x 512MB

[Mr. E]

maybe you got ripped off

[wanabedriver]

Try intentionally running the matching sticks in the non-matching slots. Might force it into single channel, but I dunno why Windows doesn't see it.

[Infernus]

Did you put the 1GB ones where the 512's where and vice versa?

[thank mr skeltal]

Did you put the 1GB ones where the 512's where and vice versa?

Yes

[sycld]

maybe you got ripped off

seems likely

[thank mr skeltal]

maybe you got ripped off

I bought them new from Newegg and both sticks show up fine when I put them in on their own. All sticks are good and all slots are good. CPU-Z, as I said in the first post, recognizes all 3GB fine, it's just that the BIOS and Windows does not. My motherboard is compatible up to 4GB and I updated the BIOS. Still only recognizes 2GB though.