kingston Ram`

[ShaRkey¬]

Hey people! i have 4gb of ram in my pc atm,thing is its not showing up!i have cpu-z and it shows up on there but not on system prop! its showing up as 3.00Gb :S can anyone help me thanks!!

[jlreich]

Windows XP will only show 3GB ram. This is because programs are limited to no more than 3GB. The other 1GB can only be used by windows itself so it does not show up in properties.

[ShaRkey¬]

So i do have 4 gb of ram there then?but like u sed it only shows up 3gb?

[jlreich]

Correct. :)

The fact that it is showing up in CPU-Z tells that it is being recognized by the BIOS. You should also be able to see this on the POST screen and inside the BIOS. It's just XP 32bit programs can only use 3GB. The rest is only usable by the operating system. It's a limitation of XP 32bit.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok thnx for your help :)

[ShaRkey¬]

i do have somthing else to say! is it ok to leave the 4gb in the mobo then will it slow anything down?im have a prob with my pc atm! its realy slow!it seems slower than before and i now have 3.4ghz instead of 2.8ghz ? can anyone help me with this? thnx :mad:

[PrntRhd]

I believe if you do a reset on the BIOS it will get back to normal.

[jlreich]

PrntRhd is most likely right on.

It won't hurt anything to have 4GB in there. The worst thing that can happen is there is a little bit of ram going unused.

Are the sticks matched pairs? If not then you may be braking dual channel mode (if your system does dual channel) and getting a performance drop by running in single channel mode. You should be able to see on the POST screen if it is running in dual (128bit) or single (64bit) channel mode.

If you take out the extra ram does it go back to running like normal?

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok all the ram are kingston 1gb! and yes i think it dose seem 2 be beta wivout the 4th stick in there! so would it be beta to leave it out then or is there away i can get round it?thnx

[jlreich]

It's possible you may have a bad stick. Or a bad slot.

Run Memtest (http://www.memtest86.com/) on one stick at a time. (click on the free download link on the left) You probably want to start out with the last stick you took out. Maybe experiment with the last slot to see if it is the slot itself. Let it run at least an hour on each stick.

What is your motherboard model#?

[ShaRkey¬]

Humm! i used cpu-z and it shows that there in a kingston stick in all slots!and i have tryed all stick to see if there are any dead ones but they seem fine!

mobo = Asus P4V800D-X

[ShaRkey¬]

Im havin loads of trouble with my pc now! i have 3gb in the system atm!i have jus done a defrag on my pc!installed all the drivers i needed,i thoughtit had sorted it!but then i though i would do windows update!i had wmp running at the same time,as soon as the downloads started for the updates the sound on wmp was all judddddddery and realy realy slow i dont no whats goin on! :( do u think it would be anything to do with the cpu?but my mobo supports up to 3.4ghz!! thnx :confused: my pc seems to be ok for a shot while after restart,it just keeps coming back,think it starts doing it when i have a few things running or im downloading stuff :( dosnt always do it though so i cant tell exactly what it is....

[ShaRkey¬]

My pc slows up and wmp sound becomes realy fuzzy and itz like in slowmo!! thats when i have a few I.E windows open!
Ohhh by the way i did a reformatt not a defrag :S NooB!!

what bout if i use :- or is this a waste of space?

VitaMem Lite 1.3.0.1

Category: System Utilities
Improve system performance by monitoring and cleaning your RAM.

[jlreich]

Your system can support the 4GB ram.

From your manual (http://support.asus.com/download/download_item.aspx?product=1&model=P4V800D-X).
Dual Channel Memory Architecture
4 x 184-pin DIMM Sockets for up to 4GB, support PC3200/
PC2700/PC2100, non-ECC DDR SDRAM memory

That's not the problem.

Try clearing the CMOS by removing the CMOS battery for at least ten minutes with the system unplugged from the wall.

Really it sounds like you have other issues going on. Perhaps malware, perhaps other bad hardware. But try clearing the CMOS and we will go from there.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok i do have another problem! a socket in the house is bad!my dad looked at it 2day we need a new socket he said! the bathroom light flickers and i can hear it through my speakers!! :S everything seems to be fine with 1gb and 2gb as soon as i put the 4gb in it starts doing it! i dont no if its to do with the mem or not :S :(

[jlreich]

Yes bad power will cause many problems. Do you have the system plugged into a surge protector? Or better yet a battery backup, with AVR?

Have you tried plugging the system into a known good outlet?

Have you tried clearing to CMOS yet?

[ShaRkey¬]

Yes the system is plugged into a surge protector unit! i did try 2 get it out but i cudnt lol! do u think tat will make any difference? my pc seems fine when i just run it with 2gb!! :S

My pc seems to get realy hott with the 4gb of ram in there!

[jlreich]

Yes it could make a difference. Sometimes clearing the CMOS will solve ram issues. I can't guarantee it will help this time but it's definitely worth a try. Try clearing the CMOS by using the CMOS jumper. See pic below.

To erase the RTC RAM:
a. Turn OFF the computer and unplug the power cord.
b. Remove the onboard battery.
c. Move the jumper cap from pins 1-2 (default) to pins 2-3. Keep the cap on
pins 2-3 for about 5~10 seconds, then move the cap back to pins 1-2.
d. Reinstall the battery.
e. Plug the power cord and turn ON the computer.
f. Hold down the <Del> key during the boot process and enter BIOS setup
to re-enter data. Please save all data before you exist.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok tryed this and its still doin the same thing!
i can only realy tell because my speakers make a fuzzy sound and the music slows down!!

And so dose my pc,it isnt instant it takes about 5mins to start playing up!

[jlreich]

And it doesn't do this with only 2GB in the system?

Very odd. Only thing I can say is your mobo must just not like the ram in those last two slots.

It would be interesting to see if you put the 2GB in the last set of slots whether or not it is OK with that. If the ram works OK that way, then the ram must in some way be incompatible with your system. :confused:

[ShaRkey¬]

Yeh it seems fine with 2gb and i have tryed them in the other slots!!
Maybe i need a new mobo? mine is prob out of date! if u think this will solve the problem what would be an ideal mobo?....

Intel P4 (Socket 478)**--Compatible.

[jlreich]

Before you ditch the board try flashing your BIOS (http://support.asus.com/download/download_item.aspx?product=1&model=P4V800D-X) if it isn't already up to date. The latest is version 0704 - 08/31/2006.

There are some things mentioned about memory in the updates. Not specifically your problem, but it's worth a shot.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok i will give it a shot! will i be able to put my bios back to factory setting,like back to how it was be for i updated it? thnx...

Would this have anything to do with the cpu?

[jlreich]

Once you flash the BIOS you can't undo it. Newer boards that have a BIOS backup can but I doubt your old mobo has that feature.

If you have any custom settings in the BIOS you will need to reset them once the BIOS is flashed. Make note of any custom settings before flashing.

Make sure you don't lose power to the system or otherwise disrupt the flash process while flashing the BIOS as it will render the system useless.

BIOS updates are good thing. We try to stay away from recommending them to posters around here when things are working fine because of the risk involved. The risk that something will go wrong is very slim, but when it does go wrong usually the only way to fix it is to order a new BIOS chip from the mobo manufacturer. But when all else is lost or the update specifically addresses the issue then we recommend it.

If you are to the point you are willing to replace the mobo then why not try it. And like I said there are some memory issues addressed in the BIOS updates. If it was my system I would have done it awhile back.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok thnx for that im going to wait to see if i deside to buy a new mobo first!

Do you think flashing the mobo will work?!:confused:

[jlreich]

Do you think flashing the mobo will work?!:confused:
Difficult to say. Like I said there are some memory issues addressed by the updates. So quite possibly it will take care of it. If you were to talk to Asus tech support I would bet they would recommend flashing the BIOS. Especially if it is very out of date.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok then maybe i am in need of a flash then! just dont what to bugger up my mobo...i dont understand why it works with 2gb though..

[jlreich]

If there is a glitch in your version of the BIOS code it could be the cause. That's why they release BIOS updates. Only one way to find out...

Before you do flash the BIOS check what your version is and make sure you don't actually have the latest version. No reason to flash the same version. ;)

You should be able to see what version and date it is on the POST screen, or in the BIOS.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok then! is there away i can backup my bios?so if the update dosnt work i can put it back to how it was? :)

[jlreich]

Actually after taking a closer look at the manual for your mobo you can make a backup. Refer to chapter 2 in your manual for instructions on backing up and flashing your BIOS. :) There may also be additional instructions at Asus's website.

[ShaRkey¬]

Dude i cant find this backup your on about am i thick or somthin lol!!

[ShaRkey¬]

I still dont no what to do about the 4gb maybe just run my system with jus 2gb?

[jlreich]

From your manual. Chapter 2. It much easier to read in the manual itself.

If you are not comfortable flashing your BIOS, then stick with 2GB. It's most likely enough anyway. Sell the other two sticks. :)

2.1 Managing and Updating Your BIOS
The following utilities allow you to manage and update the motherboard Basic
Input/Output System (BIOS) setup.
1. AFUDOS (Updates the BIOS in DOS mode using a bootable floppy disk.)
2. ASUS EZ Flash (Updates the BIOS using a floppy disk during POST.)
3. ASUS CrashFree BIOS 2 - Updates the BIOS using a bootable floppy disk or the
mother board support CD.
Refer to the corresponding section for each utility.
2.1.1 Creating a bootable floppy disk
1. Do either one of the following to create a bootable floppy disk.
DOS environment
Insert a 1.44MB floppy disk into the drive. At the DOS prompt, type:
format A:/S then press <Enter>.
Windows® XP environment
a. Insert a 1.44MB floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.
b. From your Windows® desktop, click on Start, then select My Computer.
c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.
d. Click File from the menu, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2 Floppy Disk
window appears.
e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options field, then
click Start.
2. Copy the original (or the latest) motherboard BIOS to the bootable floppy disk.
2.1.2 Using AFUDOS to copy the current BIOS
The AFUDOS.EXE utility can also be used to copy the current system BIOS
settings to a floppy or hard disk. The copy can be used as a backup in case the
system BIOS fails or gets corrupted.
1. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /o[filename]
where “filename” can be any user-provided filename of not more than eight
alphanumeric characters for the main filename and three alphanumeric
characters for the extension name.
Press <Enter>.
• Save a copy of the original motherboard BIOS file to a bootable floppy disk
in case you need to restore the BIOS in the future. Copy the original
motherboard BIOS using the AFUDOS utility.
• Refer to the system builderʼs website for details about updating the BIOS.
ASUS P4V800D-X Motherboard 2-3
2. The utility will copy the current system BIOS by default to the floppy disk. Make
sure that the floppy disk is not write-protected and has enough space (at least
600KB) to store the file.
The BIOS information on the screen is for reference only. What you see on your
screen may not be exactly the same as shown.
When the BIOS copy process is complete, the utility returns to the DOS prompt.
A:\>afudos /oMYBIOS03.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reading flash ..... done
A:\>
2.1.3 Using AFUDOS to update the BIOS
The AFUDOS is a DOS-based application that lets you update the BIOS file using
a bootable floppy diskette. AFUDOS also allows you to copy the original BIOS file
to a floppy diskette.
To update the BIOS using the AFUDOS.EXE:
1. Download the latest BIOS file from the website provided by the system builder.
Main filename Extension name
A:\>afudos /oMYBIOS03.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reading flash ..... 0x0008CC00 (9%)
Write the BIOS filename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact BIOS
file name at the prompt.
2. Copy the AFUDOS.EXE utility from the support CD to the bootable floppy disk
that contains the BIOS file.
3. Boot the system from the floppy disk.
2-4 Chapter 2: BIOS Information
4. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /i[filename.rom]
where [filename.rom] means the latest (or original) BIOS file that you copied to
the bootable floppy disk.
5. Press <Enter>. The screen displays the status of the update process.
A:\>afudos /iP4V800D-X.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reading file ..... done
Erasing flash .... done
Writing flash .... 0x0008CC00 (9%)
When the BIOS update process is complete, the utility returns to the DOS prompt.
A:\>afudos /iP4V800D-X.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reading file ..... done
Erasing flash .... done
Writing flash .... 0x0008CC00 (9%)
Verifying flash .. done
A:\>
DO NOT shut down or reset the system while updating the BIOS! Doing so can
cause system boot failure!
The BIOS information on the screen is for reference only. What you see on your
screen may not be exactly the same as shown.
6. Reboot the system from the hard disk.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok i dont understand this bit!!

1. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /o[filename]

How do i get in to that!? sorry im such a NooB! :(

[jlreich]

In XP follow the instructions below to create a bootable floppy disk. Then restart your computer and the system should boot from the floppy. Once it is booted you should be at the A: prompt.

If the floppy doesn't boot and windows just starts up you will need to go into your BIOS, find the boot options, make sure the floppy drive is set to boot before the hard drive.

Windows® XP environment
a. Insert a 1.44MB floppy disk into the floppy disk drive.
b. From your Windows® desktop, click on Start, then select My Computer.
c. Select the 3 1/2 Floppy Drive icon.
d. Right click the floppy drive, then select Format. A Format 3 1/2 Floppy Disk
window appears.
e. Select Create an MS-DOS startup disk from the format options field, then
click Start.
2. Copy the original (or the latest) motherboard BIOS to the bootable floppy disk.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok done that,there are files on the floppy now!so has that created a backup disc of the original mobo settings??

if so do i need to dwnload the new mobo update?and what do i do with the downloaded file? thnx .....

[jlreich]

What you have done, it seems, is make a bootable disk and put the a copy of the most recent BIOS on it.

Now check how much free space you have on the floppy disk. If you have at least 600KB of free space you are ready to boot from the floppy. If not then you need to make another bootable floppy with the utility but without the BIOS file.

Boot from the floppy disk and...

1. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:

afudos /o[filename]

where “filename” can be any user-provided filename of not more than eight
alphanumeric characters for the main filename and three alphanumeric
characters for the extension name.
Press <Enter>.

Once you have successfully copied the current BIOS for backup you can now flash the BIOS. If you had to make two disks you will need to swap out the disk you saved the current BIOS on with the one with the new BIOS files on it. You don't need to reboot, just remove the backup floppy and put in the one with the new BIOS files on it and follow the directions.

To update the BIOS using the AFUDOS.EXE:

1. Download the latest BIOS file from the website provided by the system builder.

Write the BIOS filename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact BIOS
file name at the prompt.

2. Copy the AFUDOS.EXE utility from the support CD to the bootable floppy disk
that contains the BIOS file.

3. Boot the system from the floppy disk.

4. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /i[filename.rom]
where [filename.rom] means the latest (or original) BIOS file that you copied to
the bootable floppy disk.

5. Press <Enter>. The screen displays the status of the update process.
A:\>afudos /iP4V800D-X.rom
AMI Firmware Update Utility - Version 1.10
Copyright (C) 2002 American Megatrends, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reading file ..... done
Erasing flash .... done
Writing flash .... 0x0008CC00 (9%)

When the BIOS update process is complete, the utility returns to the DOS prompt.

[ShaRkey¬]

1. Download the latest BIOS file from the website provided by the system builder.

Write the BIOS filename on a piece of paper. You need to type the exact BIOS
file name at the prompt.

2. Copy the AFUDOS.EXE utility from the support CD to the bootable floppy disk
that contains the BIOS file.

3. Boot the system from the floppy disk.

4. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /i[filename.rom]
where [filename.rom] means the latest (or original) BIOS file that you copied to
the bootable floppy disk.

Ok i have downloaded the new bios update,
i just dont get no.2 AFUDOS.EXE that file is in the update that i have just downloaded! so do i get it off there or from the support CD that came with the mobo?

No.4 what do i put for the file name?

Sorry i sound realy thick its just somthing im not sure of! thnx for all your help its much appreciated......:)

Version 0704 i downloaded!

[jlreich]

Yes the AFUDOS file is in the download. So don't worry about getting it off the CD.

The filename is P4V8D704.ROM. And this is case sensitive if I remember right.

thnx for all your help its much appreciated
No problem. A BIOS update can be scary if you have never done one before. :) It's kind of like installing a processor. It's actually very easy, but the first one will make you so nervous.

[ShaRkey¬]

Dude im still not getting this its hard for me :(

Ok i have created a bootable floopy that contains :-

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/MembreX/Floppy.jpg
But i havnt done No.4 yet thats why i have no BIOS file?
(I still need to do):-

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y128/MembreX/files.jpg
2. Copy the AFUDOS.EXE utility from the support CD to the bootable floppy disk
that contains the BIOS file,Thats the file from the update i downloaded correct? [ABOVE]

3. Boot the system from the floppy disk.

4. At the DOS prompt, type the command line:
afudos /i[P4V8D704.ROM]
where [P4V8D704.ROM] means the latest (or original) BIOS file that you copied to
the bootable floppy disk.

I have downloaded the update..
Now do i put the update on a diff floppy?this is where im lost !! thnx :)

[jlreich]

The floppy has the boot files on it. Now copy over the files from the BIOS update you downloaded excluding the text files, you don't need them.

P4V8D704.ROM - 0704.ROM - AFUDOS.exe

2. see above

3. yes

4. yes but not the brackets. The brackets are only there to show where the file name is supposed to go. Like this - afudos /iP4V8D704.ROM

Your floppy is probably not going to able to fit all those files and a back up of you BIOS. What I recommend doing is formatting a second floppy. Just format it, don't tick the create MS startup disk, just format it.

Then copy over the AFUDOS, the one you have circled, to the new floppy. Once the system is booted from the bootable floppy, the first one, remove it and put in the floppy with just the AFUDOS utility on it. Then follow the directions to make a backup of your BIOS.

The once you have a backup made remove the backup disk and put the first floppy back in with the BIOS update on it. Then go ahead and flash the BIOS.

[ShaRkey¬]

Ok the Floppy with the boot files on it,i cant copy the 3 files because there isnt room!I can only fit the 10 files on the floopy!?

P4V8D704.ROM - 0704.ROM - AFUDOS.exe

Sorry i must be getting on your nerves now! :(

[jlreich]

If there isn't room then format another floppy and put them on there. Once the bootup floppy is done booting swap out the floppy with the one that has the files. Then run the AFUDOS utility.