Seeing more than 2GB under Bootcamp?

[SDAVE]

I have 9GB of RAM, obviously I don't think Windows XP 32bit will see all that...but is there a way to at least make it see more than 2GB? Right now under My Computer it says 1.98GB.

My boot.ini looks like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /PAE /3GB

This didn't help at all.

 

[jdechko]

I can't be certain about it, but I think that the PAE and 3GB switches may be conflicting. Try removing the PAE switch and see if that works. Then try the reverse.

 

[SDAVE]

I tried all possible combos, but still it says 1.98GB in My Computer

 

[Sbrocket]

The /3GB switch does nothing to help with hardware detection. It has to do with XP's limit for applications only being able to address a max of 2GB per process; the switch expands that to 3GB per process. Obviously nothing useful to you, leave it out.

The /PAE switch isn't going to help you either, since PAE is (I believe) enabled by default on machines that are clean installed with Service Pack 2.

The current 2GB limit is a Boot Camp limitation right now. The fix will have to come from Apple in the form of an update to their method of BIOS emulation. The problem is with Apple's BIOS, not Windows. You can't fix it right now unless you use a 64-bit OS, but they aren't supported by Apple for Boot Camp usage right now. I suppose you could use it if you found all the drivers, but you would be on your own. I haven't tried it personally, so it might work...but don't use 64-bit Vista. Catch 22, my friend. You'll just have to wait for Apple to fix it.

 

[jdechko]

The /3GB switch does nothing to help with hardware detection. It has to do with XP's limit for applications only being able to address a max of 2GB per process; the switch expands that to 3GB per process. Obviously nothing useful to you, leave it out.

The /PAE switch isn't going to help you either, since PAE is (I believe) enabled by default on machines that are clean installed with Service Pack 2.

The current 2GB limit is a Boot Camp limitation right now. The fix will have to come from Apple in the form of an update to their method of BIOS emulation. The problem is with Apple's BIOS, not Windows. You can't fix it right now unless you use a 64-bit OS, but they aren't supported by Apple for Boot Camp usage right now. I suppose you could use it if you found all the drivers, but you would be on your own. I haven't tried it personally, so it might work...but don't use 64-bit Vista. Catch 22, my friend. You'll just have to wait for Apple to fix it.

Interesting to note. Thanks. Other than that, though, I hope that this issue is resolved once Bootcamp comes out of beta when Leopard is released. I wonder if the other Windows on Mac solutions encounter this same setback as well (IE: Using rEFIt, OnMac, etc).

 

[SDAVE]

The /3GB switch does nothing to help with hardware detection. It has to do with XP's limit for applications only being able to address a max of 2GB per process; the switch expands that to 3GB per process. Obviously nothing useful to you, leave it out.

The /PAE switch isn't going to help you either, since PAE is (I believe) enabled by default on machines that are clean installed with Service Pack 2.

The current 2GB limit is a Boot Camp limitation right now. The fix will have to come from Apple in the form of an update to their method of BIOS emulation. The problem is with Apple's BIOS, not Windows. You can't fix it right now unless you use a 64-bit OS, but they aren't supported by Apple for Boot Camp usage right now. I suppose you could use it if you found all the drivers, but you would be on your own. I haven't tried it personally, so it might work...but don't use 64-bit Vista. Catch 22, my friend. You'll just have to wait for Apple to fix it.

I use Photoshop CS2 under XP and I need more than 2GB of RAM because I don't want PS to dump on the hard drive as it becomes slower.

Hopefully Apple fixes this.

 

[gr8tfly]

"My Computer" Properties shows 2.98 GB. WinXP.
MBP C2D 3GB RAM

Just FYI, as it seems to conflict with the other posts.

 

[jdechko]

Maybe, the, this is an isolated problem that only affects the Mac Pros?

 

[SDAVE]

"My Computer" Properties shows 2.98 GB. WinXP.
MBP C2D 3GB RAM

Just FYI, as it seems to conflict with the other posts.

Can you paste what your boot.ini says?

Just go to Start > Run and type in and enter c:\boot.ini

Just copy and paste it from notepad.

Thanks!

 

[gr8tfly]

Can you paste what your boot.ini says?

Just go to Start > Run and type in and enter c:\boot.ini

Just copy and paste it from notepad.

Thanks!

Not much there, but here it is (I was expecting more switches:

boot.ini
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

[SDAVE]

Not much there, but here it is (I was expecting more switches:

boot.ini
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

This is odd...that was my exactly like my default boot.ini when I installed XP SP2.

Must be a chipset thing...yours is a Santa Rosa, mines an Intel 5000x.

 

[gr8tfly]

This is odd...that was my exactly like my default boot.ini when I installed XP SP2.

Must be a chipset thing...yours is a Santa Rosa, mines an Intel 5000x.

Mine's 1st gen C2D (October, 2006). But, yea, sounds likely it's a chipset thing.

 

[Chocomonsters]

New MBP has newer firmware than Mac Pro

Gr8tfly and SDAVE,

As Sbrocket pointed out above, it is due to different Apple firmwares not from different chip. From what I understand, Apple uses Insyde's EFI/BIOS emulation. Until Apple update Mac Pro with new firmware (newer Insyde EFI/BIOS emulation), Mac Pro is stuck with 2 GB limit. 3 GB switch nor PAE will work (as you may remember, some old Windows PC needed BIOS update to use 3 GB switch or PAE to use more than 2 gb memory under XP).

Mac Book Pro has newer firmware than Mac Pro. Mac Pro EFI firmware hasn't been updated since 1.1 (Nov, 2006).

Gr8tfly...

Do you have firmware version 1.3 (ROM MBP31.0070.B02) or 1.2? What does Windows XP reports your BIOS as? My Mac Pro's firmware 1.1 is reported as Insyde (7/29/05). You can try different Windows utility programs to check this. You can try Lavalys EVEREST home edition (free) or SiSoftware Sandra to check. You will have newer Insyde EFI/BIOS then Mac Pro.

 

[MRU]

I have a MBP SR with 3gb memory and XP in bootcamp still reports 1.98gb for me too.

 

[Sbrocket]

I have a MBP SR with 3gb memory and XP in bootcamp still reports 1.98gb for me too.

Are you sure that you have the latest revision of the SR MBP firmware installed? I've only got 2GB installed in my machine so I can't test it myself, but if the report above is correct then XP should be able to address the whole 3GB (or 2.98GB).

The latest revision is "MBP31.0070.B02", which you can check using System Profiler under Hardware > Boot ROM Version.

 

[MRU]

Boot ROM Version: MBP31.0070.B02 is indeed installed ? So why am I only seeing 2 ?

 

[Sbrocket]

No idea. It seems that Apple's BIOS support of >2GB of RAM under XP seems to be patchy at best right now, so you'll just have to stick with it until it gets fixed I suppose.

 

[MRU]

No idea. It seems that Apple's BIOS support of >2GB of RAM under XP seems to be patchy at best right now, so you'll just have to stick with it until it gets fixed I suppose.

It doesnt bother me as I'm only in XP once in a while for the odd game and whilst they are all running ok; it's not a problem for me.

I just assumed 1.98 was the max period, as my 5GB mac pro only shows up as 1.98 too in Vista & Xp

 

[Sbrocket]

No, XP definitely supports a larger RAM capacity than 2GB. I believe that 32-bit XP supports up to 4GB, and 64-bit XP supports some much larger number (theoretically, its much more than you could ever possibly find in a machine for the next few decades...in the exabytes, I believe).

 

[gr8tfly]

Gr8tfly and SDAVE,

As Sbrocket pointed out above, it is due to different Apple firmwares not from different chip. From what I understand, Apple uses Insyde's EFI/BIOS emulation. Until Apple update Mac Pro with new firmware (newer Insyde EFI/BIOS emulation), Mac Pro is stuck with 2 GB limit. 3 GB switch nor PAE will work (as you may remember, some old Windows PC needed BIOS update to use 3 GB switch or PAE to use more than 2 gb memory under XP).

Mac Book Pro has newer firmware than Mac Pro. Mac Pro EFI firmware hasn't been updated since 1.1 (Nov, 2006).

Gr8tfly...

Do you have firmware version 1.3 (ROM MBP31.0070.B02) or 1.2? What does Windows XP reports your BIOS as? My Mac Pro's firmware 1.1 is reported as Insyde (7/29/05). You can try different Windows utility programs to check this. You can try Lavalys EVEREST home edition (free) or SiSoftware Sandra to check. You will have newer Insyde EFI/BIOS then Mac Pro.

Boot ROM Version: MBP21.00A5.B01

I guess "doh" it wouldn't be chipset, since OS-X sees more than 2GB.

I'll have to reboot to XP and I'll report back.

 

[gr8tfly]

Here are excerpts from the EVEREST (home edition) report.

This was rather funny, though: "Upgrade: ZIF"

From Summary:
Motherboard:
CPU Type Mobile , 2333 MHz (3.5 x 667)
Motherboard Name Apple Computer, Inc. Mac-F42189C8
Motherboard Chipset Intel Calistoga i945GM/PM
System Memory 3056 MB (DDR2 SDRAM)
BIOS Type Insyde (07/29/05)

BIOS Properties:
Vendor Apple Computer, Inc.
Version MBP21.88Z.00A5.B01.0611031449
Release Date 11/03/06

BIOS Properties:
System BIOS Date 07/29/05
Video BIOS Date 09/18/06
DMI BIOS Version MBP21.88Z.00A5.B01.0611031449

BIOS Properties:
BIOS Type Insyde
System BIOS Date 07/29/05
Video BIOS Date 09/18/06

North Bridge Properties:
North Bridge Intel Calistoga i945GM/PM
Revision 03

Physical Memory:
Total 3056 MB
Used 363 MB
Free 2693 MB
Utilization 12 %