Can't boot all the way with 4 gb.

[Xplaced]

I need some help, good SevenForums users.

I have a Dell E521 here at work that has had 2gb of RAM. I have Windows 7 64bit installed and just upgraded this morning to 4gb. The computer won't boot past the "Starting Windows" screen, where the fire flies swarm in. It will pause for about one minute there, then they'll start moving again and finally form the Microsoft Flag, or Banner, or whatever you want to call it. Then that's as far as it gets. It will just sit there, flashing the MS Flag and say "Starting Windows". I let it sit there for about 10 minutes so I'm pretty sure it isn't going anywhere.

If I back off and put just 2gb and 3gb (I tried both) of the new RAM in, it works great. So it has something to do with the 4gb barrier, which shouldn't exist because I'm using 64bit anyway. So let's just say it has something to do with 4gb being used.

3gb works great. If I have to I can use 3gb, but that defeats the purpose of having 64bit, and having 4gb that I just bought.

I have a feeling I could reinstall Windows 7 with 4gb in it originally and it would work. I'd prefer not to do that if possible, however I'm going to begin making sure my backups are in order just in case. If I don't get it figured out by 2:00 or so this afternoon I'll need to just go ahead and reinstall (assuming it will work if I go that route, I'm not 100% sure).

If anyone could provide suggestions here that would be great.

One more thing, my BIOS does recognize the full 4gb without any problem. I also am using the latest BIOS, I'm pretty sure (I looked on Dell's site). Also I checked the ACPI or whatever settings, and I don't have any version options, such as 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 etc to choose from. I read somewhere that could cause this sort of thing but alas I don't have those options.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Tews]

It could be a number of issues ... are the RAM sticks identical, have you run memtest to see if there is a problem with the RAM??

 

[Xplaced]

99% sure the RAM is fine. They are identical sticks as well. All 4 are Crucial memory, same speeds and all that good stuff that they are supposed to be. Same speeds that were in my PC before.

As I said, all works great until the 4gb level is reached. 3gb works fine, 2gb works fine, etc.

 

[TGSoldier]

99% sure the RAM is fine.

You can never tell if your hardware is fine until you test it.

Please do as mentioned above and run memtest.

You can also be 1% wrong. So the possibility exists

 

[Xplaced]

OK, I'll humor you guys. Maybe you'll be the 1% that's right.

Link a good memtester, as I don't have one on here. What do you recommend?

Also, just to let you know, I have swapped out all the sticks so that all 4 have been in the PC in varying slots. For example, I had 3 in my PC at all times, but rotated all the sticks to different points, etc. The PC has worked fine so far, as long as there's only 3gb in it.

 

[Tews]

Start>enter CMD in search box>memtest .. yer off to the races... while your memory may be fine, you never assume anything when you're trouble shooting your system...

 

[Antman]

This is a commonly occurring problem. Sometimes, when it presents during install, the solution is to remove RAM, finish install, add the RAM back.

Another common solution, post install, is to boost either NB or MEM voltage. You have a Dell (condolences) so you cannot adjust voltages.

If you have the option to disable Legacy USB support, do so. If you have the option to disbale any onboard devices, do so.

Of course, you may be among the 1% who cannot run Win7x64 on a Dell.

 

[Xplaced]

Thanks for the replies. I found Memtest86 v 2.11 and am running that. So far it is 75% complete with no errors found and has been running for 1hr 20min.

@Antman - I'll try disabling some on board stuff, though I don't know how that will help. Could you explain how that might help here? I can't disable my onboard video because that's all I'm using for video. I can back off the legacy devices, that is if my mouse/keyboard that are USB will still work when I do that. I seem to remember enabling those options because of that reason in the past. Also the problem is that I can't run Win 7 x64, it's that I just can't seem to use 4gb with it. The OS runs great if I use 3g or less.

I could be wrong but it really seems like there is some type of problem with the jump to 4gb+, just because the OS wasn't installed with 4gb in it already. I imagine I'll end up reloading the system, though I really hate to do that since I basically just got everything on there and activated recently.

Thanks for the support so far guys, we'll get it figured out somehow!

 

[Xplaced]

Just an update. The Memtest program finished. 0 errors, so the memory is ok.

 

[Barman58]

One possible problem that has not been mentioned is that it may not be the fourth RAM module that is faulty but the Fourth slot on the motherboard - just a thought

 

[Xplaced]

One possible problem that has not been mentioned is that it may not be the fourth RAM module that is faulty but the Fourth slot on the motherboard - just a thought

Ha! Hmm. That is a thought. However! I was using 4 sticks previously to this, so it shouldn't be bad unless it just now coincidentally went bad. But I should be able to pop my 4 old sticks back in to test that theory. I will as a last resort (I'm having to actually use my PC for work so it is difficult to turn it off, I'm just doing it when I get chances to mess with it).

Before I put the new RAM in this morning, it was running successfully on 4 sticks of ram, all 512mb each. I've got the same setup going now all with 4 1gb sticks, except with the problem I'm having. I can use 3 1gb sticks ok!

 

[kplu]

One possible problem that has not been mentioned is that it may not be the fourth RAM module that is faulty but the Fourth slot on the motherboard - just a thought

Exactly.


Also: do disable the devices. Everything you rule out is one less variable that makes it harder to pin down the real issue. Disable/remove all non essential hardware.

Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
Go there, download memtest86+ (supports 64-bit) and burn it to CD. Put 1 stick in slot 1, run the test. It is a pretty intensive test, so passing a single time should mean you are good. 1 Single error also means you are probably not good. If it's good, take out the first stick and pop a stick 2 into slot 2. repear for stick and slot 2, 3 & 4. If all pass it could be something else. This should keep you busy for several hours.

 

[kplu]

I just realized that some mobo's are picky about where sticks of ram are, and you might not boot without adhering to their guidelines. If you run into a problem with a stick in slots 2,3 or 4 try just using slot 1. Once you have each stick tested: try all 4 at once.

 

[Barman58]

If you've had the slot working it's unlikely that it's suddenly stopped working (though nothing is impossible), I have heard reports of systems that work fine with certain memory configurations but not with others but do not consider myself enough of an expert to offer any real advice.
None of our Memory experts appear to be online at the moment but if I can will try to point one of them to this thread and see if we can get your issue solved

 

[Xplaced]

Thanks for the input so far. I could be wrong and I don't have any data to back this up, but I just don't think the new memory is bad.

Like I said, I can use any stick in any slot as long as I am only using 3gb and it runs great. The only problem I have is Windows won't boot past the Starting Windows screen when there are 4 gigabytes of RAM in it.

Plus I also ran the Memtest program suggested, with all 4 sticks in the slots, and it found 0 errors and reported the proper amount of memory in the system as well.

Why would I put one stick in and scan them individually when Memtest will scan all 4 in all the slots, and show 0 errors? :\ I'm confused as to why that would need to be done.

 

[skunksmash]

Hi Xplaced...


ok........ after checking your boards specs ''on paper'' there should be no issue running up to 8GB..??

you say your previous sticks worked in all slots.... so a bad DIMM slot is unlikely.

you also say the BIOS reads the full 4GB, so as far as the motherboard & sticks are concerned....they're functioning.

this basically leaves us with the OS itself limiting the available RAM... reinstalling ''7'' with the full 4GB in is gonna be my immediate suggestion, i know its a chore but S/W can be very finicky when it wants to be.

i also found this......, it appears to be someone else having trouble with slow boot running the full 4GB on that board, even though the BIOS detects it... could be coincidence..??, or it could be an inherent issue with that board..??

 

[cheetah1]

I have a somewhat related issue:
When I previously ran Windows Vista X64 it wouldn't boot with 4 gig in, only with 3 (1 gig sticks). I never found a solution, so I ended up giving up with the last stick in my desktop drawer.

Now that I have installed the Windows 7 rc I remembered the stick in my drawer, so I took it out and put it in my computer. All of a sudden it boots! I was intensley happy.

BUT

The system information says "Installed memory (RAM): 4,00 GB (2,98 GB usable)", and the Resource manager claims that 1041 MB is "Hardware reserved".

This would be perfectly understandable, I have a video card that shares memory, I run a raid controller and so on.
If it weren't for the fact that when I run it on 3 GB it only puts 1 (one) MB as "Hardware reserved" and I get more usable (3071 opposed to 3055 MB) memory..

This is getting somewhat frustrating.

BIOS recognizes 4096MB with all 4 sticks installed.

 

[Xplaced]

@cheetah1: I read something about this somewhere, my friend had the same problem and we fixed it. I'll try to look that up again and see if it relates to you and post back here.

@skunksmash: I am going to reload my OS with all 4gb loaded. I think it is, for whatever reason, an OS problem. We'll soon find out.

 

[Xplaced]

cheetah1, If it's the same problem my friend had, it's a BIOS setting that has to be enabled. Something about remapping memory. Can you tell me the motherboard you have? He has some type of Asus motherboard I think, a P52N or something like that.

 

[Xplaced]

Nuts! Reloading my OS didn't fix it. Windows 7 wouldn't install with the 4gb in there, it only works if 3gb is there. So I went ahead and reinstall the OS anyway to clean up some stuff while I was at it. This makes me think that when I do finally figure this out, if I can put 4gb in there, that I hopefully won't need to reinstall my OS at that point.

I may have found a later BIOS update than I found the other day. If so I'll apply that and see if that helps. However since my BIOS sees 4gb anyway, I don't think that is the problem either. :\