Longhorn Transformation Pack

[X-ray]

@ Blobzie

Is this just a cosmetic 'skin' in effect, or will I for instance be able to see all 4gb of my RAM in the OS?

[X-ray]

@ srg86

I'm sorry to tell you that the OS is specifically the reason why I can't see all 4gb of my ram in Windows. Here is how I know:

1) On POST I have 4gb no problems.
2) On Windows XP32 SP2 when I have booted I see 3.25gb of RAM. It doesn't matter whether I use /PAE or /3gb boot.ini parameters, or change paging file parameters, that is what I am stuck with.
3) On exactly the same hardware setup, with a trial version of Windows XP64, I see 4gb on POST and ALSO IN WINDOWS.

This is an AMD 4200+ on a GA-K8N Pro Sli mobo but I am not using an SLi card. I know that hardware resources like PCI-E take up RAM, but not three quarters of a gb worth. Other users on PlanetAMD64 have confirmed my experience because when they have been in a similar situation and booted with only two sticks of 1gb each, they have not been left with only 1.25gb RAM visible in the OS. They have been left with around 1.75gb RAM, but the OS sees that he has 2gb of RAM.

I would love to be wrong about this, oh boy would I love it, but right now I can't fault my hardware setup for the RAM limitation.

[X-ray]

@ Blobzie

Boot times are okay, I can't complain.

As a matter of interest with my old XP32 SP1 install I was able to get the OS to see the 4gb of RAM by using /PAE and /3gb parameters in the boot.ini file, but unfortunately for me there was some conflict with that parameter (I couldn't nail down the cause) that gave me a BSOD within 10 seconds of Windows loading. I was able to see the RAM in Task Manager just before the crash. In addition to that ballache, the sucker only saw one core out of two. There was nothing I could do to sort this out and in the end I got XP32 SP2 and did an upgrade. Just for giggles I also installed it brand new on a single HD (other one removed) to see if a new install would cure all. No dice, it was the same as this setup now, and for the sake of convenience I settled for the install/upgrade over my old drive.

Edit: the XP32 SP1 was preinstalled on my old setup with a different mobo and CPU. This is a new CPU and mobo and PSU but all my drives are the same.