/pae switch for server 2003 standard ed.

[thefly]

Server 2003 standard edition... with 4 gigs of ram. Shows 3.5 in windows.

will the /pae switch help? or does the os have to be upgraded to Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition?

 

[DorianBrytestar]

It'll only show 3.5 with standard edition.

 

[nikhsub1]

Umm, I have a 2003 Standard Edition with 4GB of ram, all 4GB shows and is usable. Are you sure it is not something in the bios? You have to enable memory addressing in the bios, sometimes it is called memory hole or similar.

Here is how to enable PAE if it is not: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283037

 

[hansen]

Umm, I have a 2003 Standard Edition with 4GB of ram, all 4GB shows and is usable.

Do you have SP1 installed?

 

[nikhsub1]

Do you have SP1 installed?

I think SP2 and it is version R2.

 

[thefly]

i've got sp2 installed. I'll have to look in the bios and see what's happening next time i'm over at that machine.

Thanks.

Not r2 here.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Don't get confused with "memory hole" in the BIOS, which I believe is so 1990s, for compatibility with some ISA cards, which reportedly limits RAM to 16 MB!

Explanation, for allocating a region of 15 MB to 16 MB for ISA addressing.

That feature may still exist in the BIOS setup, because motherboard manufacturers seem to sometimes be slackers.

The motherboard manufacturer needs a scolding if that still exists in new motherboards!

 

[hansen]

Microsoft has some articles about changes in SP1 that limits the physical address space (in PAE mode) to 4 GB in the standard edition.

I haven't played with it, so I can't say what gives...

 

[hansen]

Often the feature in bios is called memory remap

 

[aftermath]

Often the feature in bios is called memory remap

^^ what he said, some BIOSes use the last 512MB to cache PCI writes, what motherboard do you use? My old AMD dual K7 did this.

 

[thefly]

proliant ml350 g5.

HP

 

[ErikD]

It should be recognized, according to MS all versions of Server 2003 can utilize 4GB of RAM. I have seen this personally on some servers I work on as well.

 

[aftermath]

Thats new enough and its Intel. They have done it for years.
Ok have a look in the BIOS for the option next time it reboots (update Tuesdays?)

If there is no option then maybe a BIOS flash? (just done a server to solve an issue with 6+ scsi ides causing BSOD)


edit:

All our servers do PAE automatically

boot.ini example from MS

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Enterprise" /fastdetect /PAE

My boot.ini does not have /PAE but its enabled anywho... odd isnt it?
my boot.ini

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows Server 2003, Enterprise" /noexecute=optout /fastdetect

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283037