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The top part of this post is for some reference to my current system. I understand this is a hardware forum and I think this may be a hardware issue that can be remedied as I suggest at the bottom.
Software of Concern: as of 4-7-09
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit
AVast Antivirus
Comodo Firewall
iTunes
Spybot Search and Destroy
WoW
Logitech Mouse drivers
NVIDIA 8800GS drivers
Firefox
Hardware of particular concern:
Bought two of these when i built my computer: 2GB G Skill PC6400 800mhz 6-6-6-18
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
Bought a pair of these recently: 4GB (2GBx2) G Skill PC6400 800mhz 5-5-5-18
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
My motherboard, from the support site: Model: GA-EP35-DS3L
GIGABYTE - Support&Download - Motherboard - CPU Support List - GA-EP35-DS3L
My processor: Wolfdale Intel E8400 3Ghz C2D, 1333 FSB
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
==========================
Issue
==========================
ISSUE:
Vista won't boot properly when 8GB of memory is installed. Vista will hang on the Windows loading bar screen or just before it switches to the logo. I am forced to power down at that point.
=====================
FIGURING IT OUT:
=====================
I am currently running the new memory in dual channel mode with no problems. The original two ran fine, I just wanted to max out my memory with the introduction of Vista to my system. No particular reason why I am using the new over the old, perhaps I'm unconsciously testing it.
==============================================
WAS VISTA or SOFTWARE DRIVERS THE ISSUE?
==============================================
Just as an FYI, my OEM 64 Bit Vista would hang while installing when I had 4GB of memory installed. I read some forums and discovered that using only 2GB of memory during the install may help. It did and I added the other 2GB stick after updating windows and installing Firefox, Zone Alarm, Avast, Spybot Search and Destroy, Logitech Drivers and NVIDIA drivers. The Mobo and OS recognized 4GB of memory.
I then attempted to boot the system with 8GB of memory. That did not work. I got to black screen with a white smudge on it (almost like a cursor or thick underscore, similar to the ones found in command prompt) in between the windows loading bar screen and the logo that followed.
At first, my father and I thought it may have been Vista or software drivers. I'm using a 64 bit version of Vista. I made sure each piece of software I installed was 64 bit ready. We attempted to boot into safe mode because it wouldn't boot normally and we were successful. We figured it MUST have been a driver issue.
I uninstalled and removed some software and drivers that may have been responsible for the system hang while using 8GB of memory:
1). Removal of NVIDIA Drivers allowed me to get to the log in screen, but the system hung when typing in the password.
2). Removal of Logitech mouse Drivers AND Zone Alarm allowed me to get to my desktop, but upon starting Firefox, the system hung.
Having worked on this for several hours that night, I was tired at that point and gave up. I didn't think much of Firefox being the issue. I overlooked it figuring that the system hanging was inevitable. I didn't think about aVast either.
I went along my merry way and used 4GB of memory. I added in the various programs listed at the top. I removed Zone Alarm after I read about it frequently causing Firefox to become useless and an unkillable process in the task manager.
A day passed and I decided to work with it again but I wasn't able to boot my system in Safe Mode anymore as long as 8GB of memory was installed. I thought to myself, maybe it isn't a driver issue and perhaps it is my motherboard.
=======================
MOTHERBOARD? Or Memory?
=======================
I found this the other day:
Taken from Gigabyte's web site:
"Because of chipset limitations, when using FSB 1333 MHz CPU with populating all DIMM sockets, memory frequency will be reduced from the original, and system instability or incorrect detection of memory module may be occur. "
Upon checking the BIOS: My memory frequency was reduced to 533mhz when all four sticks were installed but the motherboard does recognize 8GB of memory. When just 4GB is installed, doesn't matter which pair, both are at the proper frequency of 800mhz.
=============
QUESTIONS:
============
I'd appreciate any help regarding this issue. Forgive my ignorance:
- Will somehow (I don't know) increasing the memory frequency fix the issue?
- Will reducing FSB speed fix the issue?
- Is there nothing I can do to get Windows to boot with all 8GB of memory? It loaded in Safe Mode and Windows recognized all 8GB but eventually that stopped working. Why?
- Perhaps my issue is in the selection of my memory sticks?
- Is it a software/driver/OS issue?
- Did I miss something somewhere?
I find it ridiculous that I cannot use all of my DIMM slots because of the FSB on my CPU.
It is rather odd that my system did boot in Safe Mode for awhile and I was able to play around in it, looking at boot log errors and such. But I guess after some software installation/removal it stopped booting (using 8GB). Perhaps that was a fluke and it really is a motherboard/memory setting issue given that the frequency reading of all 4 sticks are at a reduced level.
If there is any other information I can provide, please let me know. I will get on that as soon as I get home.
Thanks in advance
Software of Concern: as of 4-7-09
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit
AVast Antivirus
Comodo Firewall
iTunes
Spybot Search and Destroy
WoW
Logitech Mouse drivers
NVIDIA 8800GS drivers
Firefox
Hardware of particular concern:
Bought two of these when i built my computer: 2GB G Skill PC6400 800mhz 6-6-6-18
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
Bought a pair of these recently: 4GB (2GBx2) G Skill PC6400 800mhz 5-5-5-18
Newegg.com - G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory
My motherboard, from the support site: Model: GA-EP35-DS3L
GIGABYTE - Support&Download - Motherboard - CPU Support List - GA-EP35-DS3L
My processor: Wolfdale Intel E8400 3Ghz C2D, 1333 FSB
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops
==========================
Issue
==========================
ISSUE:
Vista won't boot properly when 8GB of memory is installed. Vista will hang on the Windows loading bar screen or just before it switches to the logo. I am forced to power down at that point.
=====================
FIGURING IT OUT:
=====================
I am currently running the new memory in dual channel mode with no problems. The original two ran fine, I just wanted to max out my memory with the introduction of Vista to my system. No particular reason why I am using the new over the old, perhaps I'm unconsciously testing it.
==============================================
WAS VISTA or SOFTWARE DRIVERS THE ISSUE?
==============================================
Just as an FYI, my OEM 64 Bit Vista would hang while installing when I had 4GB of memory installed. I read some forums and discovered that using only 2GB of memory during the install may help. It did and I added the other 2GB stick after updating windows and installing Firefox, Zone Alarm, Avast, Spybot Search and Destroy, Logitech Drivers and NVIDIA drivers. The Mobo and OS recognized 4GB of memory.
I then attempted to boot the system with 8GB of memory. That did not work. I got to black screen with a white smudge on it (almost like a cursor or thick underscore, similar to the ones found in command prompt) in between the windows loading bar screen and the logo that followed.
At first, my father and I thought it may have been Vista or software drivers. I'm using a 64 bit version of Vista. I made sure each piece of software I installed was 64 bit ready. We attempted to boot into safe mode because it wouldn't boot normally and we were successful. We figured it MUST have been a driver issue.
I uninstalled and removed some software and drivers that may have been responsible for the system hang while using 8GB of memory:
1). Removal of NVIDIA Drivers allowed me to get to the log in screen, but the system hung when typing in the password.
2). Removal of Logitech mouse Drivers AND Zone Alarm allowed me to get to my desktop, but upon starting Firefox, the system hung.
Having worked on this for several hours that night, I was tired at that point and gave up. I didn't think much of Firefox being the issue. I overlooked it figuring that the system hanging was inevitable. I didn't think about aVast either.
I went along my merry way and used 4GB of memory. I added in the various programs listed at the top. I removed Zone Alarm after I read about it frequently causing Firefox to become useless and an unkillable process in the task manager.
A day passed and I decided to work with it again but I wasn't able to boot my system in Safe Mode anymore as long as 8GB of memory was installed. I thought to myself, maybe it isn't a driver issue and perhaps it is my motherboard.
=======================
MOTHERBOARD? Or Memory?
=======================
I found this the other day:
Taken from Gigabyte's web site:
"Because of chipset limitations, when using FSB 1333 MHz CPU with populating all DIMM sockets, memory frequency will be reduced from the original, and system instability or incorrect detection of memory module may be occur. "
Upon checking the BIOS: My memory frequency was reduced to 533mhz when all four sticks were installed but the motherboard does recognize 8GB of memory. When just 4GB is installed, doesn't matter which pair, both are at the proper frequency of 800mhz.
=============
QUESTIONS:
============
I'd appreciate any help regarding this issue. Forgive my ignorance:
- Will somehow (I don't know) increasing the memory frequency fix the issue?
- Will reducing FSB speed fix the issue?
- Is there nothing I can do to get Windows to boot with all 8GB of memory? It loaded in Safe Mode and Windows recognized all 8GB but eventually that stopped working. Why?
- Perhaps my issue is in the selection of my memory sticks?
- Is it a software/driver/OS issue?
- Did I miss something somewhere?
I find it ridiculous that I cannot use all of my DIMM slots because of the FSB on my CPU.
It is rather odd that my system did boot in Safe Mode for awhile and I was able to play around in it, looking at boot log errors and such. But I guess after some software installation/removal it stopped booting (using 8GB). Perhaps that was a fluke and it really is a motherboard/memory setting issue given that the frequency reading of all 4 sticks are at a reduced level.
If there is any other information I can provide, please let me know. I will get on that as soon as I get home.
Thanks in advance
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