Do I Need To Get A New Laptop?

A. Download Knoppix (this is a Linux booting from CD even from SD card).
http://knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html ( you have to do from another computer, and write it on a disk. If your laptop don’t have a disk run a disk on another computer and create a USB drive or Boot able SD card 2GB is fine)

This Linux is recognize every hardware so you don’t need drivers to worry (If you have something old computer, just download an older version)

This is an easiest (free) way to test if everything is working or not.

If yes and a problem only the windows, format the HDD with knoppix to any format (so you wipe out the existing windows), or remove the HDD and format from another computer.

After you installed windows you have to go to the factory website to download the missing drivers (this is the hardest part, if everything looks fine only force the video, sound and chip set drivers). And install all of the windows update, use the windows update from the start menu all programs (again and again until no more left).

Looks complicate, it is without experience maybe you need a week or to to complete everything (at the first time) but if you buy a used or new computer, sooner or later have the same problem, and next time it is only a day, than next just 2 hours.

Or buy computer with support (it is still take a day staying on the phone to do the same, or every time buy a new one.

This part is missing from the advertisements, but same with the cars, you fix it or pay for somebody to do it.

25 years of experience (yes before the PC)

Original Question

RAM MEMORY VISTA 32 BIT ?

Q: Hello, I got some extra money to spend, so I figured I might need some more RAM memory on my vista 32 bit.

I currently got 2gb. My thought was to upgrade theese poor 2 gb to 4gb, in order to handle several program at once / big programs.

but here is my main questiong:

I know What RAM does, but how will it affect my 32 bit version of vista? I know that 64 bit version is able to use more RAM memory. Is vista 32 bit capped at 2gb, or will 4gb make a great difference on how my programs are running?

Thankfull for answers

A. Typically with 32-bit the most the OS will see is 3 GB because that is all it can address. I think there is a way to get the Windows kernel to occupy above that if you do something special, but you still cannot use more than around 3 GB for programs. The most I have on any 32-bit systems (WinXP laptops) is 2.5 GB, so I have not done that. My older desktop has 2 GB.

My new desktop has 8 GB, but that has 64-bit Win7 and 64-bit Linux. Linux does have a special 32-bit kernel that can access more than 3 GB RAM.

Original Question