3gb Switch & Dell Optiplex 745 W/core 2 Duo

[Mike Allen]

We have just found that using the 3GB boot switch on a Dell Optiplex 745 w/Core 2 Duo will render the machine unable to boot (Windows XP Pro.) If you are going to try the switch, be sure to add it as an additional boot option - not the only option.

 

*************

I notice that model is optimized for Windows Vista - which may be why the boot switch doesn't work.

 

From the Dell website:

Available DIMM Slots:

Four Memory slots offering up to 4GB^2

 

^2 The total amount of available memory will be less than 4GB. The amount less depends on the actual system configuration. To fully utilize 4GB or more of memory requires a 64-bit enabled processor and 64-bit operating system.

 

So I'm thinking we'll be limited to 2GB on our brand new machines with Windows XP Pro installed.

Edited February 19, 2007 by Mike Allen

[Cary OConnor]

Bummer. I have a Dell Dimension Duo Core and it works with the Switch. I remember I had to change some of the factory settings for something, but I can't remember if it was related to the 4GB memory usage. Call Dell and see if there is a way to return it to normal.

Cary

[Mike Twining]

I had a dell that did that. I believe it was pre Win XP SP2, and I was required to download a patch (from microsoft) to address the issue. (see this ms article). I was under the impression that WinXP SP2 included the afore mentioned patch. Do you have SP2 installed? Are you running a 32-bit version of WinXP?

 

Also, for those of us who have rendered our machines useless via a crashing /3gb entry in the boot.ini, you can recover (without re-installing) via:

-Boot the computer with your WinXP CD in the drive (make sure your BIOS is set to boot the CD-Rom)

-Enter the recovery console

-Issue the command "bootcfg /rebuild"

-Wipe the sweat off your brow.

 

Edit:

Oddly enough, after crashing the computer and reinstalling windows (before I found the above solution) the /3gb switch began to work WITHOUT the patch....

Edited February 19, 2007 by Mike Twining

[Mike Allen]

We have SP2 installed, 32-bit WinXP Pro. According to our IS guy, who had to get the box working again:

 

"I tried it on a newly Ghosted box on the bench. It did not work but I was able to remove the switch.

 

It appears after the installation of other things (McAfee, Prism Suite, etc.) there are very limited resources available.

 

On Steve’s box, I could get to the edit button of the boot.ini screen but no further. You cannot even remove software after adding the switch to a “fully” configured (extra software, etc.) computer or attempt repair from the console after booting from the XP installer CD."

So he couldn't even fix it from the recovery console.

 

 

[snelson]

My PC is the one Mike is talking about in this thread. I just got a new one a couple days ago after crashing the last one with the 3gb switch and yesterday I was getting the Low Available Memory warning every few hours even though I was working relatively small scenes and drawings all day.

 

Even though theres 4gb of ram in here now, IronCAD is still acting like it did when I just had 1gb in the pc for a few days. I do notice the performance difference while multitasking but IC is still running low every so often.

[Cary OConnor]

What is the memory error message? Is it a virtual memory error? Did you bump up the virtual memory? Also, when using the Boot.ini, make two lines (not one) for the 3GB switch. This will allow you to reboot to normal in case there is an issue with the modifications to the lines.

Thanks,

Cary

[Mike Twining]

Even though theres 4gb of ram in here now, IronCAD is still acting like it did when I just had 1gb in the pc for a few days. I do notice the performance difference while multitasking but IC is still running low every so often.

16960[/snapback]

 

The purpose of the /3gb switch is to make windows allocate more memory for applications and less for the system (simplified version). By default, Windows won't allocate more than 1gb (or 50%) of memory for applications withouth the use of the /3gb switch. Therefore, without using the /3gb switch, you will have the same ammount of memory allocated for applications (i.e. IronCAD) if you have 2GB of RAM installed, or you have 4GB or ram installed, so the lack of (memory) performance increase is expected.

 

The moral:

If you are using a 32-bit version of windows with 2GB (or more) of memory, you need to get the /3gb switch working if you want to capitalize on the excess memory in IronCAD.

[snelson]

I just bumped up my virtual memory this morning and havent had the Low Available Memory warning come up yet today but I haven't used IC all day long today either so I'll probably have to wait till next week before determining if bumping that up really helped.

 

The memory warning is the one most of us here get every so often, I forget exactly what it says but it asks you to close other applications (which does nothing) or restart Ironcad. You can close the message and even close every other application and it will still come up every 10-15 minutes or so until you restart IC.

 

Doing the 3gb switch is what failed the last machine so I won't be doing that to this one at all. From what I was told, on these Vista optimized Optiplex 745 Dell boxes, you can't do the switch at all. From what your saying Mike T., it sounds like I should just go back to my old box if i keep getting this message since I can't do the switch.

 

I'll just have to wait and see what happens next week.

[Mike Twining]

If I were you, I would take another stab at the /3gb switch, except I would do it a little different (as Cary mentioned).

 

Check out Carys Post (post #6) on this thread for an example of how your boot.ini should look (i.e. you should be prompted to select your boot os at startup).

 

Additionally, as an example, the following is a copy of my boot.ini (YOU CAN NOT SIMPLY COPY THE EXAMPLES! You will need to adapt what you have to be similar to what you see).

 

[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS

[operating systems]

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP /3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Pro" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

 

Note the 2 different entries in the [operating system] section. Additionally, as the "default" path matches both entries, whichever item is listed first will be the option selected automatically if your timeout time expires (in my case, if I don't pick anything, the /3GB version will boot).

 

2nd thing: Increasing the pagefile is a band-aid and is really only going to result in you cursing more at work. The more you need to use your pagefile/swapfile the SLOWER IronCAD (and your somputer) responds. Utilizing the pagefile is like accessing the internet with a 14.4mbs modem... you can do it as long as your time is not valuable.

Edited February 23, 2007 by Mike Twining

[Cary OConnor]

I still don't know why the 3GB would not work on the Optiplex systems. You can try adding /USERVA=2800 as another extension to the 3GB line in the Boot.ini. this makes it use 2.8GB instead of 3GB in case drivers on the machine need more than the 1 to startup. It seems that some various drivers have issues with 3GB switch. Other test is to disable drivers like Network drivers to see if the system will run with the 3GB switch.

Cary