XP 3gb "switch"

[mslim 13]

As most owners of a low spec, outdated system do,  I am trying to nurse it along until I can afford a new box.

 

I was looking at my boot.ini and wondering if I had engaged the 3gb switch properly for maximum FSX usuage.

 

[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="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect/3GB/Userva=2560
 

It looks a little redundant to me, but I am not very smart with computers.  Could someone smarter than me take a look at this and see if it's done correctly?  The system is running smooth but launching the Twin Otter extended from Paine Field headed to Port Angeles in ORBX PNW I get an OOM after about 15 minutes of flight time.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Slim

[Illegitimi non carborundum 4]

Slim if this is win xp 32-bit you need the 3GB switch to access the most VAS (if it is 64-bit it shouldn't be used as you have 4GB VAS allocated by default)

The boot.ini line should look like: /fastdetect /3GB  /USERVA=3072 (note spaces)

The values go from 2560 to 3072 in 128 Kb blocks

Regards

pH

[mslim 13]

Yes it is 32bit.  Will correct the userva line with the space as notated after "3GB".  So there is no redundant line in the boot.ini?

[Jim Young 2,356]

 

 

So there is no redundant line in the boot.ini?

 

No.  If you have XP32 bit, you use only the /3GB switch.  If you have Vista or Windows 7, you would only use the userva line.  See the following links - http://dwf.blogs.com/beyond_the_paper/2009/04/enabling-3gb-switch-on-windows-vista.html and http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-enable-a-3GB-switch-on-Windows-Vista-Windows-7-or-Windows-XP-s.html.

 

Best regards,

[mslim 13]

Thanks illegitimi and Jim!  I guess I've done about all the tweaking I can do w/ my system.

 

Slim

[Illegitimi non carborundum 4]

Jim

You can still use the userva line in Win XP 32-bit as it can set the VAS from 2.5GB to its maximum of 3GB (in 128Kb blocks) just using the /3GB switch will set the VAS to 3GB or 3072 and that may be too much for some systems.

 

 

Subparameters

 

/userva

Specifies an alternate amount of user-mode virtual address space for operating systems booted with the /3GB parameter.

 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff556232(v=vs.85).aspx

 

 

 

With respect

pH

[mslim 13]

I have done as recommended and I see the 3gb switch in the boot menu but my up-down arrow keys are inop so I cannot select the 3gb boot option.  These keys work fine under Windows normally.  I updated the bios but that didn't make difference either way.

 

here's the current boot.ini:

 

[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="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect/3GB/ Userva=3072
 

Any suggestions as to what is causing the keys to be inop?

[mslim 13]

A BIOS update solved the problem