How to find whether /3GB switch is in effect

  • Thread starter Thread starter Prem Mehrotra
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Prem Mehrotra

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I have Windows Server 2000. My Windows SA has added /3GB switch in boot.ini
which will go in effect next time server is rebooted.

How do I verify that memory available to Applications is now 3GB while
memory available to Windows OS is 1GB (instead of 2GB). When I look in
taskmgr, I do not see anywhere that memory avaiable to applications is 2GB
and to Windows OS is 2GB. Is there some system log file I can look to verify
this.


Thanks a lot,
Prem
 
Re: How to find whether /3GB switch is in effect

That switch isn't supported by Server 2000. You need Windows 2000
Advanced Server or Server 2003 to properly use the switch. On Advanced
Server when using the switch you may deplete the system page table
entries (PTEs) and you may need to make adjustments via the registry.

The switch isn't supported on Server 2000 because it only supports 4GB
RAM. Setting the 3/GB switch will create false memory addresses above
the 4GB boundary and this may cause applications to crash if they try to
access this false memory.

Why did your SA set this switch? What is he hoping to accomplish? Are
you running Exchange Server and does the machine have more that 1GB RAM?
Your SA should have done his homework and done more research before
blindly setting this switch on Server 2000.

John

Prem Mehrotra wrote:

> I have Windows Server 2000. My Windows SA has added /3GB switch in boot.ini
> which will go in effect next time server is rebooted.
>
> How do I verify that memory available to Applications is now 3GB while
> memory available to Windows OS is 1GB (instead of 2GB). When I look in
> taskmgr, I do not see anywhere that memory avaiable to applications is 2GB
> and to Windows OS is 2GB. Is there some system log file I can look to verify
> this.
>
>
> Thanks a lot,
> Prem
 
Re: How to find whether /3GB switch is in effect

My sever is Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Sorry, I did not specify it
earlier. Anyway, where does not look to find how much memory is avaiable to
application.


"John John" wrote:

> That switch isn't supported by Server 2000. You need Windows 2000
> Advanced Server or Server 2003 to properly use the switch. On Advanced
> Server when using the switch you may deplete the system page table
> entries (PTEs) and you may need to make adjustments via the registry.
>
> The switch isn't supported on Server 2000 because it only supports 4GB
> RAM. Setting the 3/GB switch will create false memory addresses above
> the 4GB boundary and this may cause applications to crash if they try to
> access this false memory.
>
> Why did your SA set this switch? What is he hoping to accomplish? Are
> you running Exchange Server and does the machine have more that 1GB RAM?
> Your SA should have done his homework and done more research before
> blindly setting this switch on Server 2000.
>
> John
>
> Prem Mehrotra wrote:
>
> > I have Windows Server 2000. My Windows SA has added /3GB switch in boot.ini
> > which will go in effect next time server is rebooted.
> >
> > How do I verify that memory available to Applications is now 3GB while
> > memory available to Windows OS is 1GB (instead of 2GB). When I look in
> > taskmgr, I do not see anywhere that memory avaiable to applications is 2GB
> > and to Windows OS is 2GB. Is there some system log file I can look to verify
> > this.
> >
> >
> > Thanks a lot,
> > Prem
>
 
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