Windows 7 32 Bit 3 Gb Switch

[Alehazar]

First off, I did NOT come up with this method; I found it on the internet.

Let me explain.

I have the 32 Bit version of Windows 7, Home Premium Edition.

32 Bit version means that this OS has a 4 Gb limit on RAM; any RAM that exceeds 4 Gb will not be used by Windows, it can be considered redundant. Anyone who wishes to utilize more than 4 Gb of RAM should probably switch to a certain 64 Bit edition of Windows -or an altogether different OS.

Also, the 32 bit version allocates a certain amount of RAM to several system functions, leaving me with a max of 3.5 Gb of RAM; in reality, this has been reduced to 2.96 Gb for my system. Now:

Playing Skyrim I was often experiencing CTD; just playing for 2 minutes and it would simply stop working and return to STEAM.

Yes, RAM problems.

 

This is what I found on the internet:

"

 

Thanks for the help everyone. I googled yesterday and got a way to increase the size of physical ram through /3GB switch. Here is the method:

To enable the 3GB switch on Windows Vista™ or Windows 7:

1. Right-click Command Prompt in the Accessories program group of the Start menu. Click Run as Administrator.
2. At the command prompt, enter "bcdedit /set IncreaseUserVa 3072"
3. Restart the computer.

To disable the 3GB switch:

1. Right-click on Command Prompt in the Accessories program group of the Start menu. Click Run as Administrator.
2. At the command prompt, enter "bcdedit /deletevalue IncreaseUserVa"
3. Restart the computer.

This does not display the increased size in the task manager as it still shows 2GB but now when my applicationx crash they indicate the current memory usage as 3GB

 

"

Here's two pics from my Windows Taskmanager; one before the Switch and one after. (the language interface is Dutch).

 

 

I call your attention specifically to the Free memory -201 before and 1706 after- and the Physical Memory: 41% before and 29% after.

This switch needs to be initiated after each Cold Boot and yes, it allows me to play Skyrim without frequent CTD's.

 

My other system specs are:

• Processor
  Intel Core i7 870 2,93 GHz, 2942 MHz 4 Core
• Memory
  4 Gb
• Motherboard
  Biostar H55A+
• Graphics Card:
  GeForce GTX 760

 

Since this helped me a lot I thought to share this.

 

EDIT: [15-05-2015]

Yesterday, the switch did not seem to matter; whenever I fast travelled, my screen would go black and I would need the task manager to close Skyrim -it was using more than 75% of my RAM and became unresponsive.

Just prior to this gaming session STEAM had released an update to STEAM itself and Windows had prompted me to install some essential updates -I figured something in those patches made the 3 Gb Switch useless. Turns out that my last three savegames were corrupt. Removing those and then loading the most recent save -not corrupted obviously- I was [literally] back in the game.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Alehazar