3GB switch not working anymore...

[BCMusic]

A while back I had implemented the "3GB switch" for my music production needs... Well, one day (read one my previous posts,) I had a power outage during the installation of my video drivers. After about 15 tries, it finally installed, but only while booting without the switch... Now, when it gets to the boot selection, windows will not boot my 3GB switch... It gets to the splash screen and loads everything normally, but after the splash goes away, nothing... I let it sit for an hour one day (don't ask...) And still nothing... I need my switch back... Could it be faulty RAM due to the power outage? I don't think so because Windows is still registering 3GB of total phys. mem. I don't know...

 

[pat mcgroin]

It may be that your new video drivers are having an issue with being run in the smaller address space. If they were wriiten poorly they may be trying to force themselves into the area that the 3G swich is trying to aquire. Possibly try a different version of the driver or boot with a limited set of startup progs to see if it will aloow the driver to use a different space.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791558.aspx

 

[BCMusic]

I have tried both GeForce and Radeon cards but with no luck.... It has worked before with the same exact drivers, it just doesn't want to work anymore... I have downloaded all the latest drivers, but still doing the same thing... I have booted with zero start-up programs and, nothing...

 

[pat mcgroin]

Are you running a Nvidia card now?
I dont think this will do it but give it a try to be sure.
This will delete all remnants of your video drvers so that you are assured to have a clean install. Sometimes the Nvidia drivers dont delete fully and you end up with a conflict. This will solve that.
http://www.guru3d.com/category/driversweeper/

Did the 3G issue happen recently?
Have you done any other updating like system drivers of system patches?

Here also is a link that could be useful.
Notices the /SOS entry.
Possibly if that is used it may show where you boot is getting hung.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833721/en-us

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/platform/server/PAE/PAEmem.mspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778(VS.85).aspx#physical_memory_limits_windows_vista

Post back if this doesnt help and Ill try to do more

 

[BCMusic]

I've already wiped the ATI and Nvidia drivers clean and installed them again but still doesn't work...

I added the "\sos" switch and it gave me this error:

"Cannot determine file system of drive \??\Volume{c46a4e55-3bee-11de-849b-806d6172696f}"

And it hangs...

 

[pat mcgroin]

Give chkdsk /r a shot.
You could have some corruption going on.