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pdwatson
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32-bit host with 64-bit guests and memory usage?

I am running 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP2 as the Workstation 6.5 host.

The hardware is Intel T9550 with 8 GiB RAM. The 32-bit OS will only use 4 GiB RAM.

Using Workstation 6.5, will a guest OS be able to use memory outside of the host OS 4 GiB limitation?

If the host OS is 32-bits, can a 64-bit guest OS be created?

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wila
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I am running 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP2 as the Workstation 6.5 host.

The hardware is Intel T9550 with 8 GiB RAM. The 32-bit OS will only use 4 GiB RAM.

Using Workstation 6.5, will a guest OS be able to use memory outside of the host OS 4 GiB limitation?

No, unfortunately it turns out that this cannot be done. You will not be able to see more as the 4GB, unless your host OS is able to see the memory using a PAE switch, or by using a 64 bit host OS. As Vista doesn't support the PAE switch, your guest OS will be limited to the 4GB just like the host OS.

If the host OS is 32-bits, can a 64-bit guest OS be created?

Yes that certainly is possible. But you have to make sure to enable VT-extensions. See also the excellent article from about this



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Wil

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VI-Toolkit & scripts wiki at http://www.vi-toolkit.com

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva

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wila
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I am running 32-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business SP2 as the Workstation 6.5 host.

The hardware is Intel T9550 with 8 GiB RAM. The 32-bit OS will only use 4 GiB RAM.

Using Workstation 6.5, will a guest OS be able to use memory outside of the host OS 4 GiB limitation?

No, unfortunately it turns out that this cannot be done. You will not be able to see more as the 4GB, unless your host OS is able to see the memory using a PAE switch, or by using a 64 bit host OS. As Vista doesn't support the PAE switch, your guest OS will be limited to the 4GB just like the host OS.

If the host OS is 32-bits, can a 64-bit guest OS be created?

Yes that certainly is possible. But you have to make sure to enable VT-extensions. See also the excellent article from about this



--

Wil

_____________________________________________________

VI-Toolkit & scripts wiki at http://www.vi-toolkit.com

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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continuum
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to add on to what Wil said ... you can of course create VMs with more than 4 GB of RAM but then the additional vRAM must be taken from the pagefile and so it will be quite slow

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pdwatson
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So, the hardware maker sold me 4 GiB RAM that I can never use with the OS they sold me with it. Right?

From what I have read, I could use ESXi and use all 8 GiB RAM. Is that correct?

This is a notebook computer, so I cannot really see making it a dedicated server accessed only remotely.

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wila
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So, the hardware maker sold me 4 GiB RAM that I can never use with the OS they sold me with it. Right?

That's correct. For the record it has not always been clear to me either that this would not work as there are confusing posts about this in the forum. But in my testing with 8GB and Vista business, there was NO way that i could get past the 4GB limit without resolving to page swapping as Ulli points out.

From what I have read, I could use ESXi and use all 8 GiB RAM. Is that correct?

Yes you might, but ESXi isn't laptop software, it is server software and you will need another machine to access the virtual machines stored on your ESXi machine. Which makes it pretty useless for a laptop.

This is a notebook computer, so I cannot really see making it a dedicated server accessed only remotely.

You would need either a 64 bits operating system, or a server operating system that support PAE in order to access more as the 4GB limit that 32 bits operating systems tend to have.



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Wil

_____________________________________________________

VI-Toolkit & scripts wiki at http://www.vi-toolkit.com

| Author of Vimalin. The virtual machine Backup app for VMware Fusion, VMware Workstation and Player |
| More info at vimalin.com | Twitter @wilva
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