I need help patching Windows 7 32bit to use PAE

edited December 2016 in Software
Before you say, just install 64-bit windows, It's too much of a hassle and I have the system configured a way it needs to be; plus I need to share this machine with others. I have 8gb of ram* installed, but it will only allow me to use 2.45GB since the APU is using some memory for VRAM. I don't care that programs will be only able to use 2GB, I just need more RAM to be available. BTW, I don't really have any means to back-up my data.

I made a quick search for this previously, but I didn't find anything helpful.

*(I just got a 4gb ram stick today, before this PC just had 4GB.

Comments

  • It's probably already enabled. You can check by running this in a command prompt:

    wmic os get PAEEnabled

    If it's not enabled, you should be able to enable it with this command:

    bcdedit /set {current} pae ForceEnable

    However, I don't believe this is going to accomplish what you're looking for. I tested with my Windows 7 32 bit VM and it still only reported 3 GB usable.
  • Yeah, It appears to be already enabled. What other options are there for breaking this barrier.
  • Nothing I'm aware of.

    I know it's not what you want to hear, but upgrading to 64 bit may just be your only option.

    Just take a good backup, copy over your user profiles, get a list of installed programs and reinstall. USMT is your friend.
  • I'd question what one needs that much RAM for, but an intelligent person (there aren't many of those) could always find something.

    Anyway, I was under the impression that you had even though it will say PAE is enabled, you also to apply some extra hack on any non-server 32-bit Windows, even Windows 10. Haven't tried that myself.

    But there are a few things 32-windows is needed for. For example it can run Windows 3.1 and DOS applications with NTVDM, and supposedly some drivers are 32-bit only. Also it is better for some lower memory machines, as it doesn't waste quite as much memory.

    I'm honestly surprised there weren't more compatiblity problems when Microsoft rolled out 64-bit windows. When Windows 7 was first release it was almost all 32-bit pre-installed. Then about two years after that 64-bit started showing up everywhere. That is really a major change in the architecture.
  • I've never had any issues running 64bit windows. Yeah, you lose DOS / 16-bit compatibility, but to be honest, it doesn't bother me. There's VMs and emulators to handle that stuff.
  • SomeGuy wrote:
    I'd question what one needs that much RAM for, but an intelligent person (there aren't many of those) could always find something.

    Anyway, I was under the impression that you had even though it will say PAE is enabled, you also to apply some extra hack on any non-server 32-bit Windows, even Windows 10. Haven't tried that myself.

    But there are a few things 32-windows is needed for. For example it can run Windows 3.1 and DOS applications with NTVDM, and supposedly some drivers are 32-bit only. Also it is better for some lower memory machines, as it doesn't waste quite as much memory.

    I'm honestly surprised there weren't more compatiblity problems when Microsoft rolled out 64-bit windows. When Windows 7 was first release it was almost all 32-bit pre-installed. Then about two years after that 64-bit started showing up everywhere. That is really a major change in the architecture.

    Where could I find such a hack? I need the 8gb of ram so that I have more ram available, plus then I could configure my APU to be able to have more VRAM.
  • The extra RAM may be for browser tabs - I'm not sure if there's a patch out there, but I'm interested to hear if there is one, just to see just how well it works and try to figure out what exactly makes it tick.

    I'd love to have this sort of thing, too, since running things in emulators on a Core2 Duo is a bit of a crawl in Windows 7 64-bit.

    I'm pretty sure there was something to force PAE on Windows 2000 / Windows XP at some point, but I'm not entirely certain. I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but I'll see if I can't find it either, if only to try and point you in the right direction.
  • Straightfoward process o patch the kernel. A Russian group did it some time ago.

    The patch has been hard to find since antivirus software considers it a trojan (ater all, it's modifying/patching a core OS file) and the A/V of course is not actually doing anything to verify - just knee-jerk flagging.

    Anyway...

    Good current page here (now works on W 8.1):

    http://wj32.org/wp/2013/10/25/pae-patch ... ndows-8-1/

    The actual patch file:
    https://wj32.org/wp/download/PatchPae2.zip

    For a good English language page that discusses the problem/resolution go here:
    http://www.unawave.de/windows-7-tipps/3 ... ml?lang=EN

    And, if you just would like to patch individual apps designed for the x86 platform so they can take full advantage of 4gb ram under Windows 7, go here:

    http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Syst ... atch.shtml

    have fun!
  • SomeGuy wrote:
    I'd question what one needs that much RAM for, but an intelligent person (there aren't many of those) could always find something.

    Anyway, I was under the impression that you had even though it will say PAE is enabled, you also to apply some extra hack on any non-server 32-bit Windows, even Windows 10. Haven't tried that myself.

    But there are a few things 32-windows is needed for. For example it can run Windows 3.1 and DOS applications with NTVDM, and supposedly some drivers are 32-bit only. Also it is better for some lower memory machines, as it doesn't waste quite as much memory.

    I'm honestly surprised there weren't more compatiblity problems when Microsoft rolled out 64-bit windows. When Windows 7 was first release it was almost all 32-bit pre-installed. Then about two years after that 64-bit started showing up everywhere. That is really a major change in the architecture.


    Yes on the need for an x86 platform. I'm currently running Windows 7 x64 and am frustrated because I decided to go back to working on some older Windows 3.1 apps. ach!!!

    So now I need a Win 3.1 virtual machine.
  • 02k-guy wrote:
    Straightfoward process o patch the kernel. A Russian group did it some time ago.

    The patch has been hard to find since antivirus software considers it a trojan (ater all, it's modifying/patching a core OS file) and the A/V of course is not actually doing anything to verify - just knee-jerk flagging.

    Anyway...

    Good current page here (now works on W 8.1):

    http://wj32.org/wp/2013/10/25/pae-patch ... ndows-8-1/

    The actual patch file:
    https://wj32.org/wp/download/PatchPae2.zip

    For a good English language page that discusses the problem/resolution go here:
    http://www.unawave.de/windows-7-tipps/3 ... ml?lang=EN

    And, if you just would like to patch individual apps designed for the x86 platform so they can take full advantage of 4gb ram under Windows 7, go here:

    http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Syst ... atch.shtml

    have fun!

    Thanks man!

    EDIT: Windows 7 SDK won't install.

    EDIT2: Ok, the SDK installs now.
  • Well, the kernel has been hacked/patched and things are running smoothly so far.
  • Alrighty then!
  • dosbox wrote:
    02k-guy wrote:
    Straightfoward process o patch the kernel. A Russian group did it some time ago.

    The patch has been hard to find since antivirus software considers it a trojan (ater all, it's modifying/patching a core OS file) and the A/V of course is not actually doing anything to verify - just knee-jerk flagging.

    Anyway...

    Good current page here (now works on W 8.1):

    http://wj32.org/wp/2013/10/25/pae-patch ... ndows-8-1/

    The actual patch file:
    https://wj32.org/wp/download/PatchPae2.zip

    For a good English language page that discusses the problem/resolution go here:
    http://www.unawave.de/windows-7-tipps/3 ... ml?lang=EN

    And, if you just would like to patch individual apps designed for the x86 platform so they can take full advantage of 4gb ram under Windows 7, go here:

    http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Syst ... atch.shtml

    have fun!

    Thanks man!

    EDIT: Windows 7 SDK won't install.

    EDIT2: Ok, the SDK installs now.

    How did you get the SDK to install? I'm getting errors.
  • PCAT wrote:
    dosbox wrote:
    02k-guy wrote:
    Straightfoward process o patch the kernel. A Russian group did it some time ago.

    The patch has been hard to find since antivirus software considers it a trojan (ater all, it's modifying/patching a core OS file) and the A/V of course is not actually doing anything to verify - just knee-jerk flagging.

    Anyway...

    Good current page here (now works on W 8.1):

    http://wj32.org/wp/2013/10/25/pae-patch ... ndows-8-1/

    The actual patch file:
    https://wj32.org/wp/download/PatchPae2.zip

    For a good English language page that discusses the problem/resolution go here:
    http://www.unawave.de/windows-7-tipps/3 ... ml?lang=EN

    And, if you just would like to patch individual apps designed for the x86 platform so they can take full advantage of 4gb ram under Windows 7, go here:

    http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Syst ... atch.shtml

    have fun!

    Thanks man!

    EDIT: Windows 7 SDK won't install.

    EDIT2: Ok, the SDK installs now.

    How did you get the SDK to install? I'm getting errors.

    You have to uninstall any existing copies of the Visual C++ 2010 redistributable binaries
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