OK it has 4 X 1GB Super talent RAM clips installed - these are permanent fixtures.
It HAD an 8800GTS Installed (320MB) During this time Windows had ~3GB available system memory INSIDE the active OS. All 4 Super talent chips where physically Installed.
Then the 8800GTS Died - and I had a scrap 9400GT (1GB) lying around so I Installed that, and ever since then the OS reports only 2GB ram available to the system (ALL 4 Super talent Chips Still Installed)
EDIT : The 8800 Is very faulty - but it can boot to desktop - if I remove the 9400 - put the 8800 back and boot I have 3GB available again, and if I return to the 9400 I only have 2GB available again - why not leave the 8800 IN the PC? because its very unstable - it had a little bit of a thermal meltdown when it's fan failed - and now although it SOMETIMES boots successfully its very unstable and crashes after a few minutes - or if ANY 3D type graphics attempt to happen.
Bios reports full 4 GB installed and dual channel working perfectly. All ram chips test OK individually.
The machine has some hardware in it with no proper 64Bit drivers, so I would prefer NOT to use 64Bit OS.
I don't have a problem with 64Bit OS but I'm presently looking to FIX the problem rather than running away from it. Hence my question remains "Does anyone know of a way of TWEAKING 32BIT WinXP to fix this problem", and NOT "how do I install a different OS".
I already know how to install a different OS, but I am specifically trying to address the issue WITHOUT doing that. If this is still confusing to some people, then lets just say it's a personal challenge to discover something new. An intentional attempt to do something the hard way in order to try and broaden my understanding of how things work, and how to work with them.
I don't want to simply make the problem evaporate by changing OS, I want to try to reach a level of understanding with regards to the problem and the nature of its cause, so great that I can actually bend the situation to my own will.
To put it figuratively, if I am asking "How do I climb the mountain" - Answers such as "Rent a helicopter and get them to fly you to the top" are of no use, as I did not ask how to rent helicopters. I asked how to climb mountains, because I want to learn to climb.
What I WOULD like to do is look at ways of simply causing windows to NOT ALLOCATE 1GB to the video card, either by registry tweak, driver setting, or possibly Flashing the Bios of the card to not register all of its own memory at boot.
The more I look at the 465 - 470 Bios Fix, that unlocks a 465 - to the same stats of a 470 on certain boards, including unlocking physically installed but not previously available Vram, the more I realize that this IS perfectly possible to edit a bios to only register a certain amount of ram, however I lack the experience in video card bios tweaking to successfully do this.