Actual Amount Of Memory /OS install time Questions

[FlclAdam12]

I have 6gb of DDR3, but in the bios and in Windows it is being read of 5.99gb or 6134mb, instead of 6144mb. I know it is only a 10mb difference but i just want to make sure that this is normal.

Thanks!

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

My DDR2 800, 2 x 1 GB only detects as 2041 GB instead the full amount.

 

[jagass]

It's just normal man...

 

[FlclAdam12]

Thanks for the reply! i guess it is normal then.

i got another question tho, how long dose it usually take to install windows? because i read somewhere that it took a core i7 17 minutes to fully install vista but it takes me like an hour and a half. srry for all the questions, just want to make sure everything is running properly

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

I have installed windows in as little as 5 minutes (the version was very small!)

My 3800+ single core installs in about 22 minutes flat on Server 2003.

 

[FlclAdam12]

Damn, i wonder what the problem could be. The quickest my system has installed an os was like 50 minutes, and that was xp.

 

[DanishDevil]

I install Vista in well under 30 minutes with my rig at stock. That does seem like a long time.

Are you running a 5400RPM hard drive?

 

[FlclAdam12]

No, 7200rpm. I do have an IDE ODD but that wouldn't make it take THAT MUCH longer would it?

 

[DanishDevil]

No it shouldn't.

Do you have the proper SATA drivers installed? By that I mean the latest intel chipset drivers as well as any other JMicron or the like SATA controllers on the board? Also your IDE controllers.

 

[FlclAdam12]

I install chipset and SATA driver once the os is loaded up. Should i load them before i start the install?

 

[DanishDevil]

Sorry I was looking at another thread earlier that was talking about reformatting a drive through windows, not installing windows.

Your Vista CD should be sufficient.

What part of the installation is taking a long time?

I would check the security of all your cables and the like.

 

[FlclAdam12]

Well when i boot from the dvd, it takes about 10 minutes for the install window to pop up, Then it takes about 45-60 minutes to Expand files.

 

[DanishDevil]

Whoa. Sounds like everything's slowed down. I'd say just let it be and hope that the install goes well.

 

[FlclAdam12]

I have installed windows on this thing about 5 or 6 times already, everything works fine i just wanted to make sure none of my hardware was messed up. Dose this sound like defective hardware?

 

[DanishDevil]

Does the Windows install function properly and normally?

 

[FlclAdam12]

Yeah, the installer works fine, i don't get any errors while i'm installing it. it just takes forever.

 

[Mussels]

one thing to try is to make sure you have NO other drives plugged in, except your ODD and your OS HDD. I notice things go bad a lot if you have several drives plugged in when installing your OS.

I've installed vista in less than an hour, and then wasted 2 hours installing SP1 - its better to get a slipstreamed disk if you know how.

Windows 7, ive had up and gaming within an hour... they really sped up its install

 

[Tau]

What are the specs of the HDD? Maybe its a low cache model thats choking under the install... or something goofy is set in your bios.

Depending on the machine and setup iv had OS installs from 8 minutes up to about 2 hours.... my main machine takes ~30 minutes with XP on a stock load.

My test server takes 13 minutes with Server 2003 (thats including formatting ~100GB worth of HDDs (not quick either ))

 

[FlclAdam12]

I have WD7500AAKS With 16mb of cache, Thanks for the help, i really want to figure out why its taking so long.

 

[unclewebb]

Are you using a genuine Windows CD/DVD? If not, don't answer that question.

It sounds like your CD/DVD drive is having a difficult time reading the disc you're using. When this happens, the data reading speed slows down to a crawl. Use a utility like CD Speed once you get up into Windows, insert your Windows disc and do a read benchmark. You'll see if your drive or disc needs to be replaced. Mass produced drives at the present price point means that the laser alignment isn't always 100%. When using a disc that was burned on a different burner, the read speed on your drive can be terrible.

That's what you like to see. The green data transfer line is linear with no drop outs. If the CD I used for testing had more stuff on it, this drive would have had no trouble reaching its maximum rated speed. If the green line is full of sharp drop outs or is at a very low speed then either the drive or disc is junk. Do some more testing to find out what needs to be replaced.

 

[FlclAdam12]

lol, yes this is a guneuine Microsoft DVD, I will try that utility though.

 

[unclewebb]

If your disc is not physically damaged then it is likely that your drive needs to be replaced. Last time I bought a burner I had to keep driving back to the store until I finally got a good one. That's why I've been using the same one for the last few years. All drives are definitely not created equal. Even a name brand drive might have been dropped or might degrade over time so it's a good idea to check their performance once in a while.

 

[FlclAdam12]

This is what i got when i ran it with the Vista Dvd , is this normal?

 

[unclewebb]

It looks like the read speed of your drive is kind of slow. I just put in my burnt Windows 7 DVD for a quick comparison and at the 2GB point when your drive is almost at 4X, my Lite-On is a hair over 12X.

DVD drives work at a slower speed than CD drives but transfer more data per revolution. I think your drive is at least partially responsible for your slow Windows install time.
I think most new drives today typically max out at about 16X when reading a manufactured DVD.

 

[FlclAdam12]

This is odd i tried it again and i got much better speed. I really want to figure this out.