Extended RAM in Dell Inspiron 2600

I can see that the" extended RAM passed" when I start up but it doesn't show anywhere else! How can I get it to show in the BIOS and OS?

 

Try clicking Start then right click on My Computer.

 

Or, hold CTRL + SHFT and press ESC keys and click on the Performance tab.

Don't forget that Windows won't show this as 'extended RAM', it will simply show a total amount of the RAM available.

 

What OS are you running on your Inspiron 2600? For the record, though, extended RAM is any RAM past the initial 640 KB that was the limit of the original MS-DOS operating system. You can read a bit more about it in the Wikipedia article here.

 

I extended the existing 256 Mb RAM with another 256 Mb in the free slot available which I understand is the maximum I can go. I was running windows 98 but could not see it anywhere other than as 256Mb. I am now running Kubuntu and that only shows 256 Mb. Does it mean that the extended RAM passed is the original RAM and that the upgrade has not worked? The Wikipedia was a bit like reading greek to me I am afraaid. I thought I was being adventurous in adding the RAM!

 

Ah, Win98.

Sorry, but my knowledge of that O/S expired around '99.

You have to be certain that the BIOS is properly set up (it seems it is, but may be only partially so - especially since Kubuntu also does not see the extra RAM), and that the O/S is loading the proper drivers too in the config.sys files - search for:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.exe
DOS=HIGH, UMB

The above is for using extended memory in DOS, but if I'm not mistaken, Win98 also needed those settings too?

Also, is your Win98 configuration fully updated and patched?

Good luck.