Question about upgrading RAM with Windows 10

Hey,

I just upgraded a Dell Inspiron 17R (5737) laptop's ram from the original 8GB to 16GB last night, purchased from crucial.com When I powered on the computer after upgrading, the computer did take a few minutes to boot up to the desktop (the first time) but I never got a message about "the memory in this computer has changed or been upgraded"...I can't remember word for word but in previous versions of Windows when you would turn your computer back on after upgrading ram it would display a message something like that.

I was just curious if this was changed with Windows 10? Everything seems to be running correctly, correct ram is showing in system settings, etc...I just wondered why I never got the upgrade/new ram message.

Thanks!

 

If I recall correctly, this wasn't a Windows message; it was a message from the BIOS.

Today's motherboards are leaps and bounds better (particularly UEFI BIOS').

If you want to optimize Windows for your new hardware:

Disable System Restore (making sure you delete all snapshots...). Reboot the computer, verify that SR is still 'off'.

Turn off the pagefile, disable the hibernation file, reboot the computer (at least twice).

Manually run the 'Automatic Maintenance' in Security and Maintenance. After it has completed; reboot.

If you use hibernation/sleep; turn on the hibernation file and depending on your workflows; turn on the page file too (system managed is my recommendation, if it is actually needed for your workflows). Reboot at least twice and then use as normal.

What this will accomplish is allow these system files to be cleared and set to the sizes your new RAM's capacity for your system.

In my use for most general purpose systems? I've disabled both and don't use sleep or hibernation (ever). The systems are as snappy as ever. And it seems even more stable too (with less than 100% workloads of any/all components).

 

Yes you're probably correct about the BIOS, didn't think about that.

What exactly is the reason why I would want to disable system restore? I would be screwed if something went wrong and needed to roll back and couldn't, yes?

Can you give directions about "Turn off the pagefile, disable the hibernation file, reboot the computer (at least twice). I'm not aware on how to do that. I don't use hibernation or sleep btw...

Thanks!

 

The reason you disable SR is because it doesn't work.

SR uses unmovable blocks on your drive and needless CPU cycles and when you really need it; it doesn't work (at least; it never has for me). If you think this pseudo safety net is required: delete all the snapshots then create a restore point; but disabling it afterwards will be beneficial when you recreate the system files (below) as they will be less fragmented (i.e. 'contiguous').

Do:
System Restore:
Open a File Explorer window.
Click on your drive in the left hand pane. Now, right click and select 'Properties'.
Click System Protection. Configure. Disable system protection. Apply. Delete (all restore points).
(Here you would enable system protection and create a restore point and turn it off if your system is that unstable...).

Page file:
Click the Advanced Tab. Click Settings. Click the Advanced Tab (yeah; again). Click Change...
Unclick the box for Automatically manage page file settings.
Click No paging file and then click Set. Click Okay.

Hibernation file:
Windows Key and type 'command'. Right click on 'Command Prompt' and select Run as Administrator.
In the DOS window that opens; type 'powercfg -h off' and hit the Enter key.
Reboot (twice in a row).

System Maintenance:
Windows Key and type 'control'. Click on Control Panel. Click on Security and Maintenance.
Expand the Maintenance section and click Start maintenance (this could take a while - have a coffee or go for a movie...).

Reboot a couple of times.

If you're not using your system very heavily; test it as is (with no hibernation and/or pagefile) for a week or so in your normal usage to see if you need those huge capacity wasters... If a program glitches, the computer gives you 'out of memory' errors or other indications that that things changed for the worse: go back and enable the pagefile for the C:\ and reboot and... retest...


Hope this helps.

Good luck.

 

You know, you are absolutely right! Restore has never worked for me either, funny you mention that. Thanks for the info, I will get this done in a bit.

 

Hey again, sorry for sounding like a nag but your instructions for the "page file" fix doesn't seem to match up to my copy of Windows 10, you seem to be leaving instructions out in the beginning. You didn't tell me how to get to the "advanced tab" to begin with. I assumed maybe you were talking about still being in system properties tab but there are 3 different boxes for "settings" and none of them match up to your instructions. I'll just wait till I hear back from you.

 

Nevermind I figured it out, but I did leave the hibernate issue alone...it deactivates quick startup.

 

Lol... the SSD is your quick startup... you do have an SSD, right?

Also; the reason you disable it and then reboot (at least twice) and enable it again is that it can be properly set for the new amount of RAM you have...

You may find that quick startup isn't such a boost vs. no quick startup after all when ~7GB of capacity is used from your SSD (although I agree with a HDD it is worth it - but at pennies per GB... it should be...

 

Hell no I don't have SSD lol, that would cost a fortune for what I need for storage.

 

You don't buy an SSD for storage. You buy it to speed up your interactions ('snappiness') with your chosen platform.

I would still disable the pagefile and hibernation file, reboot a few times while leaving the system idle on the logged in desktop for a few minutes each time, and then turn the hibernation file on and then reboot, let idle at the desktop - open and close a few of your programs with real data - and then do a full shut down.

Now, the system should be properly setup once again to take advantage of fast boot and have an optimally sized (and populated) hibernation file.

 

I only have a laptop, only room for one drive, I don't want an external drive hooked up to my system 24/7 just to access my files. One day I plan on getting a MAC and going all out, then I'll have my SSD

 

Hope you have a backup of all your files! (And in more than two places...).