RAM problem as well as problem with 'tabbing'

Ok, so I just went out today to buy a 1 gig stick of RAM.  I coupled it with my other 1 gig stick, but now my computer says I only have 756 MB.  What the *CENSORED* is up with that?

If anyone has a diagnostics tool, or a way for me to figure this out... Please help!



Edit:

Ok, I also have a problem with alt-tabing in and out that I forgot to mention.  I have to tab out a lot and this almost always happens when I do.
This makes it nearly impossible to play, and was wondering if it was my GFX card [8800] or if my client is simply *CENSORED*.

I wold try the comp with the new stick of ram on its own 1st

Alright, I'll see what it says - brb.

Fixed it.  The second was not fully in, it was poking out a bit. [SLIGHTLY -.-]

Dunno, why it decreased RAM though.  Oh well.

computers are silly lol

Updated with second post to reduce amount of topics.

I have the same tabbing out issue.

Must ask silly questions 1st..... you runnign the latestdrivers?  and what card/OS?

flecky wrote:

Must ask silly questions 1st..... you runnign the latestdrivers?  and what card/OS?

Yep, latest drivers [you know, the crappy 8xxx ones], and 8800GTX.  XP SP2.

for the record, if you tab out, and get that issue, you can just go into the Advanced Graphics option, and hit apply (without changing anything).  It fixes it.

Ah, then problem fixed.

Cheers, Chemuel.

Or you could always play windowed.

Valeth wrote:

Or you could always play windowed.

I thought everyone played the game windowed.....

Nah Flecky... I play full screen most of the time.


The raw issue is because MxO combined with the 8800 drivers (and a lot of other drivers) doesn't re-initialize the DirectX draw interface properly. Clicking apply in the GFX options reloads all the textures and world data properly.

If you have to alt-tab a lot I'd recommend running windowed. Also you may notice your in-game music stops when you alt-tab. To fix it, just enter the "/radio stop" command.


As for why the total amount of RAM dropping when the new sim wasn't seated properly, RAM sims are made of 4 sections. Left and right on both sides. RAM also runs in pairs, so a bad stick will affect the other one. what probably happened was the end sticking out wasn't affecting the other stick and the end that was half-seated turned off the whole channel for that section of the RAM.

You are very lucky that all that happened was the RAM played up. Typically you would have been looking at 2 new sticks of RAM and possibly a new motherboard.

With carpentry the motto is "measure twice, cut once". With computers it's "check connections twice, destroy hardware never".

Valeth wrote:

Or you could always play windowed.

I'll skip.