I have 512 of pc100 RAM, and I put in 512 more in, 512(slot1), 256(slot2), and 256(slot3)=1024. My motherboard supports it, and my computer starts good until it reaches the win98 screen. The computer shuts off and turns on again. I ran scandisk in DOS and in safemode. I thought it was antivirus, so I uninstalled it in safemode but no joy. So I took out 256 of memory out and it started fine, so whats the deal? thanks guys

Windows 98 does not utilize any ram over 64megs, with that said adding more does nothing. all that ram wasted... Run XP or Pro :-) Best Wishes

With all due respect, that (64 MB limit) just is not true. However, you probably aren't going to get any benefits over about 384 MB unless you run some truly awesome stuff, and over 512 can have negative effects in some circumstances. However, there is no 512 MB limit with Win98 as some seem to think.

Hi everyone, Doug, I think you are exaggerating here... not any ram over 64 Mb!!! There's another thread on this subject in which I said the limit was 512 Mb (after a magazine)... and that you would get trouble over 512! Just a minute... I'm back with the address of that thread! Gérard from Paris, France

Actually Win98 supports up to 1GB of ram (see Microsoft article Q304943). Over that amount of ram some machines exhibit such symptoms as continuous re-boots. See the above article on how to set the system up to use just 1GB properly. BTW, I just added 512MB to an existing 128MB (for 640 total) ram and my machine works like a charm.

Hi, Here I am with the address! Other thread on the subject Thank you for new information Rac (However, there is no 512 MB limit with Win98 as some seem to think)... I don't have any experience about it; what I wrote just comes from a magazine. Have a nice day Gérard from Paris, France

First check your RAM. Nifty little program - $100 value free! You gotta get it even if you don’t need it. It actually works well by running tests on your RAM at boot using a floppy. http://www.simmtester.com/PAGE/products/doc/docinfo.asp If your RAM checks out OK then you have to limit your vcache to 512Mb. What happens is that Win98 can run out of memory addresses. From Win98 Memory Management: “VCache increasing above 512 MB can create serious memory handling problems. If you have more than 512 MB of RAM, a VCache maximum of 524,288 KB (or a little less) is recommended. This is obtained by adding a MaxFileCache=x entry in the [vcache] sectin of SYSTEM.INI, where x is the maximum value you wish to set. VCache is limited internally to a maximum cache size of 800 MB. The problem is that, on computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum VCache size can be large enough that it consumes all of the available addresses in the system arena, leaving no virtual memory addresses available for other functions such as opening an MS-DOS prompt. This problem may occur more easily if you have an AGP video adapter: The AGP aperture is also mapped to addresses in the system arena, and if VCache is using its entire 800 MB allowance and an AGP video adapter has a 128 MB aperture mapped, there will be very little address space remaining for other system code and data that must occupy the available range of virtual addresses.” Another way to do this is to download the freeware Cacheman and have it set your MAX vcache to something just less than 512Mb. Don’t use any of its automatic settings or move the min vcache off zero.