Troubleshooting RAM Issues in Windows 10: A Case Study

Understanding the Problem

Recently, I encountered a perplexing issue with my Windows 10 Pro 64-bit system: while the operating system recognizes that I have 16GB of RAM installed, it only utilizes 8GB of it. This unexpected behavior was alarming, as my computer had always fully utilized the available memory prior to this change.

To provide context, I have gathered some valuable insights through diagnostic tools such as CPU-Z, Speccy, and Windows itself. These applications confirm that my system is detecting 16GB of RAM; you can view the evidence in my screenshot collection here. I also checked my BIOS settings, which affirm that the 16GB RAM is registered correctly.

Steps Taken So Far

In my pursuit of a solution, I have already explored several avenues:

• MSConfig Boot Options: I examined my boot settings to ensure they were not limiting my RAM usage.

• Physical RAM Installation: I verified that my RAM sticks are properly seated in the motherboard, to rule out hardware installation issues.

• Reset BIOS/UEFI Settings: I reverted my BIOS/UEFI settings to factory defaults, believing that this might correct any misconfigurations.

• Windows Memory Diagnostics: I ran the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, which reported that no errors were found in the RAM.

Seeking Solutions

Despite these efforts, I have yet to resolve the issue. If anyone has experienced a similar problem or has insights into potential fixes, I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments. Community wisdom can be an invaluable resource in troubleshooting technical challenges like this. Your suggestions could be the key to restoring my system’s full memory capabilities!

Thank you for your support. Let’s work together to tackle this puzzle!