CS4, XP SP3 (32 bit) and over 4 gb ram

RC
Posted By
Ronald_Chambers
Oct 24, 2008
Views
930
Replies
15
Status
Closed
I have an XP SP3 system with quad power and 4gb ram at present.

I found this in Memory allocation and usage (Photoshop CS2)

If you have more than 4 GB (to 6 GB (Windows) or 8 GB (Mac OS)), the RAM above 4 GB is used by the operating system as a cache for the Photoshop scratch disk data. Data that previously was written directly to the hard disk by Photoshop, is now cached in this high RAM before being written to the hard disk by the operating system. If you are working with files large enough to take advantage of these extra 2 GB of RAM, the RAM cache can speed performance of Photoshop.

This seems to refer to 64 bit but I was told it applied to 32 bit and 8gb. Is any of this true for 32 bit XP?

Thanks,
RON C
Related Tags
32-bit bit memory

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

JH
Jeff_Holmes
Oct 24, 2008
PS CS2 won’t use an extra 2-4GB ram on XP 32-bit. XP can only see up to about 3 GB and Photoshop CS2 can’t see beyond that either. If you enable the 3 GB switch for XP, you get a tiny bit more available ram, but it’s negligible. You likely won’t notice any performance increase. It’s true that there’s some headroom when 4GB is installed, but I’ve been there and it’s not what you might hope it is.

PS CS2 essentially won’t use more than 3GB on a puter that has 8GB of ram on a 64-bit operating system. It will only use that little bit extra up to 4GB because PS CS2 is a 32-bit app. XP will be using some of that "invisible scratch memory" too, so it doesn’t all go to PS.

In fact PS CS4 32-bit will act like PS CS2 when it comes to memory.

You’ll never find true performance (read bliss) with Photoshop until you get a 64-bit O/S and PS CS4. And it’s worth every penny. Worth eating mac&cheezewhiz for a year…
RC
Ronald_Chambers
Oct 24, 2008
I have too many apps that won’t work in 64bit. Many plugins for PS are 32 bit and will have to wait for new ones to come available.

I remember QEMM from centuries ago. Is there an equivalent one for 32 bit XP? Sure would be nice to have 3gb ramdrive on XP32.

Thanks,
RON C
RP
Russell_Proulx
Oct 25, 2008
I have too many apps that won’t work in 64bit. Many plugins for PS are 32 bit and will have to wait for new ones to come available.

Ron,

I’m now dual booting XP32)/Vista64 and once it’s configured it works great. I still do my day-to-day stuff in XP but reboot to Vista64 when I have more demanding Photoshop jobs to do. Note too that PS-CS4 installs both a 64bit and 32 bit version in Vista64 so you can still use your 32bit plugins (that’s why Adobe installs the 2 versions in Vista64 by default).

Russell
C
Curvemeister
Oct 25, 2008
On Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:06:53 -0700, wrote:

….
If you have more than 4 GB (to 6 GB (Windows) or 8 GB (Mac OS)), the RAM above 4 GB is used by the operating system as a cache …

Is any of this true for 32 bit XP?

This is talking about a 32 bit app running on a 64 bit operating system. The gist of it is that a 32 bit app, benefits indirectly from >4GB of memory, only if the OS is 64 bit. Likewise, on 32 bit systems, there is a similar benefit to having 4GB of RAM, even though Photoshop cannot see > 2GB.

Re /3GB: normally the OS splits the 4GB address space 50/50 with applications. The /3GB switch allows you to shift the balance. Photoshop can handle a larger image, but, as Jeff says, the performance suffers.

It’s useful though. If you have a large image that you must process by hook or by crook, the /3GB switch allows you to do so without running out of RAM. I do this occasionally when I get a very large image from a customer – generally it’s go have a cup of coffee, or lunch, while the large image is being loaded and resized. When I get back, the image is manageable and I can reboot without the /3GB switch. I’ve done this on a system with only 1 GB of ram, processing images between 50 and 100 megapixels.

FYI – the boot.ini that I use is:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB" /fastdetect /3GB /USERVA=2944 /NoExecute=OptIn

Warning: It’s easy to brick your system when modifying boot.ini. Be absolutely sure that you can boot from another drive and restore your original file.

Images are getting larger. 32 bits is a pain. Viva la 64 bits!
M
Mylenium
Oct 25, 2008
I remember QEMM from centuries ago. Is there an equivalent one for 32
bit XP? Sure would be nice to have 3gb ramdrive on XP32.

Mathematically impossible –> 2^32 = 4294967296 bytes. Only some server OSs are able to address more RAM even in 32bit by ways of using some trickery…

Re /3GB: normally the OS splits the 4GB address space 50/50 with applications.

Not exactly true. There is always a certain "kernel memory", which is not released by the OS, hence you can only use 3GB/3.2GB/2.5GB for applications at all on 32 bit OSs, but the rest is not split by fixed amounts and least of all another big chunk is made exclusive to the OS. The thing with the Windows still defaulting to 2GB only is merely a compatibility issue, therefore the /3GB switch must be set manually.

Mylenium
CF
chris_farrell
Oct 25, 2008
64 bit Vista (no logic in using an unsupported o/s like xp x64) is the only way if you want to use more than 3.2gb.

Btw…the word Qemm put shivers down my spine…..I remember those days, trying to free another 5 / 10 kb of base memory in DOS…aaargh.
B
bob733
Oct 25, 2008
I am using PS CS4, ID Cs4, Il CS4. I have been thinking about installing a dual boot on my XP 32 bit system to also have a 64 bit Vista capibility.

Questions:
1. Do IL, and ID Cs4 flavor also run in 64 bit mode?
2. Do Install PS CS4 (and possibly IL CS4 and ID CS4 )onto the new 64 bit system. and if so, what does that do with respect to registering etc.
3. Is it a hassle swithching back and forth between 64 and 32 bit systems?
BL
Bob Levine
Oct 25, 2008
Just run the entire suite in Vista64. Unless you have some older peripherals that don’t have Vista64 drivers there’s no reason to dual boot at all.

Bob
JJ
John Joslin
Oct 25, 2008
All the CS4 apps will run on Vista 64.

With a 64bit OS, 99% of programs that are 32bit will run OK.

The only limitations I have heard of are ancient peripherals and their drivers.

Edit: Snap!
DM
dave_milbut
Oct 25, 2008
Btw…the word Qemm put shivers down my spine..

🙂 then how about this word: Stacker! 🙂
B
bob733
Oct 25, 2008
Thanks, but do I have to reinstall the 3 Adobe products I have? And then reregister? And activate?
BL
Bob Levine
Oct 25, 2008
No need to re-register. Once is enough.

But you’d need to deactivate it under XP and then install and reactivate under Vista 64.

Bob
RP
Russell_Proulx
Oct 26, 2008
But you’d need to deactivate it under XP and then install and reactivate under Vista 64.

Robert,

Afaik the CS4 license allows 2 installs and activations as long as they’re not used simultaneously (ie: desktop/laptop). So you won’t need to do any activating/disactivating on a dual-boot system. If you want to ALSO install it on a laptop then you will then have a problem.

I wish PS’s activation was tied to the processor ID so a multi-boot system would count as only one install …

Russell
BL
Bob Levine
Oct 26, 2008
I thought he was considering dumping XP altogether and simply moving to Vista64. Yes, you can leave it activated under both but I think that leaves you open to some problems if you have a harddrive crash.

Bob
DE
David_E_Crawford
Oct 26, 2008
I read the Eula just in case for a Dual boot computer of mine. The Eula states by "platform" as in your computer as a whole. Read 2.10 Dual Boot Platform. XP and Vista are 2 "seperate" operating systems on the same "platform" and you must obtain separate licenses.

But you can install a copy on a different computer like a laptop since it is considered a "Platform"

How to Master Sharpening in Photoshop

Give your photos a professional finish with sharpening in Photoshop. Learn to enhance details, create contrast, and prepare your images for print, web, and social media.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections