How To Fix Windows 8.1 Not Recognizing All Installed RAM

I just recently upgraded from a 27″ iMac to a new custom build PC of which I installed Windows 8.1. The build process was smoother than expected although I ran into a frustrating issue where my motherboard was recognizing all four RAM sticks which totaled 32GB of RAM yet Windows 8.1 would only recognize 24GB of RAM when under the “System” window.

After fiddling around through the settings, I finally was able to pinpoint the cause of the issue which was directly related to a hidden Windows 8.1 setting. While it may not fix this RAM issue for everyone, here is what I did to solve my issue:

Step #1

Drag your mouse over the Start Menu at the bottom left and right-click on the Windows icon then click on “Run”.

Step #2

When the Run window appears, type in “msconfig” then click okay.

Step #3

Under the “System Configuration Window” click on the “Boot” Tab then click the “Advanced Options” button.

Step #4

At the “BOOT Advanced Options” screen, make sure “Maximum memory” is unchecked then click “OK”. When I checked this setting for the first time, this check-box was activate and was set to limit the maximum memory to only 24GB.

Step #5

When the “System Configuration” screen returns, click the “Apply” button to save the changes to your settings.

Step #6

Reboot your system then open the “System” window again to verify all the correct amount of RAM is now being recognized.

Now this process might not solve everyone's RAM problems, but in my case it was just that. I hope it helps a large percentage of readers solve fix their RAM issue and for those that do I hope you'll leave a comment in the section below letting me know this “how to” guide was worth my while.

Keep in mind, if your motherboard isn't recognizing all of your RAM sticks then this situation is likely due to a hardware issue rather than a Windows 8.1 software-related problem. I'd recommend re-seating all of your RAM sticks and if that doesn't work, you should swap out the modules to different spots to determine whether your motherboard or RAM sticks themselves are faulty.