I'm trying to install Windows 8.1 32-bit in UEFI mode and use the full capacity of a 4TB NVMe drive. The system currently has only 1GB of RAM, so I'm avoiding 64-bit versions of Windows because I'm concerned they will rely heavily on disk swapping. Windows 7 32-bit does not support the UEFI setup I need, while Windows 8.1 32-bit appears to support both UEFI and 1GB of memory. Is there a way to install it with the entire drive available?
1 Answer
The bigger issue here is the unusually low amount of memory for the rest of the hardware. A system built around a Core i7-6700K and a high-end graphics card would normally have several gigabytes of RAM. Before troubleshooting the operating-system installation, verify the memory configuration and strongly consider adding more RAM. With only 1GB, even a 32-bit installation will be severely limited, and the 4TB drive may also require proper UEFI and GPT support from the firmware and installer.
The computer really does have only 1GB of RAM; I’m not joking. I’m trying to choose the version of Windows that will run acceptably with that limitation.