I have an HP 245 G8 with 8GB of RAM installed as two 4GB modules, but only about 3.4GB is usable. I first suspected Windows, so I installed Ubuntu alongside it, but both operating systems report roughly the same amount of available memory. The integrated graphics appears to reserve only around 256MB.
This started after I removed and reset the hard drive because of an earlier disk problem. The laptop also sometimes fails to start normally and only boots after I enter and exit the BIOS. What could be causing the missing memory, and what should I test to fix it?
3 Answers
If the BIOS itself does not detect all 8GB, the problem is probably hardware-related. One memory stick could be faulty, loose, or the slot could be damaged. Remove one module and boot with only the other installed, then swap them and repeat the test. This will show whether one stick or one slot is causing the issue.
First check the BIOS memory total. If it reports 8GB but the operating systems only show about 3.4GB usable, look for a memory-reservation setting. If the BIOS also reports only around 3.4GB, focus on the RAM modules, slots, or motherboard instead.
About 3.4GB is suspiciously close to the practical limit of a 32-bit operating system. Verify that both Windows and Ubuntu are 64-bit versions. A 64-bit OS should normally be able to use nearly all 8GB, apart from hardware reservations such as integrated graphics.
Also check whether the total memory changes when you test each module in each slot. That helps distinguish a bad stick from a damaged slot.