Bootloader choices dissapear

dbondo

Member
have a Sony VAIO VGN-FE770G Laptop in which I can physically install 2.5GB, 3GB, or 4GB of memeory. It has a Phoenix BIOS ver, RO174J3 dtd 5-24-07. The main OS is Windows 7 Hone Premium, 64 bit, SP1 ver. 6.1.7601. I also have two other OS's installed on separate partitions; DOS 6.22 and Windows XP SP3 latest update.


When I have <= 2.5 GB installed the BootLoader gives me three choices and boots correctly into each OS. However, with > 2,5GB installed, no choices are offered and the system boots directly into Windows 7. I have to physically remove memory to be able to boot any other OS.


EasyBCD is configured as follows:


There are a total of 3 entries listed in the bootloader.


Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 5 seconds
EasyBCD Boot Device: C:\


Entry #1
Name: DOS 622
BCD ID: {6e60583f-67dd-11e2-b0dd-0013a94718a9}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \NST\AutoNeoGrub0.mbr


Entry #2
Name: Microsoft Windows XP
BCD ID: {93ccf254-9712-11e2-9c6e-0013a94718a9}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \NST\ntldr


Entry #3
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.exe


I have found that there are no BIOS updates and that this BIOS supposedly will only recognize 3GB and support use of 3GB, but this is what I find when I run W7 64 bit:


Installed Physical Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB
Total Physical Memory 2.99 GB
Available Physical Memory 1.54 GB
Total Virtual Memory 3.24 GB
Available Virtual Memory 1.70 GB
Page File Space 256 MB


Do you have any suggestions ?
 
Virtual Memory is something else entirely.

Your BIOS is simply incapable of creating the address space for over 3GB of RAM. Its ACPI tables are buggy, and this is something the manufacturer would have to address with a BIOS update, which as you say, is not available.
One other option to consider is running XP and DOS in a virtual machine.
 
Hi.
I got the same problem there. Boot loader is not displayed when I added a 2gb ram. But I don't mean it's not there, it must be identical for the author of this message or others people.
Example if you only have 1 windows in first boot choice, and 1 linux dual booted like on the computer I tested EasyBCD :
If I only press enter when my screen is dark, I'll load windows without waiting.
If I press down then enter, it does load grub and let me access linux.
 
Back
Top