Circumventing VISTA-64 / 4GB RAM BSOD problem

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm building this computer as "surplus for experiment." It uses last year's -- older than that -- ASUS STriker Extreme with the BIOS 1504 and CPU E8400. I gave it some DDR2-1000 2x2GB G.SKILL RAM. It is almost a project for just "fooling around with VISTA 64."

It seems to have been documented -- by Microsoft and not just forum posters -- that installing Vista 64 on a 680i system with a 4GB RAM kit (either 4x1GB or 2x2GB) generates a BSOD during installation and reboot.

While a lot of people who discussed this (various forums) were working with 4x1GB kits and chose to remove 2GB-worth leaving the system in "dual-channel-mode," my initial strategy would be to replace the G.SKILLs temporarily with a 2x1GB kit of Crucial Tracers. After installation and SP1 update, I can swap the G.SKILLs back into the system.

However, I understand that activation options and requirements are more stringent than for XP OS installations.

QUESTION: To what degree will VISTA activation limit my ability to swap RAM modules temporarily? That is, if the activation requirements prohibit swapping ANY hardware, then I need to use a different approach.

QUESTION: What about the alternate strategy of pulling a single G.SKILL module from the mobo, installing the OS in "single-channel-mode," and resocketing the second stick after successful installation and SP1 update?

 

[XBoxLPU]

Just like XP, you have 30 days to activate. Upon successful installation and first boot into Vista, shutdown and install the rest of the memory. After booting back into Vista, activate. Though activation is not affected by removing or installing memory so it shouldn't really matter how you do it.

 

[Scotteq]

You can swap memory to your heart's content.

 

[nerp]

Don't activate until it forces you to at the end of the 30 days. By then, you should have all the hardware in it and everything working accordingly.

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: nerp
Don't activate until it forces you to at the end of the 30 days. By then, you should have all the hardware in it and everything working accordingly.

:thumbsup:

If for some reason you do get prompted to reactivate it should work painlessly over the net unless you do some ludicrous number of reactivations and have to phone in.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

This is a great set of forums here at Anandtech, and I really appreciate these comments by youse other posters! Every new OS version differs slightly from earlier, in the things you can expect to happen.

Again -- my heartfelt thanks to all.

 

[13Gigatons]

I was under the impression that sp1 removes the "reduce function mode" and just kicks up a nag screen after 30 days of not activating?

Also you don't even need to install Vista with key at all.

 

[Rebel44]

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
I was under the impression that sp1 removes the "reduce function mode" and just kicks up a nag screen after 30 days of not activating?

Also you don't even need to install Vista with key at all.

You have 30 days to activate - after that it will nag you for another 30 days and after that you will only be able to do windows activation.