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511k (need 512k) memory NT boot error with RIS


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Hi,

I have a Windows 2003 RIS server and am trying to install to an IBM Netfinity 4500R, 733Mhz CPU with 1.5GB RAM and all of the latest firmware. When I hit F12 to PXE boot to the RIS server it immediately comes back with the 'Windows NT has found only 511k low memory. Windows NT needs 512k to ....'

I read up on some other info about how to get around the problem (

(http://www.thecomputermechanics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21536 and http://www.antionline.com/history/topic.php/265595-1.html)

but they are mainly aimed at local installs, not via RIS.

Can anyone provide me with some direction as to what I need to modify on my RIS server?

Any advice would be much appreciated

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  • 1 year later...

Did you manage to solve this? I have exactly the same problem.

509K low memory available, need 512KB. I have this only on a specific type of nec server (120RG-1).

Older server versions work just fine. The system is running the latest bios.

My RIS version is 2003 SP1.

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The error is not coming from your RIS server (per se), it's coming from the NT setup routine. It does a check to make sure you have at least 512K of low memory available before loading the bootstrap, otherwise the box will crash or hang if there is less than 512K (I believe the setup routine accesses about 510 - 511K of low memory during base setup). If you have a BIOS with a memory hole configured, this is where the problem is occurring. This error is more prevalent in AMI BIOSes, but can be seen in any BIOS where a memory hole has been configured.

There is nothing you can do on your RIS server, you need to fix the BIOS on that machine or those machines - otherwise, setup is not going to continue.

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Cluberti,

Can you explain why PXE boot fails with this error and booting from a Windows 2003 CD does not?

That could indicate a RIS problem, however on other servers (previous types) PXE boot works fine.

Thanks for your reply!

Martijn.

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Because you have not only the actual text-mode setup executive to load, but also the TCP overhead in startrom.com to load (otherwise it wouldn't work very well over the network if TCP and the basic NIC driver failed to load :)). Therefore, there's just slightly more overhead in RIS, and thus the actual Windows setup routines have a bit less low memory to load into (and that's why we check for that in the bootstrap). When you use a CD, you aren't loading the extra few K that a RIS or WDS-based install does.

Have you also considered setting up a test server in a lab running RIS (with no images configured other than the default), and see if the same machine gets the same error against that server?

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