Adding memory to X230

[GeorgeKaplan]

I was given one of these through work and have been learning as I go.

I work among several departments in my company, and each has at least one RAM-hungry app that I need to have open during the day. Since the computer seems to get "stupid" towards the end of a workday--I'm assuming here that the RAM has mostly been claimed by these apps and isn't available for general use--I figured an easy upgrade was to add memory.

Based upon the input here in a different RAM-related thread, I bought a Crucial 8gb DIMM and placed it opposite the stock 4gb Hynix DIMM. I rebooted, but I don't know what to make of the results.

The control panel after booting indicates I have 12gb, but only 3.23gb is free. If I remember, that is the same stat for free space before I did the upgrade. Yet the computer does acknowledge all 12gb installed.

Two questions:

1) Am I making some rookie mistake in the way I am reading the Control Panel stats? I'm not really familiar with Win7Ent, as we were using XP up until a year or so ago.

2) Is there some way my company's IT dept could lock down the RAM to keep me from addressing the new 8gb, even though it is installed?

I am appreciative of any insight you all could provide.

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the forum.
You probably have a 32-bit OS (check in Control Panel/System).
To recognize more than 3-4GB RAM you need a 64-bit OS.

[GeorgeKaplan]

OMG and thank you! I had no idea. Of course, the company is running 32-bit OS right now. Doubtful this will change anytime soon. Good thing DIMMs aren't outrageously expensive since I'm not getting any value from it.