I Got Pro Tools 7.3 to recognize 2.7GB of memory- Here's how

[domen74]

Hey Folks,
I got my Pro Tools 7.3.1 cs5 to recognize more than 1.5GB of RAM on my Windows XP Home Machine. I use a lot of virtual instruments and samples and have been running out of RAM.

I decided to make a little tutorial on how to do it. I have an Intel Quad Q6600 Processor, an Asus p5K Deluxe motherboard with 4 gigs of Ram.

Now it'll work up to 2.7 gigs, a major improvement in my book. Here's how it works:


1) Set the /3GB switch to the boot.ini file
2) Download an application called editbin.exe
3) Patch ProToolsLe.exe to make it Large Address Aware. This will enable it to see the extra memory.

Now for the details


STEP 1 Setting the /3GB Switch

In lay terms, Windows usually allocates 2 gigs of RAM to programs and 2 gigs to the system. With the switch it changes it to 3GB for programs and 1GB for other things.

This is how you do it.

a) Access the boot.ini file by opening the System Properties dialog on "My Computer". Under the Advanced tab and Startup and Recovery press Settings. In the startup and recovery dialog press the edit button. This should open a text file with something close to the following content:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin

b) Were are going to modify it and make a failsafe so that if the mod doesn't work we can go back to the original setting:

Copy the last line and add /3GB to the end of it (make sure you spell it right). Between the parentheses type 3GB at the end so you'll be able to recognize it when XP restarts. Also if you don't have noexecute=optin add that too. The whole thing will look like this

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Home Edition 3GB" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin /3GB

c) Save the file and restart the machine. Now you will have 2 choices when booting. Pick the '3GB'. If it crashes or you experience any other problems go back to the first option. Later try adding the userva=2500 switch to the last line of boot.ini and save. Personally I didn't have to use it. This is how the last line would look:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Home Edition 3GB" /fastdetect /noexecute=optin /3GB /userva=2500

Also check System Properties and make sure that under the General tab it say Physical Address Extension at the bottom.



STEP2 Download editbin.exe, a part of a program called masm32

a) Go to http://www.masm32.com/masmdl.htm
b) Download from the link under United States Version 9.0
c) Unzip and install it in a directory. Lets say C:
d) You're not gonna be using the whole program, just a part of it that modifies the ProToolsLE.exe file, so go to C:\masm32 and open the folder called 'bin'
e) You should see a program called editbin.exe there.

STEP3 Patching Pro Tools

a) Go to C:\Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools and find your ProToolsLE.exe file
b) Back it up somewhere else in case this mod doesn't work on your system. Either right click and press Copy and Paste it to another directory or use CTRL and click it and drag it to let's say the desktop so you don't forget where you put it. Make sure you have the whole file backed up and not just the shortcut!
c) Go back to C:\Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools where your ProToolsLE.exe file is and copy it (CTRL click and move) to C:\masm32\bin .
d) Doublecheck the masm32\bin folder to see if ProToolsLE.exe is the (again not just the shortcut)
e) Go to the start menu and click on Run
f) Type this C:\masm32\bin\editbin /LARGEADDRESSAWARE ProToolsLE.exe
g) Now ProToolsLe is patched. Move it back to the original directory C:\Program Files\Digidesign\Pro Tools -overwrite the old file.

Restart the machine and try it out. Load up a ton of Virtual Instruments and bid samples. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and check the memory usage.

If for some reason you have problems, just replace the modified ProToolsLe.exe with the backup.

[domen74]

My whole system registers 3.25GB of RAM under System Properties even though I have 4GB installed. The problem is there is a 'per application' memory limit in Windows. Load up some big samples and press CTRL+ALT+DEL to see memory usage. Before the mod Pro Tools would crash at around 1.6GB. Now it goes up to 2.7GB. I am using Pro Tools 7.3 though. Maybe they fixed it in 7.4.

[77pro]

Makes sense.....thanks for the info

[guitardom]

y whole system registers 3.25GB of RAM under System Properties even though I have 4GB installed. The problem is there is a 'per application' memory limit in Windows. Load up some big samples and press CTRL+ALT+DEL to see memory usage. Before the mod Pro Tools would crash at around 1.6GB. Now it goes up to 2.7GB. I am using Pro Tools 7.3 though. Maybe they fixed it in 7.4.

no nothing like this is "fixed" in 7.4. is a windows thing and all programs i know have no way around it. will have to check this out. bfd can be a memory hog, especially with some of the platinum soundbanks which i am experiencing at the moment. will have to give this a shot in the next couple days and see what happens.

[TCM]

My whole system registers 3.25GB of RAM under System Properties even though I have 4GB installed. The problem is there is a 'per application' memory limit in Windows. Load up some big samples and press CTRL+ALT+DEL to see memory usage. Before the mod Pro Tools would crash at around 1.6GB. Now it goes up to 2.7GB. I am using Pro Tools 7.3 though. Maybe they fixed it in 7.4.

The 2GB switch is a Windows problem, i.e. 2GB is the max Windows can allocate to one single program. If you are running PT with lots of plugs, they become part of PT and increase its size.
There is indeed a flag that can be set by a program itself (so the programmers have to set that) in order to utilize more than 2GB.
Domens way is taking care of this problem.

I have got an Intel Quad with 4GB Ram (still troubleshooting) and with the Sysinternals' processexplorer you can see the size of running processes, in our case PT. So far the max I've encountered was 1.7 GB for PT (with Strike, Amplitube, Structure, Hybrid etc).

Here is a link for those who need to read more!

[MikeTrahearn]

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try, however, the flag

/noexecute=optin

is recommended by digi to be

/noexecute=Alwaysoff

This setting was necessary to disable the Windows Data Execution Prevention which, if enabled used to cause Blue Screen of Death on PT launch.
Or at least in a previous version of PT this was the case. The issue may have since been resolved which makes having this flag set to "optin" not a problem.

Mike

[Greg M]

Mike,

I'm using "/noexecute=optin" on a Tyan Quad with PTLE 7.4cs2 without any issues.

Thanks,
Greg

[SeedGuy]

Using 7.4cs2, Core2Duo 2.13, 3GB Ram, ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, got Pro Tools to recognise 2.2GB, which is a major increase, before it used to stop loading samples into RAM at around 1.5/1.6GB. The extra 500MB really does help when using my VI's.

Thanks for the tip!

Mike

[Keybeeetsss]

KOOL BUD-DEEEE; How'd u think that one up...

[guitardom]

hey thanks for this. finally got to it and worked great. had a couple things i messed up the first time through, tested, got upset, double checked everything and realized i am not the super speedo accurate typer i thought i was but all is good, thank you, hit over 200 velocity levels in bfd with andy johns expansion and still able to track!!!! if that means nothing to you, it means life is good for me oh yea have one of the original quad opterons with 4 gb of ram w pro tools 7.4 cs2.