Windows: PAE switch for boot ini file

PAE switch for boot ini file

For Example: 
ProLiant Servers With Hot Add Memory Capability May Be Unable To Access Memory Above 4 GB Because PAE Support Is Not Enabled In Microsoft Windows Server 2003

	Description

    Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition has the capability to automatically boot with Physical Address Extensions (PAE) support enabled in order to access memory above 4 GB on HP ProLiant servers / any other vendor that have Hot Add Memory capability. 

    The operating system checks the Static Resource Affinity Table (SRAT) to determine if a system can support greater than 4 GB of memory due to a Hot Add event, and enables PAE if appropriate. 

    However, the System ROMs on the ProLiant ML570 G2 and ProLiant DL580 G2 servers do not set up the SRAT table if a Hot Add event is not possible. A Hot Add memory event is not possible if  Hot Add has been disabled using the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU) or if the system has all memory boards installed. 

    As a result, the operating system boots without loading the PAE version of the kernel if Hot Add is disabled or if both memory boards are installed, even if the system contains more than 4 GB of memory.

Note: PAE support is required in order to access memory above 4 GB.

	Scope

Any ProLiant ML570 G2 or ProLiant DL580 G2 or above server running Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.

	Resolution

In order to access memory above 4 GB, perform the following steps to ensure that PAE is enabled during boot by including the /PAE switch in the BOOT.INI file:

1.     Locate the BOOT.INI file, typically in the root folder (for example, C:) and remove its read-only attribute.

2.     Open the BOOT.INI file, and then add the /PAE parameter to the ARC path, as shown in bold format in the following example:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition" /PAE

3.     On the File menu, click Save.

4.     Restore the read-only attribute to the BOOT.INI file.

Note: It is necessary to reboot the server after making these changes, in order to load the PAE version of the kernel.