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According to this article:

https://www.lifewire.com/windows-memory-diagnostic-review-2626154

The Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool for Windows 7 only scans the first 4GB of RAM for errors. This Super User question regarding Windows 10 (which is NOT a duplicate of this question) repeats that claim, but provides no source for it:

Does Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool scan RAM over 4GB?

The comments for that question debate whether there really is a 4GB limit for the Windows 7 tool.

This article makes no mention of a 4GB limit:

https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/windows-and-office/use-windows-memory-diagnostic-to-investigate-ram-problems-in-windows-7/

So, will the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool that is included with Windows 7 check all available RAM or only the first 4GB?

How can you tell?


EDIT: Super User super helper Moab and I have been discussing the XML results of the WMDT in the comments, so I am posting the results here:

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
  <Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-MemoryDiagnostics-Results" Guid="[GUID]" /> 
  <EventID>1201</EventID> 
  <Version>0</Version> 
  <Level>4</Level> 
  <Task>0</Task> 
  <Opcode>0</Opcode> 
  <Keywords>0x8000000000000000</Keywords> 
  <TimeCreated SystemTime="[TIME]" /> 
  <EventRecordID>718360</EventRecordID> 
  <Correlation /> 
  <Execution ProcessID="4880" ThreadID="4885" /> 
  <Channel>System</Channel> 
  <Computer>[NAME]</Computer> 
  <Security UserID="[ID]" /> 
  </System>
- <UserData>
- <Results xmlns:auto-ns2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events" xmlns="http://manifests.microsoft.com/win/2005/08/windows/Reliability/Postboot/Events">
  <CompletionType>Pass</CompletionType> 
  </Results>
  </UserData>
  </Event>
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  • Just tried, but no statistics for how much ram was tested.....It detected my 8gb but no indication in the log if it tested all of it.
    – Moab
    Jul 6, 2020 at 1:06
  • That lifewire and Superuser links is for a different downloadable W7 memory test, not the same one built into W7.
    – Moab
    Jul 6, 2020 at 1:12
  • I know this is not an answer. But, how about using memtest86+ and forget about Windows memory diag? Jul 6, 2020 at 3:47
  • @Moab Thanks. Was it the memory test itself that detected the 8GB (although unknown if it actually tested all of it)? If so, where was that indicated? BTW, the Windows event log shows the results, but I see no indication of how much memory was tested. Part of the XML of the results indicated '4', but no idea if that has anything to do with amount of RAM tested or just a return code. Jul 6, 2020 at 8:58
  • @Appleoddity Memtest86+ was my first choice. The system has BIOS, and after much reading, it looks like Memtest86 (not plus) might be a better choice for BIOS. Hard to tell. Spent 2 hours searching for writable optical media, to no avail. Don't have any USB sticks, but do have a quality SD card in camera. But reading Memtest documentation, it seems to do something weird to the SD card, and I didn't want to chance it without understanding it better. Jul 6, 2020 at 9:03

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