4GB Patch

4GB Patch Software

The 4GB Patch software is a utility that can be used to enable 32-bit programs to use up to 4GB of virtual memory on 64-bit Windows instead of the standard 2GB. It is a tiny free tool from NTCore, the author of CFF Explorer.

The 4GB Patch lets memory-hungry 32-bit games and applications use twice as much virtual memory on 64-bit Windows.

Features

• Easy to use: The 4GB Patch software is designed to be simple to use. Run it, choose the executable (*.exe) you want to patch, and the change is applied at once.

• Supports 32-bit programs: The 4GB Patch software patches x86 executables; 64-bit programs do not need it, as they already have a far larger address space.

• Sets the Large Address Aware flag: The tool changes one flag in the executable's header, which tells Windows that the program can handle addresses above 2GB.

• Works on 64-bit Windows: On 64-bit editions of Windows a patched 32-bit program gets 4GB of virtual memory. On 32-bit Windows the flag only helps when the system is booted with the 3GB user address space option.

• Command line support: The tool can also be run from the command line, for example "4gb_patch file.exe", which is handy for batch files.

• Free to use: The 4GB Patch software is free to download and use.

• Automatic backup: Before patching, the tool creates a backup copy of the original executable, so the change can be undone by restoring it.

• No installation required: The 4GB Patch software does not require any installation; it is a single small executable of about 44 KB.

• No reboot required: The 4GB Patch software does not require a reboot; the patched program gets the extra memory the next time it starts.

• Useful for demanding software: The extra address space helps games, 3D rendering and multimedia applications that need a great amount of virtual memory.

• Re-apply after updates: When the patched program is updated, its executable is usually replaced, so the patch has to be applied again.

Conclusion

The 4GB Patch software is a utility that lets 32-bit programs use 4GB of virtual memory instead of 2GB on 64-bit Windows. It is simple to use, free, needs no installation or reboot and keeps a backup of every file it changes. The tool itself is no longer updated, but the flag it sets is a standard part of the Windows executable format, so the patch keeps working on current 64-bit versions of Windows.