diff --git a/make/common/shared/Platform.gmk b/make/common/shared/Platform.gmk
index 648dcbeb7d6bc5960af217ce00843384590434db..32cb08e34737b10e8748fcb7480cc29194953d0b 100644
--- a/make/common/shared/Platform.gmk
+++ b/make/common/shared/Platform.gmk
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ ifeq ($(SYSTEM_UNAME), Linux)
     REQUIRED_ALSA_VERSION = ^((0[.]9[.][1-9])|(1[.]0[.][0-9]))[0-9]*
   endif
   # How much RAM does this machine have:
-  MB_OF_MEMORY := $(shell free -m | fgrep Mem: | sed -e 's@\ \ *@ @g' | cut -d' ' -f2)
+  MB_OF_MEMORY := $(shell free -m | fgrep Mem: | awk '{print $$2;}' )
 endif
 
 # Windows with and without CYGWIN will be slightly different
@@ -374,45 +374,35 @@ ifeq ($(PLATFORM), windows)
   REQUIRED_DXSDK_VER = 0x0700
   OS_VENDOR = Microsoft
   # How much RAM does this machine have:
-  MB_OF_MEMORY := $(shell \
-    if [ -f "C:/cygwin/bin/free.exe" ] ; then \
-      ( C:/cygwin/bin/bash.exe -c "C:/cygwin/bin/free.exe -m" ) | \
-	grep Mem: | \
-	sed -e 's@\ \ *@ @g' | cut -d' ' -f2 ; \
-    else \
-      echo "512"; \
-    fi)
-endif
-
-# Machines with 512Mb or less of real memory are considered low memory
-#    build machines and adjustments will be made to prevent excessing
-#    system swapping during the build.
-#    If we don't know, assume 512. Subtract 128 from MB for VM MAX.
-#    Don't set VM max over 1024-128=896.
-ifneq ($(MB_OF_MEMORY),)
-  LOW_MEMORY_MACHINE := $(shell \
-    if [ $(MB_OF_MEMORY) -le 512 ] ; then \
-      echo "true"; \
-    else \
-      echo "false"; \
-    fi)
-  MAX_VM_MEMORY := $(shell \
-    if [ $(MB_OF_MEMORY) -le 1024 ] ; then \
-      expr $(MB_OF_MEMORY) '-' 128 ; \
-    else \
-      echo "896"; \
-    fi)
-  MIN_VM_MEMORY := $(shell \
-    if [ $(MAX_VM_MEMORY) -le 128 ] ; then \
-      expr $(MAX_VM_MEMORY) '-' 8 ; \
-    else \
-      echo "128"; \
-    fi)
-else
-  MB_OF_MEMORY       := unknown
-  LOW_MEMORY_MACHINE := true
-  MAX_VM_MEMORY      := 384
-  MIN_VM_MEMORY      := 128
+  ifeq ($(USING_CYGWIN),true)
+    # CYGWIN has the 'free' utility
+    _MB_OF_MEMORY := \
+	 $(shell free -m | grep Mem: | awk '{print $$2;}' )
+  else
+    # Windows 2000 has the mem utility, but two memory areas
+    #    extended memory is what is beyond 1024M
+    _B_OF_EXT_MEMORY := \
+	 $(shell mem 2> $(DEV_NULL) | grep 'total contiguous extended memory' | awk '{print $$1;}')
+    ifeq ($(_B_OF_EXT_MEMORY),)
+      _B_OF_MEMORY := \
+	 $(shell mem 2> $(DEV_NULL) | grep 'total conventional memory' | awk '{print $$1;}')
+    else
+      _B_OF_MEMORY := \
+         $(shell expr 1048576 '+' $(_B_OF_EXT_MEMORY) 2> $(DEV_NULL))
+    endif
+    ifeq ($(_B_OF_MEMORY),)
+      # Windows 2003 has the systeminfo utility use it if mem doesn't work
+      _MB_OF_MEMORY := \
+	  $(shell systeminfo 2> $(DEV_NULL) | grep 'Total Physical Memory:' | awk '{print $$4;}' | sed -e 's@,@@')
+    else
+      _MB_OF_MEMORY := $(shell expr $(_B_OF_MEMORY) '/' 1024 2> $(DEV_NULL))
+    endif
+  endif
+  ifeq ($(shell expr $(_MB_OF_MEMORY) '+' 0 2> $(DEV_NULL)), $(_MB_OF_MEMORY))
+    MB_OF_MEMORY := $(_MB_OF_MEMORY)
+  else
+    MB_OF_MEMORY := 512
+  endif
 endif
 
 REQUIRED_ZIP_VER = 2.2
@@ -452,6 +442,37 @@ ifneq ($(PLATFORM), windows)
   ARCH_VM_SUBDIR=jre/lib/$(LIBARCH)
 endif
 
+# Machines with 512Mb or less of real memory are considered low memory
+#    build machines and adjustments will be made to prevent excessing
+#    system swapping during the build.
+#    If we don't know, assume 512. Subtract 128 from MB for VM MAX.
+#    Don't set VM max over 1024-128=896.
+ifneq ($(MB_OF_MEMORY),)
+  LOW_MEMORY_MACHINE := $(shell \
+    if [ $(MB_OF_MEMORY) -le 512 ] ; then \
+      echo "true"; \
+    else \
+      echo "false"; \
+    fi)
+  MAX_VM_MEMORY := $(shell \
+    if [ $(MB_OF_MEMORY) -le 1024 ] ; then \
+      expr $(MB_OF_MEMORY) '-' 128 2> $(DEV_NULL) ; \
+    else \
+      echo "896"; \
+    fi)
+  MIN_VM_MEMORY := $(shell \
+    if [ $(MAX_VM_MEMORY) -le 128 ] ; then \
+      expr $(MAX_VM_MEMORY) '-' 8 2> $(DEV_NULL) ; \
+    else \
+      echo "128"; \
+    fi)
+else
+  MB_OF_MEMORY       := unknown
+  LOW_MEMORY_MACHINE := true
+  MAX_VM_MEMORY      := 384
+  MIN_VM_MEMORY      := 128
+endif
+
 # If blanks in the username, use the first 4 words and pack them together
 _USER1:=$(subst ', ,$(_USER))
 _USER2:=$(subst ", ,$(_USER1))