Startup only detects 4mb RAM

[AbeStein]

Win ME machine started acting funny - now it only detects 4mb of ram at startup. Setup shows 384mb (which it has) but will not boot. I am rebuilding the machine but I can't reinstall windows because it only detects 4mb ram. I go to setup and back out and it changes to 36mb ram.

Any suggestions? It's a Dell Dimension L1000R.

Thanks,
Abe

 

[franklin97355]

Get memtest86 and use it to test the memory. You may also want to replace the CMOS battery.

 

[AbeStein]

Thanks - I'll run it over the week end and report back.
Abe

 

[paparazi]

Are you sure that what is being reported is not the "shared" video memory from the onboard VGA?

Also worth checking you have over 3Volts (CR2032 Lithium 3.3volts) on your button battery otherwise you will be constantly loosing your cmos settings.

Martin

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[AbeStein]

Martin - I think it is only showing the on board video ram.

And it is a CR3032 battery. MAybe I need to replace the battery?

Thanks,
Abe

 

[garebo]

If you have a battery checker then you can check and make sure the battery is at 3 volts or better, as paparazzi said. He has corrected me enough that i now remember, i used to type in 1.5 volts i think. It has to be 3 volts or better or its no good.
Instead of buying one at your local pc or walmart, go to the $1 store and often you can get 3 in a pack for $1. I have seen them at walmart and the pc store for $4 to $5 each!. Bring your battery tester with you and test them on site. YOu may have to buy it first but you can test it and return it if you have to. But i have never bought a bad one yet from the $1 store!
They are pretty well all made in the same places by the same company so they are usually the same battery, the only difference is the price.



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[AbeStein]

Memtest86 cycled through the 9 tests and showed millions of errors in the lower portion of the program. Maybe I was reading the screen wrong but it never came back and said "memory is bad".

Abe

 

[garebo]

You do have to test one stick at a time. If you have done that then the stick that is showing all those errors is bad.


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[AbeStein]

I'll run again with the other (fairly new) stick. The first one is a 128mb that came with the system, the second (256mb) I bought about a month ago and the system was running fine up until now.

Abe

 

[garebo]

I did forget, originally, to tell you to only run one stick of ram at a time, otherwise you will get falseerrors.
I havent used this prog a lot but i find its pretty accurate. If it says the ram is bad it may very well be.
Again, only one stick at a time, though.
If i run one stick and it says its bad, I mark it and keep it aside and run it on another pc. To be honest, i cant remember if results from memtest were the same on another pc or not. Either way, i would keep the ram and try it out on another pc. If memtest gives the same results then its likely the ram is bad.
Some ram will work in one pc and not in another, thats a standard situation. I imagine at least one of the sticks of ram you have may very well be bad if the machine had been running fine before and then just stopped or started causing problems.


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[garebo]

I thought i would get the newest memtest and while doing that i found this:

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

Someone here will have info on it, i have never used it.


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[garebo]

I hit the jackpot here:

http://www.benchmarkhq.ru/english.html?/be_memory.html

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