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Hi all. I've run Memtest86 v2.11 off a Ubuntu Live CD and it's found some issues with my memory. The main problem, though, is that I don't know how to tell which chip is having issues based on the info. The mobo supports four chips and all slots are being used. How can you tell which chip is the bad one, or if there is more than one bad one? Or do I have to remove all chips, install one and then run Memtest against that one, and once the tests are done start over with a new chip, etc.?
That is the way I handle it.Quote:
Or do I have to remove all chips, install one and then run Memtest against that one, and once the tests are done start over with a new chip, etc.?
IIRC, Memtest should tell you which RAM module has failed, then you have to refer to the motherboard manual to see which slot is which. If you can't find the manual, then Slot0 is pretty much always the one nearest the CPU socket. It's still a good idea to take the modules out and test them in isolation as a double check though.
Before testing the chips one at a time or even a pair at a time I decided to remove them all and install a pair that is working fine in another computer to see what would happen. That computer has been running fine so I assumed if this computer still had problems even with this other RAM then the problem must be elsewhere. Here's the scenario:
The PC having issues turns on and boots into Windows fine, but then anywhere from five minutes to fifteen minutes it just completely locks up. This all started happening out of nowhere about one week ago. That's why I decided to begin testing the RAM. I realize that it could be an overheating issue as well, and it could be a mobo problem, too. I'm not sure what else it could be.
So here's what happened. I swapped the RAM with the PC that is working perfectly fine and has been for forever (and yes, the RAM is completely compatible - both PC's use DDR-400 or PC3200 RAM chips) and after getting into Windows the PC locked up about five minutes later. I can't say the RAM is the issue any longer. Any thoughts on where to go from here?
Try running in Safe Mode for a bit, and see if it still locks up there. I find that freezing like that is more often a driver issue than anything else.
Thanks SuperSparks. I'll give that a try and let you know what happens.
More news. I decided to run Memtest against the RAM I installed in the system that has been working just fine in another system and guess what? Memtest has found errors with this RAM as well. What the heck does that mean? This RAM has been in another PC and everything has been running and working fine with this RAM for months, maybe even years. I'm confused.
It is possible that there is a problem with either the memory controller on the motherboard, or with one of the RAM sockets.
Okay, I'll test each stick one at a time. Should I also test each one in each RAM slot as well?
Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by mcseguy9
FYI, I downloaded the latest version of Memtest86+ and am testing each chip, one at a time, in each slot to see what happens. In the first slot each chip started throwing out errors as soon as test 7 began. I just finished Memtest on the first chip in the second slot and had the same problem. I'm guessing this is going to happen in every slot so I'm really thinking the mobo needs to be replaced, but we'll see what the tests bring out. Each round takes about 9 minutes to hit test 7 and start throwing out errors so I have a little bit of time left before I'll be comlpetely through it all.
Ah, that's interesting. Please can you confirm that Test 7 is "Random number sequence"?
Because that particular test is not necessarily indicative of a hardware fault.
Yep, that's what test 7 is - Random Number Sequence.
So maybe I should let each test run fully once so I can see if errors are generated on tests beyond test 7?
I think running all the tests would be a good plan to start with. If it is only failing that test and passing all the others, then it could very well be a settings issue rather than a true hardware fault. That particular test is a bit more subtle than some of the others.
Okay, so let's imagine all four chips are tested in every slot and only show errors on test 7. Any thoughts on what's next? I'm guessing try running in safe mode as you suggested earlier and see how that goes?
Question - Let's say I go into safe mode and all is fine. In my mind that would mean there is a software or driver problem. Is that what it would mean to you as well?
Actually I have my doubts that Safe Mode would make any difference. I think the next thing to try if it fails on Test 7 but passes on the others, would be to go to the BIOS Setup and load "Failsafe defaults", which should be the most conservative settings for all the hardware. Then run the tests again.