Forum Home
Press F1
Thread ID: 138461	2014-12-03 06:48:00	RAM problems	mzee (3324)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1389381	2014-12-03 06:48:00	One of my computers is a Dell Vostro 1015, 1.8MHz dual core. Recently I started using a program "WebX5" which is very memory hungry, and decided to increase the memory from 2GB 800MHz to 4GB (because the OS is Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit it will only show 3.5GB in Windows. I purchased a 2GB SoDIMM card identical (same numbers/letters) to the one in slot A. After fitting the card I checked the BIOS and found that the new card was only showing 1GB, so I removed both cards and fitted the new one to slot A, left the original out. Booted into Windows and checked the memory, still 1GB! Today I took the card back and we tried it in another (Toshiba) laptop, same thing, 1GB. I then suggested that it was a 1GB card with a 2GB label on it as I had run the Dell diagnostic program and it reported that everything was Ok except that the 2 cards were not matched. They wouldn't have it! Suggested I bring the computer in to be set-up!! Apart from opening the BIOS and checking on the Memory reading, and then F1 after it queried the memory change, what is there to to set-up? At this stage I was running out of patience so I asked them to exchange the card, of course they didn't have another one in stock! I then suggested that the card was second hand as it had a small sticker on it with a hand written number on it, also was not in the usual plastic box. Am I being an awkward sod, or not?	mzee (3324)
1389382	2014-12-03 07:20:00	Am I being an awkward sod, or not? NO you are not. New RAM should come in a plastic container as you said. You can get "boxes" of OEM Memory, but they really shouldn't be sold to the general public. Does sound like theres something "fishy " going on. If two different Laptops read as 1 GB then its either 1GB ( as you said) OR its defective. There is one other reason, some older Laptops wont see more than 3 GB of Memory. Some even older ones wont see 3GB ( got an acer here 2GB is its limit - very Old)	wainuitech (129)
1389383	2014-12-03 09:28:00	NO you are not. New RAM should come in a plastic container as you said. You can get "boxes" of OEM Memory, but they really shouldn't be sold to the general public. Does sound like theres something "fishy " going on. If two different Laptops read as 1 GB then its either 1GB ( as you said) OR its defective. There is one other reason, some older Laptops wont see more than 3 GB of Memory. Some even older ones wont see 3GB ( got an acer here 2GB is its limit - very Old) According to the service manual it has a capacity of 4GB with 2GB in each slot. As the OS is 32bit only 3.5GB will be usable. My Lemovo has the same OS and sees 3.8GB.	mzee (3324)
1389384	2014-12-06 01:57:00	Sounds to me like it's mislabelled, faulty, or incompatible.	Agent_24 (57)
1389385	2014-12-06 09:00:00	If you can read and post the partnumber printed on the ram chips and advise the number of chips on the sodimm, it is possible to check what the capacity of the module should be.	wuppo (41)
1389386	2014-12-07 20:55:00	I then suggested that the card was second hand as it had a small sticker on it with a hand written number on it, also was not in the usual plastic box. Am I being an awkward sod, or not? Plenty of PC shops sell RAM, ~loose~ , ie not in plastic cases. Perfectly normal. But that RAM sounds dodgy, if they dont have any other RAM in stock, they should have refunded. It could be used RAM they selling as new, RAM they scored when another customer upgraded .	1101 (13337)
1389387	2014-12-08 08:01:00	The saga continues! Today I picked up the replacement RAM, this time in a sealed plastic box, compared the numbers with the original which were the same. Installed in slot B, checked that the BIOS had picked it up, all Ok. Tried to boot Windows, blue screen! Swapped the cards around, same blue screen. Took original card out, booted Windows Ok. The computer will only run Windows on one card, either one will do. Never had this problem before. Dell do recommend that only matched sets from them should be used, maybe its not sales talk!	mzee (3324)
1389388	2014-12-08 08:25:00	Dells can be pretty picky about RAM, so that might have something to do with it... Then again, I also had a BSOD problem in a Toshiba when 2 sticks were installed. They were matched but would only work one at a time (in either slot). Replacing both with a brand new pair solved the problem. Weird thing is, while Windows would BSOD within minutes, Memtest could run for hours!	Agent_24 (57)
1389389	2014-12-08 08:44:00	Same here, the memory test has no problem with it. I think I might order a pair from Dell.	mzee (3324)
1389390	2014-12-09 01:46:00	I have now replaced both cards with a matched pair, still had blue screen when booting Windows. Ran the memory test, took about an hour, no errors found. Re-installed Windows, still the same, will only run Windows with one card at a time. I give up!!!	mzee (3324)
1 2 3