🚀 go-pugleaf

On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:37:42 -0700 (PDT),
penang@freemail.c3.hu wrote:

>Need help here !
>
>My PC has 2 DDR2 memory modules, 1GB each, for a total of 2GB RAM.
>
>The OS is WinXP.
>
>For the past few days, the PC kind of halting. Sometimes the cursor
>kind of not responding, sometimes some other things happened,
>indicating that something is terribly wrong --- most probably a MEMORY
>error.
>
>I downloaded 3 memtest programs,
>	1 from http://hcidesign.com/memtest/,
>	1 from http://www.memtest86.com/download.html,
>	1 from http://www.memtest.org/
>
>First test -
>
>	Booted up the PC with the Memtest bootCD from www.memtest86.com.
>	Ran the test overnight.
>
>	No error !
>
>Went back to Windows, the halting problems cropped up. So I ran a
>second test.
>
>Second test -
>
>	Booted up the PC with the Memtest bootCD from www.memtest.org.
>	Ran the test overnight again.
>
>	Again, No error !
>
>
>Went back to Windows, again the halting problems !! So the 3rd test.
>
>I drop XP to safe mode with command prompt, then call up 2 instances
>of the memtest from http://hcidesign.com/memtest/, each checking
>918MB.
>
>Result - Errors !
>
>	Memory Errors Detected !
>	Copying between 4c21c71 and 4c2193a did not result in accurate copy.
>
>	Memory Errors Detected !
>	Pair 19897713 does not store values accurately.
>
>	Memory Errors Detected !
>	Copying between 5547871 and 5547832 did not result in accurate copy.
>
>	Memory Errors Detected !
>	Copying between 4c32471 and 4c323a2 did not result in accurate copy.
>
>	Memory Errors Detected !
>	Copying between 36f8071 and 36f8060a did not result in accurate copy.
>
>	Memory Errors Detected !
>	Copying between 4c32471 and 4c322d9 did not result in accurate copy.
>
>Conclusion:
>	Something wrong with the DDR2 memory module !
>
>Problem:
>	Which module giving out errors?
>
>I got one of the DDR2 module out. Ran the memtest from http://hcidesign.com/memtest/
>-- no error.
>
>Switch the sticks to test the other DDR2 module. Ran the memtest from
>http://hcidesign.com/memtest/ -- again no error !
>
>Now I'm totally confused. Why when I ran the test with both DDR2
>modules, I got errors, and no error when I ran the modules one at a
>time??

This generally means there isn't a hard fault in either
memory module, instead a general instability of your
motherboard with multiple modules installed.  Is your bios
set to "auto" or "SPD" for memory speed and timings?  If
not, try that, and check on a motherboard bios update from
the manufacturer, sometimes they address memory problems.

Beyond this you can instead get the specs for your memory to
determine what speed, timings, and voltage it's supposed to
need and try manually setting these values in the bios.  If
that doesn't work, increase the voltage a little bit and
retest.  If that doesn't work, try relaxing memory timings
some (higher numbers).

You didn't tell us exactly what memory you have, what
timings it's spec'd for, nor what timings you are running.
"CPU-Z" can show you what info it read from the memory prom
and often what speed it's running at for a reference.


>
>So I ran the bootCD memtest test again, this time with one module at a
>time. Again no error on both runs !
>
>What am I doing wrong here? How am I going to locate which module that
>is giving out errors? Can anyone help out please?

If you have more than two memory slots you might also try
leaving a different one empty, or if it's running in dual
channel mode try in single channel mode - though it may be a
performance hit but besides raising voltage all the other
typical things you'd change to regain stability are also
minor performance hits.  The other option is manually
setting a slower memory bus frequency, whether it be a ratio
or % or speed numbers in the bios.  

Also examine the board for failed capacitors, bad power can
cause errors.  Are you sure this system with this memory
previously ran ok or is it possible it had errors since the
first moment these memory modules were both installed?