🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi there folks,

I'm having some serious problems with my computer and wished to get 
some usenet input as to what could potentially be causing these problems.

PROBLEM:
Basically the gist of the whole message is that I'm getting
1) Virtual memory error messages in Win95 (crashing program running).
This is especially evident when I run the setup program to add/remove
programs.
2) DOS programs that use lotsa memory (in DOS 6.2/Win95RealDos) crash
with memory address errors.  I get this error when I run programs that
use the DOS Extender (and not).  DOS extender reports memory address 
errors.
3) Linux acts flaky.  For example, can boot, and can "ls" but the
kernel turns stale at random (minutes to hours) and ls causes core
dumps.  Must be a bad kernel you say?  This can't be because until
recently I used this same kernel to leave my comp on for days at
a time with 0 problems.


Hardware:
AMD486/100 with SIS 407e (about 5 monthes old)
16 megabytes 30 pin simms, 256k cache
ATI Graphics + 2 megs (2-3 years old)
Future Domains 1680 SCSI
Micropolis 1.7gig SCSI
Plextor 4X SCSI
Mediavision ProSonic 
Roland LAPC-1
(no problems with this setup for at least 5 monthes which is when I had
a motherboard upgrade)

Indepth:
I've been experiencing this problem lately.  One thought was Win95.
But seems not to be the case.  I ran Win95 fine for a month now with
no problems until recently.
	One thing I did notice is that SOMETIMES, when I boot my
computer from a cold start, it takes about 15 minutes before I start
seeing these virtual memory address crashes in Win95.  For example,
I'll cold boot (I mean cold to touch) and run Win95's program add
program, run one of the installed setup program (such as Microsoft
Money's) and have no problems.  Wait about 15 minutes and run this
same sequence of events and I'll get a nice window from Win95 saying
Virtual Memory error of sorts.  Now I do a warm cold boot (i.e. hit
the reset button after exiting Win95) and restart Win95.  Run setup program
immediately, and I'll usually get this error right away.
	In DOS I play lotsa games.  Virtual Pool, Caesar II, etc.
Caesar crashes randomly with DOS extender messages in DOS, and
VP just hangs (as do many other games in DOS lately).

My Preliminary conclusion: 
1) cache error (but tried turning off cache and still have problems)
2) Processor problem (Did the AMD go berzerk with warmup?)
Can't really test this one but I did run Norton 7's diagnostic utils
testing memory/processor/etc with no problems.
3) main memory problem
	a) parity problem - syncing?
		tried turning down wait states from 1/2 to 2/3 3/4 etc.
		didn't help.
	b) warmup problem
		didn't know memory really had a warmup thing.  Don't
		know how to test for this explicitly.  Norton/Himem
		doesn't report any problems (even after a hard/soft	
		boot after Win95 Virtual memory errors).


So this is my dilemma.  I'm praying it's not a memory problem
(memory is so damn expensive!!).  And especially more painful is the
fact that these memory chips are 30 pinn simms.  Meaning I can't
easily replace a bank that easily (if at all).  The motherboard
does support 72 pin simms but before I make this expensive purchase
I want to make sure I've covered all bases and gotten all good 
advice.

So in all, ANY HELP IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!

-Gene

-- 
Intel Inside, Microsoft Outside...
(unfortunately)