New memory cause PC to crash??

[Skiz]

I just put in a new stick of 512 DDR yesterday into my Shuttle PC. Today, while just typing along, my computer restarts. Uh-oh...I say to myself. When the PC came back up it said that Windows had experienced a fatal error. These are the other things that came up:

http://img274.imageshack.us/img274/9094/z3py.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The second window is a result of clicking the first link at the bottom.

I also got this window:

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/response.aspx?SGD=8e76518b-d59f-4f92-9988-b82d0115611a&SID=10

It's obviously a hardware problem, but it says it's a driver problem also. Is my new memory stick bad, or is the XP driver bad or what? Any opinions?

[Virtualbody1234]

How many times has it done that?

Take out the new stick and try running a while with only the old memory.

Retest with only the new memory.

Do a RAMtest: http://www.memtest86.com/

[twisterX]

there is such a thing as bad memory. SO it could be the actual hardware.

[Skiz]

How many times has it done that?

Take out the new stick and try running a while with only the old memory.

Retest with only the new memory.

Do a RAMtest: http://www.memtest86.com/

OK, I tried running the new stick for awhile by itself and I had no problems. I put it back in a few days ago and today my PC has restarted (crashed) twice.

I tried to use the memory test that VB linked to but it needs a floppy disk to run from. I don't even have a floppy drive anymore. :ermm:

Any other ideas?

[Virtualbody1234]

Scroll down the page in the link I posted and look for:

ISO images suitable for creating a bootable Memtest86 CDROM

[Skiz]

Scroll down the page in the link I posted and look for:

ISO images suitable for creating a bootable Memtest86 CDROM

Yeah, I saw that after I posted but I couldn't get it to burn correctly I think. I tried four times and every time when I opened the disc to view it's contents, I see a folder called 'BOOT'. When I open that folder I see two files, one called 'Security File' and another file with a .IMG extention. Another image file? (It had an ISO ico). :ermm:

I tried the Windows memory test, but it does state with that one, that a floppy is the only way to use it.

I've started thinking that maybe it's a power supply issue perhaps, or let's just say that I've added that to my list of things it could possibly be. Maybe my PS is having to much power drawn away from it? :ermm: I'm not sure how to tell what my PS is without removing the cover again.

I was comparing the two memory sticks, and they have some different specs. Did I get the wrong memory? (The Spectek is the new one.)

http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/9960/z3qc.th.jpg (http://img394.imageshack.us/my.php?image=z3qc.jpg)

[3RA1N1AC]

I was comparing the two memory sticks, and they have some different specs. Did I get the wrong memory? (The Spectek is the new one.)
it shouldn't be a compatibility problem between the two sticks. 2100 and 2700 are compatible. they have different "maximum" recommended speeds, but the computer runs both of them at 133mhz. hypothetically they should both be running totally fine.

my guess is that it might just be a bad stick, your motherboard isn't agreeing with that particular ram-stick model, or something else. if you mess around with your settings and still can't achieve stability, it's prolly best to contact the retailer, say the memory is making your PC crash (so you don't know whether it's a defect or incompatibility or what) and you want to exchange it for a different brand.

[JunkBarMan]

Scroll down the page in the link I posted and look for:

ISO images suitable for creating a bootable Memtest86 CDROM

Yeah, I saw that after I posted but I couldn't get it to burn correctly I think. I tried four times and every time when I opened the disc to view it's contents, I see a folder called 'BOOT'. When I open that folder I see two files, one called 'Security File' and another file with a .IMG extention. Another image file? (It had an ISO ico). :ermm:




This is exactly what you wanted, and it indeed burnt itself correctly. Now, what you need to do is have that cd in the cd-rom drive and restart your computer. If your cd drive is the first boot peripheral then the memtest will start. If not, then you need to go into your bios and change the boot order for your cd-rom to be first. Save changes and restart.

[lynx]

I suggest you try each stick in the first slot (but with both sticks loaded). Go in to bios and make a note of the memory speeds the system has selected in both configurations. Then do the same with just the corsair memory selected.

If there is any discrepency you need to manually set the timings to the slowest (highest numbers). That way you ensure they are compatible in terms of timing.

However, they may still not be compatible in terms of voltage requirements, and the motherboard will supply the same voltage to both sticks.

Unfortunately you motherboard doesn't give you any way to over-ride the voltage in any case. The manual simply says 2.5Volt memory but that's the nominal setting, the actual setting could vary slightly.

Once you've got the timing compatible you need to try each stick in the first slot. If the required voltages are different one configuration will probably work better than the other.

[Skiz]

This is exactly what you wanted, and it indeed burnt itself correctly. Now, what you need to do is have that cd in the cd-rom drive and restart your computer. If your cd drive is the first boot peripheral then the memtest will start. If not, then you need to go into your bios and change the boot order for your cd-rom to be first. Save changes and restart.

How long is it supposed to take for this test to complete itself? I let it run for almost three hours before stopping it. It would finish the tenth test and then start at one again. Does it log the results somewhere? :ermm:

[clocker]

How long is it supposed to take for this test to complete itself?
Hee, hee, hee...it loops.
It will run till you stop it.

You should see a count of the number of loops and the number of errors.
Been a while since I've looked at it so I can't recall the look.

[Skiz]

It said zero errors. So I can assume that the memory is good now right?

What about my power supply idea? Is that a possible problem?

[clocker]

At this point anything could be the root cause.
Were you running MemTest with both sticks installed?

RAM still seems like the most likely culprit, it was the only major hardware change you've made lately, isn't it?
Try running SuperPi (32M) and see what happens.

[Gripper]

I had the same problem once and it was the 2 different speed memorys that didn't like each other,swapped it for 2 that run at same speed and cured the problem,got to admit I didn't mess with the timings,not confident enough for that.

[Skiz]

At this point anything could be the root cause.
Were you running MemTest with both sticks installed?

RAM still seems like the most likely culprit, it was the only major hardware change you've made lately, isn't it?
Try running SuperPi (32M) and see what happens.

Yes. Both sticks were installed when the test was run.
Yes. It is the only hardware change that has occured in at last 8 or 9 months. That previous change was a graphics card.
I will try SuperPi (32M) after work today.

THANKS

[lynx]

A couple of other possibilities:


Having both sticks of ram installed is just creating enough extra heat, or disturbing the airflow enough, so that something else is getting too hot. Those small cases tend to be fairly critical in that respect. Assuming the screenshot of Everest was at idle, your temps are already a little on the high side.
Less likely, the extra current drawn by the additional memory is just putting sufficient strain on the psu so that the voltages drop.