only 256mb of ram/ when 512mb installed???

[Duffman]

well I've never actually had a laptop so I'm not sure about the process for adding/removing ram from it. But when you unscrewed it did you have to get any screws that were under stickers or anything like that?

[truetejas]

If you have switched the ram sticks around and have tried each one in both of the slots, and one slot does not register the ram consistently, your problem is with the motherboard, not the ram. You are stuck with a single slot, but you could buy a 512 stick of ram and put it in that single slot. Best bet is to go to the Crucial Memory (or Kingston or whatever) web site and see what memory options you have for your make and model of laptop.