oops.

September 4, 2008 8:59 AM

Adventures in RAM upgrades that screw up my whole computer. ugh. help?

I upgraded my ram last night. Since then my computer has done nothing but reboot. again and again and again. attempts to go into safe mode result in a list of drivers but no actual loading.

I removed all old ram and replaced it with all new (I had 2 512mb, I now have 4 1gb). it is all one brand.
The BIOS does register that the ram is there
The ram is compatible (or should be per the mfg).

I have an older (first gen P4) emachines. Per the mfg I can handle up to 4gb.
running Win XP
I did have 1 gb on 2 512mb modules previously
the BIOS does register the ram... and then some. I believe it was showing 4056mb or something like that.
The hard drive is a trainwreck waiting to happen- it's been making the grinding noise of imminent death. I have a replacement on order but wonder if jostling the machine to upgrade the ram did it in.

posted by Kellydamnit to computers & internet (15 comments total)

Yeah, that sounds like bad ram. What happens when you put the old stuff back in the machine?
posted by majick at 9:03 AM on September 4, 2008

What happens if you put the old stuff back in the machine?

Also, try with just two DIMMs. Your machine may not like populating above > 2GB, or it may not like high-density DIMMs. Check your motherboard at crucial.com.
posted by theclaw at 9:09 AM on September 4, 2008

theclaw mentions high-density DIMMs. This is more than likely your problem. I've done this before and had similar problems.The RAM is probably perfectly functional, just not compatible with your motherboard.

If you install high-density RAM in a mobo that isn't capable of using it, the computer will still boot, hit the BIOS, recognize the memory accurately... and then proceed to be completely unusable. It'll restart randomly. Nothing you can do will make it stable. High-density DIMMs tend to be cheaper--I don't really know electrical engineering so don't ask me why, or even what the difference is--but they don't work with all mobos. Like mine. And, apparently, yours.

The hard drive is an independent problem, and yeah, jostling it while installing may well have caused your current situation. Sorry.
posted by valkyryn at 9:14 AM on September 4, 2008

Hm. crucial says I can handle 4GB (I got the memory from another supplier, but that backs up the info on their config tool), but that WINDOWS won't recognize more than 3.5gb if you have the 32bit edition... which I have.
Could this be related?
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:14 AM on September 4, 2008

The hard drive is an independent problem, and yeah, jostling it while installing may well have caused your current situation. Sorry.
I've never had a hard drive totally fail on me, so I didn't know what to expect. I assumed it would be black screen, not rebooting, but wasn't sure.
But, I already have another on order, and I've already backed up my data, so not a huge deal.
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:16 AM on September 4, 2008

To address your followup question: normally, if you use a 32bit OS, and have more than the addressable RAM, nothing happens. The OS simply doesn't see it.
posted by aramaic at 9:20 AM on September 4, 2008

Are you sure you have the right kind of ram? Older p4 machines used rd ram, some used pc133, and some used ddr. Make sure you are using the right type for your machine.
posted by majortom1981 at 9:24 AM on September 4, 2008

I didn't get generic ram, I got system-specific ram. so, in theory, it is the right kind for my machine.
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:40 AM on September 4, 2008

Kellydamnit: sometimes HDs fail slowly. Also, depending on how far the boot has gone (into Windows?), an HD may not be necessary to see a reboot.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 10:00 AM on September 4, 2008

It went as far as the Windows welcome screen when it rebooted.
posted by Kellydamnit at 10:13 AM on September 4, 2008

put the new RAM in your machine and run memtest for a few hours. Make sure you don't see any errors.
posted by xbonesgt at 10:20 AM on September 4, 2008

Thank goodness for preview! I'd rule out HD failure now (though not some sort of bizarre windows corruption), but I'll second that this sounds like an incompatible-RAM issue. A first-gen P4 motherboard (esp. from emachines) is not likely to support the latest and greatest in RAM, and there's a slight possibility that emachines has upgraded their motherboards (but not the identifying numbers of the computer), so when you ordered system-specific RAM, they might have sent it out for a more recent model. Compare the numbers/identifiers on the new sticks of RAM to the old ones - if the new ones are "double-sided" (and the old ones are not) this could indicate they are high-density and possibly incompatible.

Also, if it's an option, try booting from a flash drive or CD to verify or rule out HD failure.
posted by antonymous at 10:22 AM on September 4, 2008

if the new ones are "double-sided" (and the old ones are not) this could indicate they are high-density and possibly incompatible.

this is the case....
posted by Kellydamnit at 10:27 AM on September 4, 2008

Have you tried reseating the ram or running just one stick at a time? You should be able to isolate the bad ram this way. If they are all bad then youre incredibly unlucky or you have incompatible ram.
posted by damn dirty ape at 10:59 AM on September 4, 2008

Thanks, everyone. The gameplan for when I get home is:
put old ram in (2 modules). If that lets me reboot successfully I'll then try one of the new ones at a time.

I wonder if it could be a compatibility issue since antonymous was dead-on with his theory: there were at least two systems sold under the same model number I have. I know since my roommate bought me a video card for Christmas, emachines told him I had pci express, and he discovered I have plain ol' pci only when he went to install it. There is a chance the ram would work what that later, pci-express equipped system.
posted by Kellydamnit at 11:39 AM on September 4, 2008