My problem is: I wanted to add more memory to my old desktop, when I went to buy the memory the sales guy asked what was in it orginally. I told him there was a 32 mb stick in there now and I wanted to up it to 256. He then asked me what type it was as far as PC100 etc. I had no idea what he was asking (I thought it was all the same), he suggested I take the stick out and bring it with me or write down the numbers off of it. So I took it out got the info off of it and when I went to put it back in it would not go back in to the slot it came out of. To get it out I had to remove the video card, hard disk and my A drive. After a bit of persuation and jiggling I finnaly got it back in place. I put everything back where it belonged and as far as I can tell I hooked everything up the way it was. Now when I turn on the computer I get nothing. The monitor (on switch) just blinks at me, the A drive light won't go out and, the hard disk ligh stays on also. I'm stumped I put everything back the way it was I'm wondering if I fried my motherboard or hard drive or memory stick by messing with it. Please help if possable.

To get it out I had to remove the video card, hard disk and my A drive.
Wow! I don't recall going through that much trouble just yanking a Memory stick out.
Be very sure your cables are fully seated and inserted properly.
For example, usually the Floppy Cable is attached ""upside down" when the light stays on.
Make sure your Memory stick is Fully seated...Often clips holding it in should snap into place.
Also your Video card....often you think it's pushed all the way in, but it's not.

Do you happen to know what type of Computer and Motherboard you have? More System info would be helpful.

Oh...And Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif forums. ;)

(Edit) OK....I just looked at your profile.....Are we talking a Laptop here? :confused:
That's a horse of a different color.

I checked the memory stick and its cliped in on the ends but the middle of the stick looks like it should/could go down a little more. I don't want to force it. I also double checked the video card wich is a trident. I'm not sure where to find the motherboard name (I think its AGPro). The computer was built for my husband and the guy that built it is no longer around. Its a 486 running win 98SE.

Hi babydog1ls-
Don't force the Stick so hard it snaps in two, but they can go in a little hard sometimes.
If it really does look like it's not seated quite right, remove it again. (I know, perish the thought).

Keep in mind there is a groove or two on the Memory stick...Is it possible you have it in backwards? it would be pretty hard to somehow clip it in there if that's the case, but is worth looking at a little more closely....Make sure the slots line up exactly before you push it in with equal pressure, and the clips will usually pop up by themselves when it is fully seated.

As I mentioned, also check that anything else you removed is fully seated too...Including cables.

(edit) It's been so long since I played with a 486, we may be talking some of the older wire clips that hold it in. Just be sure the Memory is pushed down fully and even all the way across in it's slot before bringing the clips up and snapping them in place.

I know this is a stupid question but; how can I tell if my cables are going the right way. I thought I put them back the way I found them but know you got me thinking (wich can be dangerous sometimes). I can't beleive all this trouble because of one stupid memory stick!

In the case of your floppy, it will go in either way. My guess is that you need to "flip the end over" where it enters your floppy drive. (Because of the fact that the light is staying on).

The Hard drive cable has a "dimple" so to speak on it, and can only go in one way...If it's pushed all the way in evenly and flush, it should be OK.
By the way...We are talking the "ribbon cables" here and not the power cables right?

It's the memory stick that still has me bothered though, if you say it looks like it could go in further.

I have to go out for the moment...I'll check back later if I get a chance.
Everyone here is very helpful though, so hang in there...Others will be along to help.
Good luck! ;)

Thanks for all your help. I'm giving up for today anyway. I did go back a try reseating the memory stick and the clips do go up and clip into place but the center of the stick still looks like it should go down more and I'm scared to push to hard on it. As far as my floppy how do I know its going to my motherboard the right way?

Which end did you pull out? If it was the end at the motherboard, there's a stripe or colored lead along one edge of the ribbon cable and it represents pin number 1. If there is any cables that were not pulled, those would give you a clue as to which way to orient the other cables as they will all have pin #1 the same way. Example: If one has pin 1 at the bottom, they all will be that way so you need to put the stripe at the bottom on the motherboard end. If that doesn't help, we need to know which mobo.

You mentioned 'desktop' and '486'. Usually this means the memory is a SIMMS EDO or similar and needs to be put in in pairs. Is this what you have? How many sticks in all? How many slots (usually 4 sometimes 6)? These 'lean in and out and are held by 2 clips made of stainless steel (I think).

If you have only one stick and it was working it would be DIMM RAM or SDIMM. These are held in by plastic clips and are pushed in straight down into the slots (usually 2 slots, sometimes 3). The difference in method and clip construction should tell you lots.

Pete's locked sticky thread in Core Hardware on Component ID may give you an idea as to what you are dealing with.

If you can find the motherboard model, it would help us to look up what you have. Also, if it IS a 486, you will most likely be limited to 64 megs of RAM though on some boards I've been able to install up to twice that. But 256? I doubt it.

So you see, we really need to know what it is. ;) Look for identification in the silkscreened print on the motherboard's printed circuit itself. I use a magnifying glass regularly you see, because I'm a 'Private Eye' (http://oregonfuture.oregonstate.edu/images/photos/gallery1/01.jpg) :D

OK If it's really a 486, it will have either 30 or 72 pin SIMM memory. 30 pin is 3 1/2" long with NO notch in the middle, one end will have a notch cut in it so that it only clips into the slot one way. 72 pin is 4 1/4" long, notch on one end AND notch in the middle.

Having to remove components to reach the memory wasn't unusual on those boards, due to the location of the memory, which was often right underneath the corner of the 3 1/2" drive bays, where the hard drive would be, or against the power supply, with a hard drive bracket just above it. I've dealt with both kinds and they can really be a pain to swap or add memory. Some you can't reach without removing the drive bay or unplugging all the cables for working room.

Suggestions:

Reseat the video card a few times. You may have bad contact.

Check the RAM again, be sure it's seated and clipped in properly. Reverse it, see if it clips in right turned around.


If the memory is 5 1/4" long with 2 notches and a white plastic clip on either end of the slot, that's 168 pin DIMM, the notches will not allow it to go in backwards at all.

FTT has a good point, if it really is a 486 then 256MB RAM is unlikely. The biggest 72 pin SIMM I've seen is 32MB per stick, and those weren't easy to find. (I'm pretty sure 64MB sticks were made, but I haven't seen any.) At that time - 486 era - 64MB was expensive, somewhere around $200-250, possibly more. Not many people wanted memory that bad...Now it's obsolete and discontinued, almost impossible to find. When I built my first Pentium machine - P-166 - it had 32MB RAM in it, 72 pin, and that was over $150.

The biggest 30 pin I've seen is 4MB, and I think 16MB were made but were even more expensive than 72 pin. 1MB was the most common size, the applications in use at that time didn't use nearly the resources they do now, huge databases and spreadsheets were about the only reason for lots of RAM. Most games would run great on under 2MB. Most motherboards with 30 pin had 8 slots, usually with 1MB each in them. Usually 32MB was more than most people wanted to pay for...you could buy a good used car for less...

Good point about no way with the 256mb of Ram guys...(or at least doubtful)
The 486 I remember having came with 4mb of Ram.
Then, I think I spent 200.00 on another 4mb, bringing me to 8mb.

After that, I found a "great sale"...Another 4MB stick for "only" 165.00!
I was finally the envy of everyone on the block with a whopping 12MB of Ram- (For a total cost of $365.00 not counting the original 4MB). :rolleyes:

The thought that babydog1ls wants to have 256MB never even crossed my mind...I'm just hoping we can get it to work again with the 32MB it has!!!

The fact that she already has 32MB makes me think this is one of the "fancier late model" 486 machines with four 72 pin slots...Maybe a total of 128MB? (32 X 4?). Or possibly it would hold 256? (4 X 64?) No, now that I think about it, I think mine had 3 slots like FTT mentioned. (Pretty sure my 12MB occupied all three slots)

Either way, as Pete mentioned, It would be next to impossible to find- (maybe ebay?)

Enough of my rambling...Just check and re-check all the connections mentioned babydog1ls.
The worst case scenario is that something did in fact get burned up while re-seating the Ram-(Or hooking the other devices back up)....In which case, you may want to try out one of the "newer Machines".

You can pick one up these days for not much more than Ram used to cost back then!
Good luck! ;)

My fancy late model 486 topped out at 128MB....4 slots.

I found the book from the motherboard and the manufacturer is MainBoard 100mhz. It has 3Dimm slots and 2Simm slots, it says I can top out at 384mb. I have 2 72pin sticks from some old machines that one of my friends were throwing out (is this ok to use or should I just ditch it?). I also double checked the ribbons comming off of the mb and there all correct. I'll try reseating everything else and go from there.

72 pin memory has to be used in matched pairs, so if both appear to be the same you can try it and see. If it's good, you're in business. If it's bad, you'll get errors, lockups, illegal operation errors, general protection faults or any combination of the above, once Windows is up and running. If some/all of that starts to happen, look around for good memory.

3 DIMM slots...that means 168 pin DIMM memory, which is much easier to find. Check with a few local computer shops, the best way to go would be to find some PC-66 if possible, PC-100 should work as well, but I've found that some-but not all-PC-133 won't work with older boards. Since you also said it's a 100MHz board, PC-133 might just work, the only way to know is try it and see.

PC-100/133 RAM is supposed to be backward compatible, and that was true up to a point, then higher density was produced, and some boards will not handle double sided RAM of any kind. So it's hit and miss sometimes.