256k to 512k RAM crash

[gpace1]

Folks,

I am having trouble upgrading from 256k to 512k RAM. When second stick is installed, system crashes. Seems to affect display. Was able to get far enough to get Microsoft error message pointing to 82810E driver problem. Download and install did not help.

Some history:

Purchased PC April 2002. Purchased and installed additional 256k May 2002 and started having problems. After 1 week troubleshooting, removed second stick of RAM and all was OK. Today, I decided to try again, this time with 2 fresh sticks. Same problem. Downloaded and installed 82810E driver update (6.13.01.3196) No change.

Symptoms include:

1. Complete freeze before IPL.
2. Screen flicker with freeze.
3. Blue screen with floating message block saying, "Check display settings" with complete freeze.

All symptoms require manual power off.

Any help will be appreciated.

THX Gene

[mjc]

OK...you are trying to upgrade an Intel 810e motherboard to 512MB.

What version of Windows are you running?

[gpace1]

I am using Windows XP Home Ver. 2002 SP2

[saphalline]

You meant "MB" and not "KB", right? That gets confusing...

Ok, tell us what RAM you have. These sticks of 256MB, what are they? PC100? PC133? Double-sided or single-sided? Is there any info on them in the form of stickers?

[gpace1]

Yes. They are PNY P100/133 256mb double sided sticks

[saphalline]

So are they PC100 or PC133? It's either one or the other, they can't be both.

Is there anything wrong with the RAM or the DIMM slots? As in, does the full 512MB show up in the BIOS? Have you tried running MemTest86 on them to check for defects?

[gpace1]

Saph. I can't tell you. The label on the PNY package sez P100/133. The system calls for P100. The package also sez "Compatible with 100MHz & 133MHz Bus speed systems. Control panel shows 512 when both slots are filled. PC Doctor memory test passes. I will check BIOS and and run the additional memory test.

[saphalline]

Then it's PC133. RAM can always clock down, but not up. The highest number is always the RAM's rating.

MemTest86 will be able to tell you better if the RAM is good or not. It has more advanced tests and is OS independent. It boots up either by floppy or CD.

[gpace1]

Saph,

Cannot run memory test. Machine crashes before complete. BIOS shows 256M in each slot. Interestingly enough, BIOS stays stable

[saphalline]

If MemTest crashes, then one of the sticks is bad. Try running MemTest with each stick individually. My guess is that the new stick is bad.

The BIOS won't crash if one of the sticks of RAM is bad. The BIOS can only use the first 640KB of RAM, as per the DOS requirements of programs. Testing the upper reaches of 500+ MB is simply not possible with the BIOS. That's why memory tester utilities like MemTest86 were created.

[gpace1]

Yesterday I expanded my testing..It appears that three (3) NEW sticks of memory will fail. Failure occurs ONLY when both slots are populated. There is no failure when EITHER single slot is populated by itself. Stay tuned..

[saphalline]

Could be a mobo problem then. What mobo model is this? Is this an OEM machine? Eh... I always hated that chipset...

[Sylvander]

I remember seeing here on the forum...
Something like this where you need to force the BIOS to redetect the arrangement of connected RAM.
Can't remember the procedure...

[saphalline]

Yeah, just reset the CMOS. Makes the BIOS build a new data set using default values.