Consultant

Does your computer often restart itself on its own without a reason or does the blue screen show up? These are typical symptoms of a defected computer memory.

Usually, the computer memory is one very stable hardware element, but sometimes defects do occur even with the best technical parts. The chance of your computer chip going bad is very slim thanks to the extensive and precise tests performed by the manufacturers that remove the poor-quality computer memories.

How the computer memory becomes defected

The computer memory is vulnerable in certain situations, which can easily transform the perfectly working chip into an unusable one. Luckily, such situations rarely occur. The first and foremost thing to know when you are installing the memory is to not allow the electrostatic tension to damage your brand new module. On that account, before you install the memory, it is a good idea to touch the corpus of the computer case, for example, or any other metal computer object. Another good idea is to not play with your dog while you are installing the memory.

Another reason for memory damage could be the unstable electricity or a lower tension than the normal. This problem could be fatal not only to the memory but to other computer elements as well. To avoid this trouble you must first, obtain power supply of the best quality and second, buy a UPS

When overclocking , you can also damage the memory, because you are increasing the voltage. Another reason for the malfunction of your computer memory could be a defect of the slot, in which the module is installed. The slot could also get damaged due to the circumstances mentioned above.

Because the memory is a more stable component with regards to the rest of the computer elements, some manufacturers, such as Kingston, give lifetime guarantee on their memories. A common practice is the three year guarantee, which is not bad at all considering the progressive moral aging of the computers and their components.

Symptoms of a defected memory

The symptoms of a defected memory could be numerous. The most common are the following:

• A blue screen shows up during the installation of Windows – this is the most certain indication that something is wrong with the memory of the computer.

• Sudden collapse of the system or appearance of a blue screen during usage – such a behavior could be related to many other problems as well and not necessarily to a defected memory. Another problem that might be the cause of these occurrences could be the overheating of computer elements.

• Sudden collapse during intensive loading of the system such as while playing a game or performing certain tests on the computer.

• Problems with the loading of the information on the computer – if this problem is accompanied by a continuous “beep-ing” (which is a signal that BIOS sends out when there’s a problem with the memory), you probably have a defected module. Unfortunately, the only thing you can do in this situation is to buy a new module.

Testing your computer memory

Now that we’ve taken a look at the several reasons and situations in which a memory can become defected, let’s take a look at the different ways to test it in order to find out if there really is a problem.

Microsoft offers its own solution for the memory testing, which is free (click here to take a look at it). The size of the file is fairly small which allows you to download it quickly. A help option is included in the file, which explains everything you need to know in order to perform a successful test by yourself.

After you have downloaded the file you need to install it. A window would pop up that would include the terms and conditions of the program. After you have clicked the “agree” button, a new window would pop up with three buttons. You would use two of these buttons to create the disks you need in order to perform the memory test on your computer. The first button is the “Create Startup Disk”; the name speaks for itself – it would allow you to create the startup floppy disk. All you have to do here is to insert the floppy disk into the floppy drive and push the button to start it up.

If, for some reason, you want to create a CD instead of a floppy disk, there is an option for you to do so. When you chose this option, you would be asked where exactly you would like to have the image saved on the disk. It is important to remember the location of the file so that you could later burn it. To burn it, you can utilize Nero or any program that would allow you to burn a file on a CD.

After you finish creating your floppy disk or a CD, restart the system with the floppy disk or the CD still in the computer. When you do so, the Memory Diagnostic would start and being the testing. The tests would be going on continuously until you discontinue them by clicking the close button, indicated with an X. If there is a mistake in the system or a problem, it would show up on the bottom.

So after you perform the memory test and you discover that it is positive, what should you do? The first thing you should do is to check the slot of the motherboard because there is a possibility that it is defected instead of the memory or it is not making good connection with the memory. You must turn your computer off before you check it. After you turn your computer off, open up the computer box, keeping in mind that if there is a sticker from the manufacturer that serves as a warranty for your computer, you should be careful about tearing it off or peeling it off. Your warranty may no longer be valid if you damage the sticker.

If you do not have a sticker or your warranty has already expired, open up the computer box. The next thing you have to do is to remove both memory stoppers (one on top and one on the bottom end) and to remove the memory from the computer box. Put the memory module in another slot, and clip them with the mentioned stoppers. If it does not fit there, then turn it over and try again.

When you have finished performing these instructions, turn the computer back on and repeat the test. If you have more than one memory module and problems are present, try to find out exactly which module is causing the problems. To do so, you must place only one of the memory module in the слота на дъното and perform the test. After you are done with this test, repeat the same procedure with the rest of the memory module, but make sure you put each one in the exact same slot.

If you detect a problem on all memory modules one or all of the following must be true: either the slot is not working properly or the motherboard, there is a possibility the problem to be in the processor. If only one of the computer memories is causing a problem, it is probably defected, but to make sure that this is the case you can try to test it in a different slot.

If you do not detect a problem with neither one of the memories during each individual test, but during the test of all memories at the same time there is a problem, then the problem is originating from one of the slots of the motherboard. Try different combinations with single memory module by putting it in different slots until you find the one that is causing problems – this would be the defected one.