Memory upgrade freezing machine

nomorewindows · 2014-02-07 23:21:58

I have a machine that I added 2GB to 2GB already in the system. The specified limit would've been 3.3GB, but maybe because it has an add-on video, it reduces it to 3GB; don't know. It runs at 3GB under i686, pae, and x86_64 without an option for memory mapping in the BIOS. The original pair runs at 533MHz and the new pair runs at 667MHz. It will run at 533MHz (the lowest speed). It seems to run all day running Arch (although I didn't really load it down), but Windows keeps freezing up. It seems like I add memory to certain boxes and it tries to wipe out the motherboard. Compaq/HP seems to have had a real rash of motherboards that die. It is the memory or would the power supply be a more likely candidate?

R00KIE · 2014-02-07 23:28:01

nomorewindows wrote:

It seems to run all day running Arch (although I didn't really load it down), but Windows keeps freezing up.

No problem then :d

On a more serious note, if you suspect the ram is the problem, give it a good workout with memtest.

nomorewindows · 2014-02-07 23:31:09

R00KIE wrote:

nomorewindows wrote:
It seems to run all day running Arch (although I didn't really load it down), but Windows keeps freezing up.
No problem then :d
On a more serious note, if you suspect the ram is the problem, give it a good workout with memtest.

I probably have given it a memtest, but I did a PCDoctor (it comes with the box under Windows), and it didn't show any problems. An old version of memtest reports errors where the memory addresses collide. I had to try it with a more modern version, using a memtest.iso (some computers won't take the .bin), don't remember if I ran it all the way through. I did notice a difference in the newer version of memtest that recognizes a 64-bit mode.

I think I did give a failing Cyrix processor a heart attack one time, by running linux on it.

Last edited by nomorewindows (2014-02-07 23:47:31)

R00KIE · 2014-02-08 01:54:30

It's never a pleasant experience to see something go up in smoke (when not intended), but I suppose it's better if things fail when we try to make them fail than to have things fail intermittently (usually at the worst time possible).

Regarding memtest, if arch runs you can install memtest from the repos, add the entry to your boot manager and run it after rebooting.

nomorewindows · 2014-02-08 02:16:53

R00KIE wrote:

Regarding memtest, if arch runs you can install memtest from the repos, add the entry to your boot manager and run it after rebooting.

I've previously had Arch installed on the hard drive with this machine, but I've moved that the maintainence is easier for the few times it sees Arch to boot Arch via PXE. The memtest iso I'm using is also booted via PXE. Possibly booting via PXE may not drum up any possible problems that might be there. Although I did have the hard drive mounted to make backups (just in case). If it was the power supply causing the problem, the hard drive would start to fail, which it doesn't seem to be doing. May have to check the smarts on it, but I believe they are ok. Freezing in Windows is the only visible symptom at the moment and not conclusive, making me think that the memory I put in is a possibility for the cause of the seemingly failure as if it takes a while for the memory to affect the operation (not sure what this means).

nomorewindows · 2014-02-10 02:04:22

Well I've definitely run memtest on it with no errors (I think I ran in when I initially first put it in). Not sure why its' still freezing up. Could be ACPI, could be power supply...?

R00KIE · 2014-02-10 19:56:05

If in doubt, blame the power supply If you have a spare that is not too old give it a try.

nomorewindows · 2014-02-11 23:15:52

I know I have an extra power supply here somewhere.

Last edited by nomorewindows (2014-02-12 17:21:25)

nomorewindows · 2014-02-27 14:48:04

I thought about the idea of defragmenting the Windows drive using Windows defrag and it said

You should consider defraging this drive.

Maybe this will be a good move since NTFS never needs defragging (at least before now).

nomorewindows · 2014-03-05 23:26:51

Of course defragging the drive didn't prevent the freezes.
Today I booted the computer from cold into PXE Arch Linux, and it ran fine for hours, just like I would start Windows from cold boot. But after I booted down Arch and back into Windows, it immediately froze making me think it is something with Windows that is causing it.

nomorewindows · 2014-03-16 02:17:01

I took the memory upgrade out back to what the machine had prior to that, and it seems to be stable again. Nothing wrong with the memory, but for some reason just won't take the upgrade.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-02-07 23:21:58

Memory upgrade freezing machine

#2 2014-02-07 23:28:01

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#3 2014-02-07 23:31:09

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#4 2014-02-08 01:54:30

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#5 2014-02-08 02:16:53

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#6 2014-02-10 02:04:22

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#7 2014-02-10 19:56:05

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#8 2014-02-11 23:15:52

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#9 2014-02-27 14:48:04

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#10 2014-03-05 23:26:51

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

#11 2014-03-16 02:17:01

Re: Memory upgrade freezing machine

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