RAM diagnostics failed at same addr on diff sticks!?!

18 Mar 2005 6:34 AM

Teffy

My trusty dell dimension 4100 has recently been restarting without a
blue screen of death or any other warning. So, I used my dell
diagnostics diskette which boots to DOS. The RAM test failed at address
000004E0.

I have two RAM sticks, so I swapped them and ran the diagnostics again.
The RAM test failed again at the same address!

What conclusions can be drawn from this?

Thanks,
Teffy

18 Mar 2005 6:54 AM

kony

On 17 Mar 2005 22:34:43 -0800, "Teffy"
<WGSGNUAYHTTE@spammotel.com> wrote:

>My trusty dell dimension 4100 has recently been restarting without a
>blue screen of death or any other warning. So, I used my dell
>diagnostics diskette which boots to DOS. The RAM test failed at address
>000004E0.
>
>I have two RAM sticks, so I swapped them and ran the diagnostics again.
>The RAM test failed again at the same address!
>
>What conclusions can be drawn from this?

That 4E0 is most likely an address reserved for motherboard
use and can't be included in the test?

Memory errors can cause a lot of different odd behaviors,
but generally not just restarting the system. That is,
after you've disabled the restart-on-error setting on
Win2k/XP. So, disable that if you hadn't and see what
happens.

You might retest the memory with memtest86 and/or memtest86+
for several hours.

Try to isolate any commonalities, like whether you were
heavily using (full load) the system, or if it'd sat idle
and the power management timer had reached some threshold.
Check temps, voltage, that fans are spinning. Check cables
and wires and screws, etc. Had anything changed just prior
to onset of this problem (hardware, software or bios)?

18 Mar 2005 7:46 AM

Chuckles The Scary Clown

"kony" <spam@spam.com> wrote in message
news:7puk31tdg19q2vackk9b30up5f7akud75a@4ax.com...

> You might retest the memory with memtest86 and/or memtest86+
> for several hours.
>

Most definitely sound advice:

http://www.memtest.org/

for the latest version

18 Mar 2005 8:07 AM

Teffy

Thanks for the replies!

I disabled restart-on-error and I'll watch the system event log. I
just made my memtest86+ floppy.

I haven't yet noticed a pattern with system load. Prior to the onset
of the problem, I installed yahoo desktop search, but have since
disabled it from starting. I also installed a PCI USB2 card and
drivers. I had trouble getting it to operate properly, and tried
installing different drivers. Then I somehow assigned the drivers for
the new card to the existing USB1 ports that came with the system. The
new card has been removed, and I let windows update choose drivers for
the built-in USB1, so I think (hope) that is all back to normal .

How can I tell if the problem is on the motherboard? I suppose there's
no simple answer to that question...

Teffy

18 Mar 2005 9:44 AM

S.Lewis

Show quote Hide quote

"Teffy" <WGSGNUAYHTTE@spammotel.com> wrote in message
news:1111133257.987504.326060@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks for the replies!
>
> I disabled restart-on-error and I'll watch the system event log. I
> just made my memtest86+ floppy.
>
> I haven't yet noticed a pattern with system load. Prior to the onset
> of the problem, I installed yahoo desktop search, but have since
> disabled it from starting. I also installed a PCI USB2 card and
> drivers. I had trouble getting it to operate properly, and tried
> installing different drivers. Then I somehow assigned the drivers for
> the new card to the existing USB1 ports that came with the system. The
> new card has been removed, and I let windows update choose drivers for
> the built-in USB1, so I think (hope) that is all back to normal .
>
> How can I tell if the problem is on the motherboard? I suppose there's
> no simple answer to that question...
>
> Teffy
>

Test both DIMMs *individually* in *both* sockets. If the failures occur if
only a specific socket is populated (using either stick), voila.

Stew

18 Mar 2005 6:55 AM

CJT

Teffy wrote:

> My trusty dell dimension 4100 has recently been restarting without a
> blue screen of death or any other warning. So, I used my dell
> diagnostics diskette which boots to DOS. The RAM test failed at address
> 000004E0.
>
> I have two RAM sticks, so I swapped them and ran the diagnostics again.
> The RAM test failed again at the same address!
>
> What conclusions can be drawn from this?
>
> Thanks,
> Teffy
>

Probably that the problem is on the motherboard.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che***@prodigy.net.