Boot loop after adding memory to a dell

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kerry Smith
  • Start date Start date
K

Kerry Smith

Trying to replace two sticks of memory to to bring a dell demension 2400 up
to 1 gig. Currently at 512 mb with two sticks. When I add the new it halts
on boot up and goes to the screen that start that lets you chose the safe
modes or last known but it goes into a continual loop and it doesn't matter
what option you choose. It will return to normal after you replace the
original memory and it goes through one reboot. Is it bad memory or is
there something I should do to prep the install for the new memory? The
bios is reckognising the new memory just fine.


Thank you

Kerry Smith
 
Kerry said:
Trying to replace two sticks of memory to to bring a dell demension 2400
up to 1 gig. Currently at 512 mb with two sticks. When I add the new
it halts on boot up and goes to the screen that start that lets you
chose the safe modes or last known but it goes into a continual loop and
it doesn't matter what option you choose. It will return to normal
after you replace the original memory and it goes through one reboot.
Is it bad memory or is there something I should do to prep the install
for the new memory? The bios is reckognising the new memory just fine.


Thank you

Kerry Smith
Click to expand...

Test with memtest86+ (memtest.org) or with the Microsoft memory tester.
Both testers can be loaded on a floppy, if you have a floppy drive available
to boot the machine, or you can prepare a CD by burning the downloadable ISO.

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

It could be that there is something not quite right with the new RAM. To
be acceptable, no errors are allowed in these tests. For memtest86+, two
complete passes may take a couple hours to complete. Memtest86+ will
run forever until you Quit the application, after which it will immediately
reboot.

Another thing you can run, is CPUZ, to check the system settings before
the new RAM is added and after. CPUZ runs in Windows. What you are lookinf
for here, is changes in timing or clock rate, that are not consistent
with what you know about the two pairs of RAM.

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

I hope the OS involved here is not Win98. Win98 is completely problem
free at 512MB. Between 512MB and 1GB, it requires a tweak. Above 1GB,
expect trouble. That is an address space issue. WinXP on the other
hand, has a higher practical limit.

To be considered completely tested, you need to run a program like
Prime95 (torture test menu item) from mersenne.org . But as long as
you cannot get into Windows, you'll have to be content to test with
memtest86+ and the like.

Paul
 
Yes, it is two new sticks of 512 DDR (not ddr2). The are same make and
manf. (2700). The bios automatically is setting it to 333mhz. the 2
original sticks inserted back into it work just fine. But they are two
different speeds (2100 & 2700) and the system runs them at the lower speed.
It can use either upto 2700. The system doesn't seem to have a problem
with it it just xp is having a problem.
 
Kerry, do you have two new sticks of 512mb Ram? When you use them it
reboots but
if you reinstall the old sticks back it works Ok? Are the new sticks
ddr2? Are they a
matched pair? Did you set the Bios to automatically set the timings for
the new Ram?
 
Yes this is a good thing to do... A few months ago I found that the more
modules of RAM I have, the more I must relax the timing. Not just the
frequency, but what was more important were settings with names line "Active
to precharge", "Active to CMD", and the others on that BIOS config page. a
512 MB Samsung module on my PC was unable to achieve it's specifications (I
caught this with the Microsoft Memory diagnostic tool - try the test called
something like STRIDE6). Using that tool for tuning my system, I was able to
make it very stable, by relaxing those settings to the most stable state.
Then I regained the original performance by over-clocking the CPU - Athlon
1700+ (133*11=1463MHz) --> (175*11=1925MHz). By the way it is stable until
182 - this is when the first errors will be shown in the Samsung RAM module.

Another important thing was to add the Samsung module in the middle DDR slot
(there are 3 slots on my system). Otherwise I start getting errors at much
lower frequency.


| Kerry Smith wrote:
| > Trying to replace two sticks of memory to to bring a dell demension 2400
| > up to 1 gig. Currently at 512 mb with two sticks. When I add the new
| > it halts on boot up and goes to the screen that start that lets you
| > chose the safe modes or last known but it goes into a continual loop and
| > it doesn't matter what option you choose. It will return to normal
| > after you replace the original memory and it goes through one reboot.
| > Is it bad memory or is there something I should do to prep the install
| > for the new memory? The bios is reckognising the new memory just fine.
| >
| >
| > Thank you
| >
| > Kerry Smith
|
| Test with memtest86+ (memtest.org) or with the Microsoft memory tester.
| Both testers can be loaded on a floppy, if you have a floppy drive
available
| to boot the machine, or you can prepare a CD by burning the downloadable
ISO.
|
| http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
|
| It could be that there is something not quite right with the new RAM. To
| be acceptable, no errors are allowed in these tests. For memtest86+, two
| complete passes may take a couple hours to complete. Memtest86+ will
| run forever until you Quit the application, after which it will
immediately
| reboot.
|
| Another thing you can run, is CPUZ, to check the system settings before
| the new RAM is added and after. CPUZ runs in Windows. What you are lookinf
| for here, is changes in timing or clock rate, that are not consistent
| with what you know about the two pairs of RAM.
|
| http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
|
| I hope the OS involved here is not Win98. Win98 is completely problem
| free at 512MB. Between 512MB and 1GB, it requires a tweak. Above 1GB,
| expect trouble. That is an address space issue. WinXP on the other
| hand, has a higher practical limit.
|
| To be considered completely tested, you need to run a program like
| Prime95 (torture test menu item) from mersenne.org . But as long as
| you cannot get into Windows, you'll have to be content to test with
| memtest86+ and the like.
|
| Paul
 
Kerry said:
Trying to replace two sticks of memory to to bring a dell demension 2400
up to 1 gig. Currently at 512 mb with two sticks. When I add the new
it halts on boot up and goes to the screen that start that lets you
chose the safe modes or last known but it goes into a continual loop and
it doesn't matter what option you choose. It will return to normal
after you replace the original memory and it goes through one reboot.
Is it bad memory or is there something I should do to prep the install
for the new memory? The bios is reckognising the new memory just fine.
Click to expand...


All the BIOS does is enumerate (count) the RAM, it doesn't really test
it. You have either incompatible or defective RAM

It is absolutely essential that any new RAM module(s) be fully
compatible with both the motherboard and/or any other RAM module(s)
already in the system. Additionally, there are sometimes jumper
switches on older motherboards that need to be reset for new RAM
configurations. Consult your motherboard's manual or the
manufacturer's web site for specific instructions and compatibility
requirements.

If you cannot lay your hands upon the computer's manual and the
manufacturer doesn't provide a support web site, you can use these
utilities to help determine the correct type of RAM needed:

SiSoft's Sandra
http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.php?dir=&location=sware_dl&lang=en

Belarc Advisor
http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

Unlimited Possibilities' AIDA32
http://forum.aumha.org/overflow/aida32.zip

Also, Crucial Memory's web site (www.crucial.com) has a database
to help to find the right RAM for your specific make and model
computer and/or motherboard. (Incidentally, Crucial is the only company
from which I ever buy RAM. I've never been disappointed.)



--

Bruce Chambers

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