D
Dan Seur
You don't say whether this machine has ever seen all installed RAM.
(1) Make sure both RAM sticks have the specifications required by the
mainboard. The manual explains this requirement.
(2) Make sure the RAM sticks are in the correct slots if the manual says
this matters.
(3) Make sure each RAM stick is FULLY inserted and locked in its slot.
It's easy to make a mistake with this.
(4) Now, check BIOS.
(5) If BIOS DOES SEE all 128MB, boot W2k. If W2k sees all 128MB, you've
fixed the problem. If BIOS DOES NOT SEE all 128MB, proceed to #6 below.
If BIOS sees but W2k DOES NOT SEE all 128MB proceed to #7 below. In both
latter cases DOUBLECHECK steps 1-3 just to be sure
(6) If BIOS sees only 64MB, try each RAM stick alone. You'll isolate the
bad stick. If BIOS sees each 64MB stick when it's the only one, try
different slot combinations. If no combination works (or if only one
slot works), you either have badly mismatched RAM sticks or you have a
mainboard problem. If BIOS only sees some fraction of total RAM other
than one complete stick, the problem is probably the same. Go to a
computer repair place.
(7) If BIOS now sees 128MB RAM but W2k does not, keep in mind that W2k
is extremely demanding of hardware. RAM that BIOS says is OK may NOT be
OK as far as W2k is concerned. For W2k to operate properly, RAM sticks
must have IDENTICAL timing and other characteristics. When BIOS sees
more RAM than W2k, this is almost always a problem of MISMATCHED RAM
sticks. You need a pair with truly identical real behavior. One way to
fix this problem is to have a computer shop test the sticks and return a
matched pair to you (you pay for testing, and probably something for a
new stick even if you trade the old one). Another is to buy a 3rd stick
that matches the manual's specs, and see is both BIOS and W2k will now
recognize 128MB with the new one and either of the old ones installed
(you pay only for one stick.)
(1) Make sure both RAM sticks have the specifications required by the
mainboard. The manual explains this requirement.
(2) Make sure the RAM sticks are in the correct slots if the manual says
this matters.
(3) Make sure each RAM stick is FULLY inserted and locked in its slot.
It's easy to make a mistake with this.
(4) Now, check BIOS.
(5) If BIOS DOES SEE all 128MB, boot W2k. If W2k sees all 128MB, you've
fixed the problem. If BIOS DOES NOT SEE all 128MB, proceed to #6 below.
If BIOS sees but W2k DOES NOT SEE all 128MB proceed to #7 below. In both
latter cases DOUBLECHECK steps 1-3 just to be sure
(6) If BIOS sees only 64MB, try each RAM stick alone. You'll isolate the
bad stick. If BIOS sees each 64MB stick when it's the only one, try
different slot combinations. If no combination works (or if only one
slot works), you either have badly mismatched RAM sticks or you have a
mainboard problem. If BIOS only sees some fraction of total RAM other
than one complete stick, the problem is probably the same. Go to a
computer repair place.
(7) If BIOS now sees 128MB RAM but W2k does not, keep in mind that W2k
is extremely demanding of hardware. RAM that BIOS says is OK may NOT be
OK as far as W2k is concerned. For W2k to operate properly, RAM sticks
must have IDENTICAL timing and other characteristics. When BIOS sees
more RAM than W2k, this is almost always a problem of MISMATCHED RAM
sticks. You need a pair with truly identical real behavior. One way to
fix this problem is to have a computer shop test the sticks and return a
matched pair to you (you pay for testing, and probably something for a
new stick even if you trade the old one). Another is to buy a 3rd stick
that matches the manual's specs, and see is both BIOS and W2k will now
recognize 128MB with the new one and either of the old ones installed
(you pay only for one stick.)