Memory causing reboots?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris Stolworthy
  • Start date Start date
C

Chris Stolworthy

Ok in my previous post i said I would post the results of Memtest, and after
5 1/2 hours 117,000 errors were found. But can bad memory cause random
reboots? I thought it would just BSOD me. Unless in windows install stuff
got corrupted?

-Chris
 
Chris said:
Ok in my previous post i said I would post the results of Memtest, and after
5 1/2 hours 117,000 errors were found. But can bad memory cause random
reboots? I thought it would just BSOD me. Unless in windows install stuff
got corrupted?
Click to expand...

If you have ever copied files or compacted your hard disk,
everything on it is suspect. There is nothing in your system to
detect bad memory, it just uses the erroneous results
willy-nilly. This is why you should never buy a system without
ECC memory and the proper chipset capabilities to use it.

First, fix the memory. Then throw away everything on your hard
disk, reformat, reinstall and reload everything from the original
cds. Don't trust anything you wrote out from that system ever.
 
try some new memory.... www.crucial.com ......it will tell you what to use
for your motherboad...i love it. Good luck....

I've heard that reboots can be caused from failing power supplies as well,
but I don't know about a bunch of errors......

Jason
 
Chris Stolworthy said:
Ok in my previous post i said I would post the results of Memtest, and after
5 1/2 hours 117,000 errors were found. But can bad memory cause random
reboots? I thought it would just BSOD me. Unless in windows install stuff
got corrupted?

-Chris
Click to expand...
Good question, Chris!
I've been facing this issue for several months with an Asus P4P800
motherboard with 2 Corsair PC3200 modules (not paired) of 512 MB.
This system worked fine in ormal circumstances but crashed (power down)
randomly in Flight Sims. My first idea was a mobo problem and I had it
replaced. Same problem. Then I tried a new PSU (Enermax 450 W). Same
problem. I tried different memory cas settings, reduced the speed to 5:4,
always the same problem. The I removed one mem module, rsulting in memory
operating at 400 MHz instead of 800 MHz. Problem solved. I tried the other
module; problem solved.
So finally I purchased new modules Corsair Twin PC3700 (paired) of 512 MB.
Not only they work fine, but I can oveclock them at 1:1 ratio up to a fsb
speed of 230 MHz. No more crashes at all.
My conclusion today is that working at dual DDR at 800 MHz is still
something crucial that needs a lot of attention to work fine, and that
requires top quality components. But I still don't know exactly why the
PC3200 modules, that worked perfectly in stand alone, refused to work
together. The easy answer is because they are not matched, but many readers
in overclocking users groups pretend they have same or analog configs, and
no problems at all...
 
Ok in my previous post i said I would post the results of Memtest, and after
5 1/2 hours 117,000 errors were found. But can bad memory cause random
reboots? I thought it would just BSOD me. Unless in windows install stuff
got corrupted?

-Chris
Click to expand...

IF you're using Windows XP, most definitely the memory can cause
reboots. Try disabling that reboot "feature" (the following
shamelessly copied from MS website):

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click the Advanced tab.
Under Startup and Recovery, click Settings to open the Startup and
Recovery dialog box.
Clear the Automatically restart check box, and click OK the necessary
number of times.
Restart your computer for the settings to take effect.


As CBFalconer already mentioned, all your data is potentially corrupt
at this point, salvage what you can of the data (but remember it may
be corrupt now) then format/reinstall windows/applications/etc, of
course AFTER replacing the memory, adjusting BIOS settings, or
whatever is necessary to rectify the memory problems.
 
Ok guys I changed the RAM and the problems seemed to have all disappeared.
Thanks for all the input.

-Chris
 
Back
Top