Where's my memory?

Difficult one here. I have run out of ideas and could use some help please.

I have 1 X Intel vista, 2 x AMD XP Pros, & 2 x Intel XP home laptops all working well (with WHS) except 1 of the AMD's has been offline waiting for some of my free time.

About two weeks ago the other AMD XP pro started to slow and eventually I noticed that there was only 500 Kb available memory - It flatlines the memory bar in Task Manager despite the fact that there is reported 2GB of DDR2 installed.

It is consistent and never accesses any more so works very slowly so I woke up the other AMD XP Pro to start some swaps as it had been working perfectly when swiched off about six weeks ago.

But when I re-started it, it reported disk failure but after a bit of trouble in reformatting, I managed a clean install of XP Pro. To my surprise, it then exhibited precisely the same problems as the other one namely refusing to use more than 100 Mb of the 2 GB installed.

It has not connected to the net or any other machine which lets out viruses/malware and the memory checks out as OK both in test and reported status.

I have lost it and don't know where to go next. The two XP laptops and the Vista are still working normally.

Anybody got a direction to head in? ---- Please?????

 

I can only suggest that you look at the mains power supplied to the computer. I take it that you replaced one with the other. Is it connected using a power strip/board? Could that power strip be getting overloaded? Could it be damaged?

The mains power is the only thing I could see as consistent between them.

Matt

 

Thank you for the comeback. You gave me something to think about there.

However, the two affected PC's are in different rooms and whilst one is on a power rail the other (Wife's computer) is not.

However I see that you are right insofar as the power is the only common factor. The second one was in everyday use as my main PC until the Vista machine arrived some weeks age, it has been switched off awaiting my weeding trawl of files and from the restart, has never been connected to the (new) network or anything else.

I have confirmed total disk failure on restarting and used a fresh formatted disk to reinstall XP only so no possibility of cross contamination exists.

Is it a possibility that power surges or fluctuations may have contributed to the common problem? My PC (the one with disk failure) was always on a regulated UPS but was not when starting to disk failure and the other never was protected. both are of a similar age at about five years old.

I was tempted to blame the BIOS or MB but cannot see a common thread.

 

Older machines may have limitations at around the 2GB level of RAM. They may, say, be able to run 2GB, but only as 4 modules of 512MB or only use "single-sided" or "double-sided" types. You will need to read the motherboard manual on the information about how much RAM the motherboard can run, it's type and arrangement (in the slots). Some types/brands of RAM can be incompatible with the motherboard.

I was of the opinion that they were newer computers and were running 2GB of RAM happily until now. If you are trying to boost the amount up to 2GB, you will need to check the information in the m/b manual and expect that the RAM might not be (completely?) compatible.

Power, I can't tell you much more. If things like air conditioners, refrigerators, etc are cutting in and out, there could be power fluctuations.

Matt

 

Great catch Matt.

Since DDR2 wasn't even around 5 years ago, it shouldn't surprise any of us that these things have a problem with DDR2 installed. Unfortunately, the original post reads like these machines initially ran well with this memory - that would be a real stretch no matter how creative the imagination may be.

 

<Blush> Indeed you are correct. I meant to write 2700 - Can't imagine how it came out as 2. That is what the new computer is using.

And Yes, both computers were running perfectly well until now.