Help !!!

[BarryS]

Interesting puzzle. I am running WinXP pro on a Gateway 700 XL.
Recently increased the RAM from 512 to 1024 and it worked OK for a week or
so and then burned out the new modules. Gateway replaced them and now I
am confronted with a different put definitely repeatable situation.

When all the memory is installed and I try to do a SHUTDOWN/RESTART the
computer shuts down OK but immediately on restart I get 3 Beep code which
indicates that the first 64KB of Ram can't load and the system dies on the
spot. This is an intermittent problem. However if I restart from a cold
start, it boots up every time. I have tried it with everything shut down
in MSCONFIG and also from SAFE MODE and it is the same thing. Intermittent
inability to restart.

However if I remove 512 RAM (doesn't matter which 2 of the 4 modules I
remove or from which pair of connectors), the problem goes away.

In summary, with 512 RAM I am having no problem and with 1024 RAM the
problem comes back intermittently. I also removed all programs I
recently installed and all updates I recently installed but it made no
difference. Virus program is always up to date and Windows Update was
current.

It is my thought that for some reason, on a shutdown/restart, the power is
not completely turned off to the memory and it is not able to completely
unload the memory before the restart is attempted.and therefore can't load
the 64K...........or something like that. Possibly it is a timing thing
where the hard disk is not yet back up to speed to load the bottom 64K.

Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks,

Barry

[Bob Day]

"BarryS" > wrote in message
...
> Interesting puzzle. I am running WinXP pro on a Gateway 700 XL.
> Recently increased the RAM from 512 to 1024 and it worked OK for a week or
> so and then burned out the new modules. Gateway replaced them and now I
> am confronted with a different put definitely repeatable situation.
>
> When all the memory is installed and I try to do a SHUTDOWN/RESTART the
> computer shuts down OK but immediately on restart I get 3 Beep code which
> indicates that the first 64KB of Ram can't load and the system dies on the
> spot. This is an intermittent problem. However if I restart from a cold
> start, it boots up every time. I have tried it with everything shut down
> in MSCONFIG and also from SAFE MODE and it is the same thing.
Intermittent
> inability to restart. < snip >

There is often a limit on the number of memory chips
a mainboard will support. For example, if each of your
four modules has eight chips per side, the total number
of chips would be 64. That could be more than your
mainboard will support. Try to find out what mainboard
is in your computer, and post it here. Maybe we can
look up any memory chip restrictions it has. Possibly
Gateway could give you a decent answer, but my
experience with Gateway is that they don't know jack
about much of anything.

-- Bob Day

[BarryS]

The motherboard I have from Gateway is capable of 4 modules with the maximum
memory of 1024 together. the 256 RIMM memory modules are sealed in a
metal case and so the chips cannot be seen, but I bought the units from
Gateway and they are exactly the same as the two modules that were in the
computer. In any case, the Microsoft memory test maps the entire memory
correctly and has no errors in all 11 tests.

If what you are saying is the real situation (and I concur that it is
possible) then there is no way to confirm that as Gateway would never admit
that the motherboard is less capable than they advertised.

Interesting that the additional memory did help a little in perking things
up, especially when dealing with photos and multiple thumbnails, mapping
programs, etc......but not a lot of advantage for the cost. I would not be
against returning these modules if I can't get them to work right.

Thanks


b
"Bob Day" > wrote in message
...
>
> "BarryS" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Interesting puzzle. I am running WinXP pro on a Gateway 700 XL.
> > Recently increased the RAM from 512 to 1024 and it worked OK for a week
or
> > so and then burned out the new modules. Gateway replaced them and now
I
> > am confronted with a different put definitely repeatable situation.
> >
> > When all the memory is installed and I try to do a SHUTDOWN/RESTART the
> > computer shuts down OK but immediately on restart I get 3 Beep code
which
> > indicates that the first 64KB of Ram can't load and the system dies on
the
> > spot. This is an intermittent problem. However if I restart from a
cold
> > start, it boots up every time. I have tried it with everything shut
down
> > in MSCONFIG and also from SAFE MODE and it is the same thing.
> Intermittent
> > inability to restart. < snip >
>
> There is often a limit on the number of memory chips
> a mainboard will support. For example, if each of your
> four modules has eight chips per side, the total number
> of chips would be 64. That could be more than your
> mainboard will support. Try to find out what mainboard
> is in your computer, and post it here. Maybe we can
> look up any memory chip restrictions it has. Possibly
> Gateway could give you a decent answer, but my
> experience with Gateway is that they don't know jack
> about much of anything.
>
> -- Bob Day
>
>