Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
decided
that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2 sticks
of
RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in pair
per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after HP
screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows in
safe
mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter which
one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
command
prompt, I get a string of the following messages
[multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where various
items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
"\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
etc.
I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory setup.
I
still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke don't
fix it"!
Any advice is most appreciated.

"Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
>Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
>decided
>that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2 sticks
>of
>RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in pair
>per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after HP
>screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows in
>safe
>mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc."

The latest entry that is shown when booting to the Safe Mode usually
is the problem. Windows hangs when loading this driver/software.
Try booting to a command-prompt. If this works, see "How to Start
System Restore Tool From a Command Prompt in Windows XP"
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304449).

--
(tm)

"Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:18B942F2-96FC-48C6-AA07-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
> Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
> decided
> that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2
> sticks
> of
> RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in
> pair
> per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after
> HP
> screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows
> in
> safe
> mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter
> which
> one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
> command
> prompt, I get a string of the following messages
> [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where various
> items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
> "\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
> etc.
> I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
> I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory
> setup.
> I
> still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
> couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke
> don't
> fix it"!
> Any advice is most appreciated.

Remove old ram, install new ram and try again. If this works try it again
with the old and new ram installed. There are several possibilities and you
have to use the process of elimination to figure out which one has occurred.
Some of the possibilities are: new ram is defective or not compatible with
your motherboard., new ram and old ram are not compatible, ram not installed
properly (loose in socket, wrong socket, old ram got knocked loose),
motherboard or old ram got damaged installing new ram, etc., etc. Hope this
helped. Without further testing it's pretty hard to determine the exact
cause.

Kerry

Actually, isn't the last one shown the last one that installed successfully?
Isn't it the one immediately "after" the displayed driver/service the one
that has stalled the system?

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!


"Thorsten Matzner" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
>>Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
>>decided
>>that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2
>>sticks
>>of
>>RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in
>>pair
>>per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after
>>HP
>>screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows
>>in
>>safe
>>mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc."
>
> The latest entry that is shown when booting to the Safe Mode usually
> is the problem. Windows hangs when loading this driver/software.
> Try booting to a command-prompt. If this works, see "How to Start
> System Restore Tool From a Command Prompt in Windows XP"
> (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=304449).
>
> --
> (tm)

Given that you installed the memory and the system got through POST and BIOS
reported the new memory, it could be a reasonable assumption that it is
compatible with you motherboard.

Try restoring your hardware to its previous state [as it was without the new
RAM].
Reboot and see if Windows will load, as it should.
If it doesn't boot up troubleshoot the configuration, most likely you'll
need to boot to safe mode and restore to a date before you mucked around with
memory.
When it's working, power off and remove the old RAM and install the new.
Try booting up into Windows.
If it boots and get through POST, but Windows gives a BSOD, then check the
message description.

It is more than likely that the memory change has been so great that you
need to run a repair installation to reset the configuration.

Don't perform the repair installation without reviewing the opinions of
others here after you write up the description of the BSOD.


"Hopeful" wrote:

> Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
> Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
> decided
> that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2 sticks
> of
> RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in pair
> per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after HP
> screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows in
> safe
> mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter which
> one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
> command
> prompt, I get a string of the following messages
> [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where various
> items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
> "\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
> etc.
> I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
> I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory setup.
> I
> still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
> couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke don't
> fix it"!
> Any advice is most appreciated.

Thanks for all the good advice to everyone. I have restored the system to
its original memory configuration and the same symptoms are there. I am
unable to read the BSOD....it flashes by too quickly. I only get the message
list from the "safe boot" screen (or whatever you call it....I have only had
XP active for a week or two, ME didn't have a screen like that except with an
emergency boot disk). Do you have a way to get the BSOD to stay on long
enough to actually read it?

ever grateful!

"BAR" wrote:

> Given that you installed the memory and the system got through POST and BIOS
> reported the new memory, it could be a reasonable assumption that it is
> compatible with you motherboard.
>
> Try restoring your hardware to its previous state [as it was without the new
> RAM].
> Reboot and see if Windows will load, as it should.
> If it doesn't boot up troubleshoot the configuration, most likely you'll
> need to boot to safe mode and restore to a date before you mucked around with
> memory.
> When it's working, power off and remove the old RAM and install the new.
> Try booting up into Windows.
> If it boots and get through POST, but Windows gives a BSOD, then check the
> message description.
>
> It is more than likely that the memory change has been so great that you
> need to run a repair installation to reset the configuration.
>
> Don't perform the repair installation without reviewing the opinions of
> others here after you write up the description of the BSOD.
>
>
> "Hopeful" wrote:
>
> > Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
> > Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
> > decided
> > that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2 sticks
> > of
> > RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in pair
> > per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after HP
> > screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows in
> > safe
> > mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter which
> > one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
> > command
> > prompt, I get a string of the following messages
> > [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where various
> > items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
> > "\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
> > etc.
> > I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
> > I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory setup.
> > I
> > still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
> > couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke don't
> > fix it"!
> > Any advice is most appreciated.

Thanks for the advice. I did try it with just the new. Same result. BIOS
recognizes it, but gets to the same screen. I did try it with just the
old...same result. Blew it out, etc.

I am hopeful that it isn't "bad memory" as you say, but fearful it might me
too.

"Kerry Brown" wrote:

> "Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:18B942F2-96FC-48C6-AA07-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
> > Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
> > decided
> > that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2
> > sticks
> > of
> > RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed in
> > pair
> > per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once after
> > HP
> > screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run windows
> > in
> > safe
> > mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter
> > which
> > one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
> > command
> > prompt, I get a string of the following messages
> > [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where various
> > items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
> > "\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
> > etc.
> > I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
> > I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory
> > setup.
> > I
> > still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
> > couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke
> > don't
> > fix it"!
> > Any advice is most appreciated.
>
> Remove old ram, install new ram and try again. If this works try it again
> with the old and new ram installed. There are several possibilities and you
> have to use the process of elimination to figure out which one has occurred.
> Some of the possibilities are: new ram is defective or not compatible with
> your motherboard., new ram and old ram are not compatible, ram not installed
> properly (loose in socket, wrong socket, old ram got knocked loose),
> motherboard or old ram got damaged installing new ram, etc., etc. Hope this
> helped. Without further testing it's pretty hard to determine the exact
> cause.
>
> Kerry
>
>
>

>> "Hopeful" wrote:
>>
>> > Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
>> > Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
>> > decided
>> > that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2
>> > sticks
>> > of
>> > RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed
>> > in pair
>> > per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once
>> > after HP
>> > screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run
>> > windows in
>> > safe
>> > mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter
>> > which
>> > one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
>> > command
>> > prompt, I get a string of the following messages
>> > [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where
>> > various
>> > items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
>> > "\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
>> > etc.
>> > I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
>> > I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory
>> > setup.
>> > I
>> > still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
>> > couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke
>> > don't
>> > fix it"!
>> > Any advice is most appreciated.


> "BAR" wrote:
>
>> Given that you installed the memory and the system got through POST and
>> BIOS
>> reported the new memory, it could be a reasonable assumption that it is
>> compatible with you motherboard.
>>
>> Try restoring your hardware to its previous state [as it was without the
>> new
>> RAM].
>> Reboot and see if Windows will load, as it should.
>> If it doesn't boot up troubleshoot the configuration, most likely you'll
>> need to boot to safe mode and restore to a date before you mucked around
>> with
>> memory.
>> When it's working, power off and remove the old RAM and install the new.
>> Try booting up into Windows.
>> If it boots and get through POST, but Windows gives a BSOD, then check
>> the
>> message description.
>>
>> It is more than likely that the memory change has been so great that you
>> need to run a repair installation to reset the configuration.
>>
>> Don't perform the repair installation without reviewing the opinions of
>> others here after you write up the description of the BSOD.


"Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7A952D58-74F5-473B-92D2-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for all the good advice to everyone. I have restored the system to
> its original memory configuration and the same symptoms are there. I am
> unable to read the BSOD....it flashes by too quickly. I only get the
> message
> list from the "safe boot" screen (or whatever you call it....I have only
> had
> XP active for a week or two, ME didn't have a screen like that except with
> an
> emergency boot disk). Do you have a way to get the BSOD to stay on long
> enough to actually read it?
>
> ever grateful!


Hopeful...
Although one can't be certain about this at this point, it doesn't sound
like a problem involving your RDRAM. Have you tried a Repair install of XP
as BAR suggested?
Anna

"Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:2CC5817F-4212-4EC3-92A9-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for the advice. I did try it with just the new. Same result.
> BIOS
> recognizes it, but gets to the same screen. I did try it with just the
> old...same result. Blew it out, etc.
>
> I am hopeful that it isn't "bad memory" as you say, but fearful it might
> me
> too.
>

Another thng that often happens when changing ram is the hard drive cable
gets knocked loose in the socket. I have even seen the CPU somehow get moved
slightly and cause problems (usually Socket A Athlons). Check none of the
cables are loose. I would not check your CPU unless you are absolutely sure
of what you are doing. There is too much potential of causing even more
problems.

Kerry


> "Kerry Brown" wrote:
>
>> "Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:18B942F2-96FC-48C6-AA07-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> > Running HP Pavillion P41.3 GHz. I upgraded from Windows ME to
>> > Windows XP home last week. Everything was great, but a little slow. I
>> > decided
>> > that I should add some RAM before it was discontinued. I purchased 2
>> > sticks
>> > of
>> > RDRAM (SyncMAX PN SM256R368A-653 PC600 256MB/8 Non-ECC). I installed
>> > in
>> > pair
>> > per instructions on website. Machine starts Boot, then failed once
>> > after
>> > HP
>> > screen and did a scandisk. Machine now gets to a screen to "run
>> > windows
>> > in
>> > safe
>> > mode, safe mode with command prompt, last good setup, etc." No matter
>> > which
>> > one I pick, it always returns to that screen. If I pick safe mode with
>> > command
>> > prompt, I get a string of the following messages
>> > [multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\winidows\various items]where
>> > various
>> > items = "\fonts\vgaoem.fom", "\apppatch\drvmain.sdb",
>> > "\system32\drivers\etc.", etc.,
>> > etc.
>> > I can see the (new - 512MB)(and the old - 128MB) in the BIOS setup.
>> > I removed the new memory and returned the unit to its original memory
>> > setup.
>> > I
>> > still have the same problem. I thought I was going to fix-it-up for a
>> > couple more years....now I wish I followed the old "If it ain't broke
>> > don't
>> > fix it"!
>> > Any advice is most appreciated.
>>
>> Remove old ram, install new ram and try again. If this works try it again
>> with the old and new ram installed. There are several possibilities and
>> you
>> have to use the process of elimination to figure out which one has
>> occurred.
>> Some of the possibilities are: new ram is defective or not compatible
>> with
>> your motherboard., new ram and old ram are not compatible, ram not
>> installed
>> properly (loose in socket, wrong socket, old ram got knocked loose),
>> motherboard or old ram got damaged installing new ram, etc., etc. Hope
>> this
>> helped. Without further testing it's pretty hard to determine the exact
>> cause.
>>
>> Kerry
>>
>>
>>

"Anna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Hopeful" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:7A952D58-74F5-473B-92D2-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Thanks for all the good advice to everyone. I have restored the system
>> to
>> its original memory configuration and the same symptoms are there. I am
>> unable to read the BSOD....it flashes by too quickly. I only get the
>> message
>> list from the "safe boot" screen (or whatever you call it....I have only
>> had
>> XP active for a week or two, ME didn't have a screen like that except
>> with an
>> emergency boot disk). Do you have a way to get the BSOD to stay on long
>> enough to actually read it?
>>
>> ever grateful!
>
>
> Hopeful...
> Although one can't be certain about this at this point, it doesn't sound
> like a problem involving your RDRAM. Have you tried a Repair install of XP
> as BAR suggested?
> Anna
>

I think a repair install would be premature at this point. It quit working
immediately after a hardware change. It was working fine before the change.
If there is a hardware problem trying a repair install may cause even more
file corruption. If there is no data that would be lost I would try it. If
there is data that isn't backed up I would find the hardware problem first.

Kerry