luminore said:
How to test RAM memory condition in windows XP? I.e. to check is the
memory hardware completely good, have no problems. Is there some
testing utility that does not require installation (single executable)?
memtest86+:
http://www.memtest.org/
get the "precompiled package for floppy", use it to make a bootable floppy
disk that just runs the test; it won't touch your xp installation. [of
course your machine needs a floppy drive, and the bios needs to boot to
it, which is a farily typical setup. the site has other options if you
need them, like a bootable cd ISO image, etc].
run the tester for at least one full test cycle, overnight is better. you
should get ZERO errors - even 1 error is cause for concern.
note the test is stressful - be sure your cooling is working well.
If you find that you have errors, it is _possible_ that your xp
installation has been corrupted (everything written to disk passed thru
memory, so it could be corrupted). if your system is flakey after you've
resolved the ram errors you might consider a clean reinstall.
typical causes of ram errors: excess heat, unclean power, bad ram voltage
settings, bad ram timing settings (overclocking), and of course bad ram
sticks. as the site explains, tracking down the cause of errors is the
hard part. first steps would be to set bios back to defaults, and try
swapping sticks - sometimes they work better in a different slot. ALWAYS
CHANGE ONLY ONE THING AT A TIME so you can be sure of what change actually
made a difference.
good luck.
