Is it possible to get BSOD with fault-free memory upgrade?

[raylopez99]

On Windows 2000 (same kernel as XP), I upgraded my RAM from 512 MB to
1GB (PC2100 memory - I checked that it is proper, etc, and I've done
this many times).

Now I'm periodically getting a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) at startup,
especially when the room is cold in the morning (I've never had this
happen before).

No traces of data dump file--happens right at bootup. No new
hardware. System was stable before I added the memory.

I tested extensively all the memory using Microsoft website's RAM
tester [Windows Memory Diagnostic](works from DOS, but seems to be
comprehensive) and found no errors.

Either one of two things:

1) some piece of hardware is starting to fail, especially in cold
weather, or,

2) somehow, my cheapo motherboard, from 2002 but should support up to
2 GB RAM, somehow chokes on the higher memory. System is a Pentium 4
2.xGHz bought in 2003. But if it chokes, it only happens
occasionally, which is weird.

Signs perhaps point to 1). ANy tips on how to monitor failing
hardware?

Again, I'm very confident the old/new memory is the 'same' (both were
PC2100).

Thanks.
RL

 

[Ron Martell]

On Windows 2000 (same kernel as XP), I upgraded my RAM from 512 MB to
1GB (PC2100 memory - I checked that it is proper, etc, and I've done
this many times).

Now I'm periodically getting a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) at startup,
especially when the room is cold in the morning (I've never had this
happen before).

No traces of data dump file--happens right at bootup. No new
hardware. System was stable before I added the memory.

I tested extensively all the memory using Microsoft website's RAM
tester [Windows Memory Diagnostic](works from DOS, but seems to be
comprehensive) and found no errors.

Either one of two things:

1) some piece of hardware is starting to fail, especially in cold
weather, or,

2) somehow, my cheapo motherboard, from 2002 but should support up to
2 GB RAM, somehow chokes on the higher memory. System is a Pentium 4
2.xGHz bought in 2003. But if it chokes, it only happens
occasionally, which is weird.

Signs perhaps point to 1). ANy tips on how to monitor failing
hardware?

Again, I'm very confident the old/new memory is the 'same' (both were
PC2100).

Thanks.
RL

Memory from different manufacturers, even if the external specs are
the same, or even from the same manufacturer but different production
lots, can have internal differences in the material composition and/or
the internal layout of the memory chips.

These differences can affect the strength and/or the timing of the
signals returned from the RAM and Windows is sensitive to these
differences.

If the computer operates error free with either the old or the new RAM
installed by itself but has problems when both old and new are
installed together then the cause is either the situation I have
described or there is a hardware problem with total amount of RAM that
you have installed.

If possible, test the motherboard with a second 512 mb module that is
identical to the new one. If the system works okay with the 2 new
modules then the problem is with the internal differences between the
old and new modules.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

 

[raylopez99]

Thank you. I believe the problem is the fact that the motherboard is
cold (I keep the house unheated overnight) and the error shows up only
when I first try and bootup in the morning. Once I reboot, the error
disappears (the MB warms up).

However, you might be onto something, in that the new memory (I threw
out the old memory) might have some small glitch in it that makes it
temperature sensitive, since this problem only manifested itself
recently, when I changed the memory. If it was the motherboard only,
then it's a coincidence that the problem showed up when the memory was
changed.

In any event right now it's more of a inconvience. So long as I don't
lose data I'm OK with it.

RL