RAM troubles.

[Guest]

I have 2 512M ddr dimm PC2100 ram sticks in my PC, for a
total of 1024. I use XP Home Edition. IE and other
programs often crash sporadically. When I run Memtest86,
the second stick shows several errors at addresses at and
above 815M. I am sure the crashing problem is because of
bad memory addresses. When I take out the 512-1024 RAM
stick, the machine never crashes.
MY QUESTION: How can I tell XP NOT to use the memory
addresses above 815M, so at least I can use the good part
of the second 512 stick?
A friend told me that I could do that in MSCONFIG, but it
must have been another version of Windows.
Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have 2 512M ddr dimm PC2100 ram sticks in my PC, for a
total of 1024. I use XP Home Edition. IE and other
programs often crash sporadically. When I run Memtest86,
the second stick shows several errors at addresses at and
above 815M. I am sure the crashing problem is because of
bad memory addresses. When I take out the 512-1024 RAM
stick, the machine never crashes.
MY QUESTION: How can I tell XP NOT to use the memory
addresses above 815M, so at least I can use the good part
of the second 512 stick?
A friend told me that I could do that in MSCONFIG, but it
must have been another version of Windows.
Thanks

Interesting..

Someone willing to keep what they have - defective RAM - instead of getting
it replaced under warranty and/or spending $50 for another stick?

As far as I know - you cannot do what you are suggesting. I seriously doubt
you use the RAM above 512MB in actuality - but you MAY (just because it is
erroring out at 512MB and above does not infer you are using 512MB+ of RAM..
that is thinking linearly.) In any case - I will be watching this to see if
anyone has a way to do this out of intellectual curiosity only - my
suggesting is to save up the money and/or replace the RAM under warranty..
You did buy the RAM under a lifetime warranty, eh?

 

[Ted Zieglar]

You friend is mistaken. That hasn't been a feature of any version of
Windows. And considering that msconfig is not about RAM utilization, I would
be careful about accepting your friend's advice in future.

Your only recourse is to replace the defective RAM stick. If you were sold
defective RAM, it should be exchanged at no charge.

Ted Zieglar

 

[Ron Martell]

I have 2 512M ddr dimm PC2100 ram sticks in my PC, for a
total of 1024. I use XP Home Edition. IE and other
programs often crash sporadically. When I run Memtest86,
the second stick shows several errors at addresses at and
above 815M. I am sure the crashing problem is because of
bad memory addresses. When I take out the 512-1024 RAM
stick, the machine never crashes.
MY QUESTION: How can I tell XP NOT to use the memory
addresses above 815M, so at least I can use the good part
of the second 512 stick?
A friend told me that I could do that in MSCONFIG, but it
must have been another version of Windows.
Thanks

You can limit the RAM usage in Windows XP with MSCONFIG.

Go to the BOOT,INI tab and click on the "Advanced Options" button.

In the Advanced Options window click on the checkbox for the /MAXMEM=
line to activate it and then put the value 815 in the data box for
that line to limit memory usage to 815 mb.

You might also want to check and see if the second module is actually
going to be have any significant impact on the performance of your
computer. Adding more memory can noticeably improve performance only
if the added memory results in reduced usage of the virtual memory
paging file. Therefore if the paging file is not currently being used
to any significant extent then adding more memory will not provide a
significant improvement.

Unfortunately there is no ready way of determing actual paging file
usage provided with Windows XP - it does not have an equivalent to the
'Memory Manager - Swap File In Use" reporting provided by the System
Monitor utility in Windows 95/98/Me.

There is a free utility that you can download and run which will
provide this information for you. It was written by MVP Bill James and
you can get if from
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm or from
http://billsway.com/notes_public/WinXP_Tweaks/

If that utility shows actual page file usage of 50 mb or more on a
regular basis then that is indicative of fairly significant paging
file activity. Adding more RAM will reduce or even eliminate entirely
this activity thereby improving performance.

This apples regardless of how much or how little RAM is currently
installed in the computer, at least up to the 4 gb RAM maximum for
Windows XP.


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."

 

[Guest]

-----Original Message-----
How can I tell XP NOT to use the memory
addresses above 815M, so at least I can use the good part
of the second 512 stick?
A friend told me that I could do that in MSCONFIG, but it
must have been another version of Windows.
Thanks


You friend is mistaken. That hasn't been a feature of any version of
Windows. And considering that msconfig is not about RAM utilization, I would
be careful about accepting your friend's advice in future.

Start> Run> Msconfig> Boot.ini tab> Advanced
Options> /MAXMEM setting limits RAM usage to a user
choosen amount.

Who's advice should he be careful of taking in the
future? ;-)

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Try it - see if it solves your problem. You'll be buying new RAM soon.

Ted Zieglar

 

[den]

Ron,
It worked as you said! I put the limit at 815 MB. No
problem.
Thanks,
Dennis

 

[Dennis]

Ted,
Thanks for your help. But it worked. I did it yesterday.
Ron Martell from Canada gave me the following information.
"You can limit the RAM usage in Windows XP with MSCONFIG.
Go to the BOOT,INI tab and click on the "Advanced
Options" button.
In the Advanced Options window click on the checkbox for
the /MAXMEM=
line to activate it and then put the value 815 in the
data box for
that line to limit memory usage to 815 mb.
You might also want to check and see if the second module
is actually
going to be have any significant impact on the
performance of your
computer. Adding more memory can noticeably improve
performance only
if the added memory results in reduced usage of the
virtual memory
paging file. Therefore if the paging file is not
currently being used
to any significant extent then adding more memory will
not provide a
significant improvement.

nfortunately there is no ready way of determing actual
paging file
usage provided with Windows XP - it does not have an
equivalent to the
'Memory Manager - Swap File In Use" reporting provided by
the System
Monitor utility in Windows 95/98/Me.
There is a free utility that you can download and run
which will
provide this information for you. It was written by MVP
Bill James and you can get if from
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm or
from
http://billsway.com/notes_public/WinXP_Tweaks/

If that utility shows actual page file usage of 50 mb or
more on a
regular basis then that is indicative of fairly
significant paging
file activity. Adding more RAM will reduce or even
eliminate entirely
this activity thereby improving performance.

This apples regardless of how much or how little RAM is
currently
installed in the computer, at least up to the 4 gb RAM
maximum for
Windows XP.
Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada"

 

[Ted Zieglar]

Of course it works - just like patching a tire 'works'. But it's not a
solution. No disrespect to you or to Ron: I stand by my contention that
/MAXMEM was not intended to compensate for a faulty stick of RAM. The
solution is to replace the RAM.

Ted Zieglar

 

[Dennis]

Shenan,
About the RAM limit:
I don't have the warranty anymore. I sent all the
receipts and stuff in to get the rebate.
Thanks for your help.
But the RAM limit idea worked. I cut off the memory above
815MB, and my computer has not crashed since. (24 hours)
I did it yesterday. Ron Martell from Canada gave me the
following idea, which is the same as my friend from here(
Minnesota) told me. So now I have 815MB of good RAM,
instead of only 512, (the good stick). Some day I will
buy a good 512 stick.
Ron Martell wrote:
"You can limit the RAM usage in Windows XP with MSCONFIG.
Go to the BOOT,INI tab and click on the "Advanced
Options" button.
In the Advanced Options window click on the checkbox for
the /MAXMEM=
line to activate it and then put the value 815 in the
data box for
that line to limit memory usage to 815 mb.
You might also want to check and see if the second module
is actually
going to be have any significant impact on the
performance of your
computer. Adding more memory can noticeably improve
performance only
if the added memory results in reduced usage of the
virtual memory
paging file. Therefore if the paging file is not
currently being used
to any significant extent then adding more memory will
not provide a
significant improvement.

nfortunately there is no ready way of determing actual
paging file
usage provided with Windows XP - it does not have an
equivalent to the
'Memory Manager - Swap File In Use" reporting provided by
the System
Monitor utility in Windows 95/98/Me.
There is a free utility that you can download and run
which will
provide this information for you. It was written by MVP
Bill James and you can get if from
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_pagefilemon.htm or
from
http://billsway.com/notes_public/WinXP_Tweaks/

If that utility shows actual page file usage of 50 mb or
more on a
regular basis then that is indicative of fairly
significant paging
file activity. Adding more RAM will reduce or even
eliminate entirely
this activity thereby improving performance.

This apples regardless of how much or how little RAM is
currently
installed in the computer, at least up to the 4 gb RAM
maximum for
Windows XP.
Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada"