Laptop Memory Issues?

D

Doctor Varney

Cave dwelling Luddite
I feel guilty for pounding this forum with non-recording computer problems - but you chaps have been helpful and sympathetic already and seem to know your stuff.

Summary:
  • Is it okay to mix memory brands if they are the same voltage?
  • Can a bad motherboard damage memory?

You guessed it - my luck has now bled into my GF's IT experience with the laptop I purchased for her. I swear I never touched it though...

Details:
Within a day, the machine presented a black screen saying it could not find it's HD so I took it back, where the memory was replaced. I'm told it looks first for the RAM and then the HD. IOW: no RAM, no HD. I was told it was 'bad RAM' and so was given provisional 2GiB while new Kingston was being ordered. A week later, the RAM arrives and is fitted. But the guy ordered just the one stick of 2 Kingston GiB and used some other brand of 1GiB to make it up to 3GiB. I always thought you should not mix memory - but was assured that as long as they are the same voltage, it is okay to mix. Two days later (with only 2hrs use) we are presented with the blank screen, this time with no messages.

Now I'm thinking it could be just more bad RAM - but what are the chances of that? Is it possible for a fault (common fault?) on a laptop motherboard to damage RAM? After all, if RAM can be likened to just another component on a circuit board, with precisely (you hope!) regulated power coursing across it.... (if you get my drift)?

So part of the Q is what to do, really. Let him work on this unit one more time or get shot of it and take back my cash?

I waited until this morning to post, because, had I posted last night, I would probably not have had a clear head and be shouting obscenities at PCs in general. I've also bagged another acting job which will pay the bills for next month and that has contributed to my good mood today. :)

Cheers

Dr. V
 
Last edited:
Doctor Varney said:
\
You guessed it - my luck has now bled into my GF's IT experience with the laptop I purchased for her. I swear I never touched it though...
Click to expand...

:D

I've mixed RAM from different manufacturers before with no problems.

Just have to ask this one question though ...
The person who exchanged the RAM - did they remove the battery from the laptop before doing so?
 
moresound said:
:D

I've mixed RAM from different manufacturers before with no problems.

Just have to ask this one question though ...
The person who exchanged the RAM - did they remove the battery from the laptop before doing so?
Click to expand...

...and use an earthing strap on a wrist?
 
moresound said:
:D
Just have to ask this one question though ...
The person who exchanged the RAM - did they remove the battery from the laptop before doing so?
Click to expand...

Not that I am aware of. I will say no. I think the battery was in when the RAM was inserted.

Bobbsy said:
...and use an earthing strap on a wrist?
Click to expand...

Definitely not.

But then, who does?

Anyway, how would that explain the computer working alright for a few days before packing up? Wouldn't a wave of static have caused an instant failure? Besides, it has been through two upgrades already, by the same person - presumably without one.
 
Last edited:
Hey Varney,
Do us all a favour, yeah? Don't ever hang around in a hospital. ;)


The opening line of your 'details' bit worries me.

I'm open to being corrected but in my experience (and I have a good bit), if the computer says it can't find the hard drive then it can't find the hard drive.

Now that could be a loose or damaged cable/connector, a dead drive, a corrupted boot sector or OS; Any number of things.
I certainly wouldn't replace the ram unless there was some other reason to look that way.

True, the bios checks the ram before it moves to media, but if there was a memory fault it would tell you that, or tell you nothing.
It wouldn't complain about the HDD.

As far as mixing brands, it's probably fair to say you can usually mix brands of matched spec and get away with it, but the odd case where the mobo doesn't like it is enough for matching brands to be common practice.
Personally, I'd just match the ram by brand for peace of mind.
 
arcaxis said:
Does the laptop boot far enough into POST that you can see a message to get into the BIOS settings screen?
Click to expand...

The laptop boots to nothing. Doesn't boot at all, in fact. I couldn't re-install Windows if I wanted to. I get "Sony Vaio" and a quick jingle... then nothing. Blank/ grey screen. No memory check, no BIOS, no nothing.

I have a copy of the Sony 'recovery disk'.

I'm taking it back because I don't want to mess with it in case I could be blamed for this fault. I think it's the shop owner's responsibility to put this right.
 
So what, it went into post and complained about the hard drive, then a memory upgrade was carried out and now it doesn't post at all?

Restore the old memory and go back a step.
 
Ok, I'd definitely take a step back then.
If you can go back to the old memory arrangement and see if the machine posts, then you'll be able to enter the bios menus and see if the hard drive is recognised.

That tell you a bit more about what's going on here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top