Memory Problems?

[ShelaghG]

I've just been to my sister's to install a new sound card for her and she mentioned that her PC is running really slowly and there's lots of stuff that won't run at all. I checked the memory in Control Panel (she's running Win 98) and it says she has 128Mb with about 80% free but when the PC reboots and it does the memory check it says there is only 32 Mb of memory. The PC really does have 128 Mb on 2 strips. Is it the memory that's faulty or the motherboard? I'm inclined to think it's the m/b as Windows is seeing the correct amount (although whether it's able to use it all is another matter). Any ideas what's going on? Weird things seem to happen with her PC from time to time - at one point it kept loosing the settings for its boot device, then this settled down but the time went funny a couple of times then it settled down, now the memory thing. Is it something as simple as replacing the battery on the m/b or is the m/b stuffed??

Any info or pointers to diagnostics which can be run would be very much appreciated.

[Behemoth]

Sounds to me like it's a problem with the memory. I have the exact same problem with my motherboard every once in a while. I hav 320 megs of memory and when I switch on it only counts 128, others 256.

Having said that it could actually be the memory sockets themselves, check to see if the Ram is seated properly, that alone has been known to make IWndows act up.

Behemoth

[Worldlife]

My post here deals with suspected memory problems and UD Agent used for the Breast Cancer project.

http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/s...7&pagenumber=4

Found MaxMem and CacheBooster have kicked my 128Mb system into life and able to cope with Video Editing and handling 4Gb files! More details on link.

[ShelaghG]

My dad went round with a 32Mb stick and out it in the remaining slot. Windows is seeing it, it reports a total of 160 Mb of memory, however when the PC boots it's still reporting just 32Mb of Memory. We're not really any further forward If the memory (or whatever) is faulty I can see that the amount of memory would be reported incorrectly, but not that in Windows it would all appear to be there! I really have no idea what to do with his

[Onslo]

I would have thought that the bios has something to do with it Shelagh.....If the bios is reporting an incorrect amount of Ram then it's either because there is an incorrect setting in the bios, or the slots are up the creek. I'm inclined to go for the bios first.

As to why Windows is seeing it right I have no idea

You mention that other 'weird' things have happened, from what you say, it would appear to point to the bios also. I would check through the settings and make sur ethat the MoBo is set to accept and see more than a certain amount of Ram. Not all Bios' offer this function, but some do.

Have you tried clearing the CMOS? right down all your settings first if you are in any doubt.

'Slo

Edit : I know that this isn't the actual problem, but M$ has an article on a similar issue.
Reported Memory Does Not Match Amount of Installed Memory