Windows XP doesn't always start after RAM upgrade

[Mesousa]

I'm running Win XP SP 3 on a 2,0 Ghz desktop PC.

A couple of days ago I replaced my old 512 MB RAM with 2 GB. I also cleaned the inside of the tower since it was really dusty. Since then, I've been having problems launching Windows.

When I turn the computer on, the first time nothing happens, the screen remains black with a blinking cursor in the upper left corner. When I turn it off and on again, I get the screen informing me Windows couldn't be launched because of a hardware or software change. No matter if I select to launch Windows normally, or use the last known working configuration, I get one of the following:
- black screen with blinking cursor
- XP logo on black background, but the loading animation doesn't happen and Windows doesn't launch
- XP logo with loading animation, and Windows launches

In the first two cases, I have to turn the PC off again and try again, until Windows finally starts. Usually takes five or six tries. Once Windows has launched, everything seems to be working just fine, including restarting Windows.

I only tried starting in safe mode from that first screen once, and it worked, but I don't know if that's an exception.

I ran the Memtest86+ tool from memtest.org, and it didn't find any fault with the new RAM. Likewise, chkdsk /f didn't find any problems.

I have no idea what's the problem, if it's hardware or software related. I'd appreciate any help.

 

[Turner]

Are you sure the RAM chips are seated properly? You might want to take them out and blow out (with a can of air, I wouldn't want to spit in the) memory slot, and make sure it's dust free. It might be there's dust in there that's causing the problem.

I'd also try putting just your old memory back in, and see if it works like it used to. Then it's either the memory itself, or some kind of foreign object in the slot.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Is your motherboard compatible with the RAM? Sometimes the motherboard will have problems with specific memory. You might also try clearing CMOS, it may help.

 

[Mesousa]

Yes, I made sure they're compatible. And both new RAM pieces are of the same kind too.

I removed the new RAM, did my best to get the slots free of dust, and put in the old RAM again. Started the PC several times, and got nothing. Black screen, not even a blinking cursor.

Took the old RAM out again and put in just one of the new ones (2x 1 GB). PC reported memory downgrade at the first start, but launched Windows just fine in several attempts. Put in the second new one too, and it seems to work without problems now with both, too. Started the PC several times, Windows always launched without problems.

So I guess it might have been dust in the slots indeed. I'm a bit worried there's still something wrong because it wouldn't do anything with the old 512 MB (which there weren't any issues with for years), but it seems to work okay now with the new 2 GB, so I'm optimistic.

Thanks, both of you!

Oh, there's one minor thing I noticed, the system tab now says

Intel(R)
Celeron(R) CPU 2.00GHz
1.99 GHz, 2,00 GB RAM

where before it used to say 2.00 GHz in both lines. But I hope this isn't important.

 

[Mesousa]

Meh, so much for my optimism. The problem still exists, and seems even worse since now I also get the completely black screen without blinking cursor. Maybe I just got lucky earlier.

When it doesn't launch Windows properly, there is also a sound missing I've come to associate with my PC starting. Guess this might mean it doesn't even access the hard drive? But I really have no clue what's going on (or not). To me it feels a bit like the machine has to warm up first before starting, since once it has started, it works fine ...

 

[Mulholland]

Maybe we could be of more help if you were to list your motherboard and RAM make/model. Is the missing sound the startup beep? Are you getting any beep codes when you computer fails to boot?

 

[J-man]

If there is no beep at start up I would assume that your PC doesn't get past POST. Have you tried your RAM pieces on another computer?

 

[GravityWave]

Old PSU and not enough/flaky power?

 

[Bratmon]

Does it work with liveCDs?

 

[warpus]

Have you made sure that the voltage settings for the sticks is set up properly in your BIOS?

I had a similar problem that took me a year to track down (yes.. a year!) and that was it. so now whenever someone has ram-related issues that sound anything close to what I experienced, I tell them to check their voltage settings

 

[Mesousa]

Sorry for the late reply. The desktop pretty much stopped working on Tuesday, I'm online with an old laptop now.

The board is an Intel Desktop Board D865PERL with Dual-Channel DDR400/333/266 SDRAM Memory Support. The new RAM are two pieces of DDR400 1024MB Samsun, PC3200U-30331-E0 1 GB DDR PC3200 CL3.

That sound I noticed as missing was that of the A: disk drive being accessed during the boot sequence. That's pretty much the problem now, it doesn't boot anymore, or doesn't go through the whole boot sequence. When I turn it on, the lights go on normally, and I guess the DVD drive is checked since its light goes on briefly too, but then the disk drive isn't checked (no light, no sound), nor does anything else happen. Screen remains completely black. And it's always like that now, not just sometimes. I tried putting a Windows CD in the DVD drive, hoping it would boot from that, but no such luck.

So the PC doesn't even boot anymore, and I don't think there's much I can do, since exchanging RAM is about as far as I dare to go when it comes to hardware work. I'll have someone take a look at it in person here. Maybe something's failing due to age and need to be replaced (the computer is six years old), maybe I just got something loose when I cleaned it and it can be easily fixed.

The impression I got before it stopped booting was really that something needed to warm up. It would boot and launch Windows fine after a couple of failed attempts, and everything worked fine once Windows was running, including restarting it. I also could turn the computer off, and if I turned it on again within a couple of minutes, it would boot just fine right away too. The problem only appeared if it had been turned off for a while.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions! I'll let you know how it turned out, but I'm really out of my depth now when it comes to hardware work.

 

[Mesousa]

Fortunately, there wasn't any real damage after all. The guy who checked it says that after my superficial cleaning it was still too dusty and either there was some short circuiting, or it overheated. Also, one of the two new RAM pieces did turn out to be faulty after all. Now, properly cleaned and with just the one new piece, the PC is running smoothly again. *knocks on wood*

 

[J-man]

Good to hear it's working properly again.