Re: Windows XP not starting after extra RAM added

Benny wrote:
Hi All
Thanks for the replies and details provided.
I have tried swaping the old RAM with new RAM and get the follong results.
1. I replaced one module of the old RAM with one module of the new RAM. No problems. PC booted all the way.
2. Replaced both the old modules with the 2 new modules. No problems. PC booted all the way.
3. Removed both modules from slots 1 and 3 (green slots) and inserted them into slots 2 and 4 (red slots). PC would not even start up. In fact it appeared to want to start then stop and restart again.
I have tried to register with the Corsair site but so far they haven't emailed back to me so I can post questions.
I have sent a query to Gigabyte so will wait to hear from them as well.
I will also contact my supplier's service section today and see what they say.
Is it possible there is a setting in Bios that needs to be changed so Slots 2 and 4 are operational?
regards
Benny

Compare your BIOS settings to p.39 in your manual. You can play with them if you'd like, but you definitely can screw up your stuff if you're too far wrong.
Did you try your original RAM in slots 2 and 4?

SC Tom

SC Tom
I checked the BIOS settings and all appears as per page 39 in the manual.
However, I did get the extra RAM to work once and once only.
I went to "start/run/msconfig/boot.ini/advanced options" and unchecked the "/MAXMEM" box.
This was showing 2048Kb. I saved this new setting and rebooted.
To my surprise the PC booted all the way and "My Computer" properties showed the extra RAM.
Then I rebooted and it decided not to open up at all this time. I removed 2 of the RAM modules (again) and all works again.
Not sure why it worked once with all 4 modules installed and after a reboot decided not to work.
Benny


:-)

You should be talking to your system builder. That setting (MAXMEM)
didn't get there by accident. Somebody knows something (like, they know
there is an issue if more memory is installed).

I think I'd be a little curious what release of BIOS is installed.

The BIOS release notes on the Gigabyte site are not very extensive, and
perhaps a later BIOS works better. But before you flash the BIOS,
record all your BIOS settings. To do that, you can use a digital
camera, so you have a permanent record for the
future. While some of these boards can record profiles for future
usage, I understand a profile doesn't "transfer" from one BIOS
release to another. Which means, in practical terms, it isn't
really a profile. It still requires the user to keep track of
stuff. If you ever need to change the CMOS battery, that is potentially
another occasion where it helps to have the BIOS settings recorded.

Before flashing the BIOS on any board, you should read the motherboard
manual, to understand recovery procedures if it fails. Your board has
a "dual BIOS", but past implementations of Gigabyte BIOS show they are
not true dual. There may be only one "boot block" and two "main code
blocks". If the boot block is erased (say the power goes off at the
wrong point during a flash update), you can still brick a Gigabyte
board. If the BIOS chips are soldered to the motherboard (because
Gigabyte thinks their design is bulletproof), you cannot (easily)
recover by purchasing another BIOS chip from badflash.com .

Some motherboard sites post warnings in the BIOS download section,
about any of their BIOS flashing tools that aren't currently working.
So if you were using some Windows utility provided by Gigabyte, to
flash the BIOS, you'd also want to visit the web site, looking for
warnings.

To really make headway on that motherboard, you need to tap into the
enthusiast forums, where the board is discussed. I can see the settings
in there are very complicated. (Anandtech has had the odd article,
discussing some of the tweaks that allow higher speeds and so on,
and that would be another potential source of info on P45.)
I don't want to suggest any more settings to you, because
I'd only get it wrong. My board has way fewer settings than
that.

Paul
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: first attempt ot OC
    ... i'm still unsure what is the deal with the bios locking up. ... had a chance to retest the ram with the new settings yet. ... BIOS dumps two digit hex codes, and the codes are "progress" codes ...
    (alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus)
  • Re: Serious CHOP after AMD64/mobo
    ... I am unsure of how to set up things like ram ... Something's amiss in your bios, ... new ram in and memory settings on auto. ... your manual and look closely at the board slot labeling too, ...
    (rec.autos.simulators)
  • Wey hey! - Re: Extra RAM Installation Blues Vol 3
    ... > Well the print screening did work ok sending the BIOS pages to the ... the BIOS Settings, so having a PrintOut of them will Help. ... > changed and whether the missing half module (128MB RAM) showed up. ... & will help with various other probs, ...
    (uk.people.silversurfers)
  • Re: Extra RAM Installation Blues Vol 3
    ... of Info that you had found about the RAM Modules & BIOS/Motherboard ... If it was just WinXP, it might have been worth doing another Install ... It must be the BIOS that does this ... Manually Set the various Figures & Settings to be used. ...
    (uk.people.silversurfers)
  • Re: P5N32-SLI DL
    ... I am on my third motherboard an 6th set of ram, I also tried patriot DDR 2G8000 and this fails as well. ... In all cases the system locks up after a while and when I run Microsoft's Ram tester I get errors on the LDAP test on the third pass and every pass after that. ... I have loaded the latest beta bios and that has improved things slightly but the system still locks up and the memory tester fails again on the random LDAP test but less frequently. ... Good stability once you get enough power and cooling. ...
    (alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus)
Loading