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21 Posts
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19492
May 22nd, 2008 20:00
Computer doing random shutdowns and standby mode
Dimension 4300 P4 1.6 gzh XpSP 2 768 mg ram. In the last week my computer has being doing constant shutdowns, or going into the stanby mode for no reason. Ive run the Dell diagnostics and every thing checked out ok. Reistalled Xp home, but it still keeps doing it! The power supply checked out ok. I didnt down load SP 3 so that's not it. I recently installed a new Kingston 512mb sdram module with another stick. Im wondering if the two sticks may not be compatible. Anybody ave any suggestions as to what may be causing this, and what to check ,or do to correct the problem?
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Digital28
278 Posts
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May 22nd, 2008 21:00
Run Memtest86 - can be downloaded from the included link I provided. I suspect one of your memory modules is bad. Run test for several passes on one stick at a time for best results.
http://www.memtest.org/
Cheers, Dave
ps, forgot to mention, both sticks of RAM must be the same spec or problems can occur.
BillyBoy128
21 Posts
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May 22nd, 2008 22:00
Digital28
278 Posts
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May 22nd, 2008 22:00
Make sure the test is repeated on all memory slots. This is going to be a long process to narrow down a bad chip or bad slot.
Good Luck....Dave
BBraxton
2 Intern
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2K Posts
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May 23rd, 2008 16:00
From the amount of memory, I am guessing you had a 256 MB and you added a 512 MB.
Have you tried removing the original 256 and leaving it out and then moving the new 512 MB to the main (first) slot? If it works that way then you might want to get a second 512 MB Kingston and forget the 256 MB one.
BillyBoy128
21 Posts
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May 23rd, 2008 16:00
I was thinking the same thing Braxton. Leaving the new 512mb chip in and removing the older 256mb chip and see how the computer runs with just the 512mb chip in.
I downloaded the memtest to a folder , my downloads, but Im not sure on how to install it on a cd. Do i need Winzip to extract the files or will windows do it. Im reading the insructions but being a novice It's a little confusing. If anybody can explain it in simpler terms , i'd appreciate it!
BBraxton
2 Intern
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2K Posts
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May 23rd, 2008 16:00
BillyBoy128
21 Posts
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May 23rd, 2008 17:00
Mine didn thave test on the hard drive but I downloaded the 32 bit diagostics from Dells website to a cd and ran it a few days ago and it showed everything as far as memory was ok. Im going to try it again until I figure how to install Memtest86, but at times this thing keeps going in the standby mode every few minutes.
I greatly apprceciate all your help. Gonna see if I can get this thing straighten out!
BBraxton
2 Intern
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2K Posts
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May 23rd, 2008 17:00
BillyBoy128
21 Posts
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May 23rd, 2008 20:00
I have all my power options set to never. I just ran the full boat of tests from the Dell Diagnostics disk, and they all passed. I ran the MPtest on there. It says it stress tests the Data bus, Signal Integrity1, signal integrity 2, Walking memory test ,and walking march test, whatever they are! It passed all of them. The the other test showed everything passed.
Im still strying to get the memtest on to a cd and run that thing. Does anybody know what all those tests I posted above do? :robotmad: So far Ive been powered up for a couple of hours and it hasnt gone into shutdown or standby. Yesterday night it was doing it every 5 minutes. I have to wait and see what happens before I reinstall all the software on here just in case the motherboard is bad.