Troubleshooting PC Memory Problems

They say that memory is the first thing to go with age. So I sure want to make sure my PC stays young. After all, it’s going to have to remember all the stuff I’m going to be forgetting!

Okay, truth be told, I can’t keep my PC from aging and neither can you. But unlike our own memories, there are troubleshooting techniques we can use to fix RAM problems.

Sometimes it’s software

Probably the most typical memory errors in personal computers is the memory size error. On boot up, your computer will report either memory size error or the error number 164.

These two error messages imply that there’s a discrepancy between the amount of memory that the settings say should be there and the amount that the personal computer basically checks out as okay. Before thinking your RAM memory is bad, one thing to do is to verify that your configurations are correct for the amount of RAM you’ve installed.

Access your system setup per your manufacturer’s instructions (also called setup or BIOS setup). Then check to make sure that the amount of RAM specified matches what you have installed.

This is an especially common problem when you’ve just installed new RAM. If you add RAM to your system, don’t forget to verify the settings. Some BIOS’ will update them automatically upon booting with the new RAM, but some do not.

If you receive the memory size error when you reboot your PC after a new RAM installation, reboot it a second time. If the memory size error continues, you must go into setup and change the amount of RAM manually.

Sometimes it’s hardware

Often, we’re not that lucky. Sometimes it really is the hardware itself. Any RAM error reported during POST, including the memory size error, can be due to a bad memory module.

The first thing to know is that not all RAM is happy to coexist with other brands, speeds, and/or capacities of memory you already have in your system. Be sure to read and keep specifications from your PC manufacturer AND from the manufacturer of any or you buy to install in your computer.

Prevention is key, but it’s not foolproof with RAM. Memory that meets all of the specs your PC manufacturer sets out CAN conflict when combined with other brands of RAM. Does that mean you must limit yourself to one brand? No! Most and get along quite well together. Besides, a slight change in the manufacturing from one batch to the next can result in conflicts among or from the same manufacturer!

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