Split second blue screen and continuous restarts after memory upgrade

A

armuk

New Member
Hi all,

I recently upgraded the memory on my aging Compaq Presario 905US (with Windows XP) from 240MB (which is how it came) to 752MB by adding a 512MB memory board. My manual says "Each slot (there are 2) supports a PC2100-compliant 128-Megabyte, 256-Megabyte, or 512-Megabyte DDR memory board" so I bought a a 512MB PC2100 DDR 266MHz SO-DIMM board from Amazon (this one -> http://amzn.to/5cmVru).

But now, my computer won't turn on. Each time I turn it on it says 'Windows did not start successfully' and I'm directed a menu and prompted to select Safe mode, last known good configuration or start normally. If I select last known good configuration or start normally, a blue screen appears for a split second, then the computer restarts, and the process starts again.

I tried safe mode and it does work, and I was able to confirm that the new memory has been detected, as memory now shows as 752MB.

So it doesn't seem to be a compatibility kind of problem, so I am now a bit stuck as to what to do. Though safe mode works, it is impractical to use so I would like a way to use the normal mode.

Any advice/help would be gratefully received!!
 
With just the old stick of memory it seems to work fine. The problem only occurs when I put in the new stick along with the old stick, and with the new stick by itself.

Also, if it helps, this is what the blue screen says:

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

If this the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to be sure you have adequate disk space. If a driver is identified in the Stop message, disable the driver or check with the manufacturer for driver updates. Try changing video adapters.

Check with your hardware vendor for any BIOS updates. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x0000007E (0x80000003, 0x804FEF70, 0xF79B6144, 0xF79B5E40)
 
Either the memory is defective or incompatible (happens randomly sometimes, even when it should be supported).
 
PohTayToez said:
Either the memory is defective or incompatible (happens randomly sometimes, even when it should be supported).
Click to expand...

Always possible. That's why you should test it. My RAM for my current rig was defective out of the box.
 
Right, I not saying he shouldn't test it, just listing the possibilities. Either way it probably needs to be returned if possible.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

Regarding Memtest - my computer's CD-ROM drive is broken (so can't run it off CD) and the BIOS doesn't support booting off a USB drive (probably b/c it is too old). So I can't find a way to run Memtest to check for errors. Any other ways of doing it - perhaps run it (or some other memory test app) off a USB drive perhaps (in Safe Mode)?

So is it just possible that though it should be compatible on paper, my stick of memory may just randomly be incompatible?

I thought since I can see that the memory has been detected when I turn on in Safe Mode it must be compatible and not defective - is this not the case?

Thanks for all the help!
 
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Cd drives are only $20-$25, get it replaced and then run memtest. However, the older hp/compaq pc's were very picky about what memory they liked, try getting either kingston or crucial memory sticks.

On a side note, I wouldn't be spending too much money on this machine as it is quite old and only has a max memory of 1gb. XP runs very effectively on 2gb which your system doesn't support. I would start looking around to see if anyone is selling a newer system and get it.
 
armuk said:
Thanks for the replies guys.

Regarding Memtest - my computer's CD-ROM drive is broken (so can't run it off CD) and the BIOS doesn't support booting off a USB drive (probably b/c it is too old). So I can't find a way to run Memtest to check for errors. Any other ways of doing it - perhaps run it (or some other memory test app) off a USB drive perhaps (in Safe Mode)?

So is it just possible that though it should be compatible on paper, my stick of memory may just randomly be incompatible?

I thought since I can see that the memory has been detected when I turn on in Safe Mode it must be compatible and not defective - is this not the case?

Thanks for all the help!
Click to expand...

The memory being detected in the BIOS doesn't really mean anything, a computer with bad RAM might be able to boot and appear to function normally but get random shutdowns and blue screens.
 
@ bigfella: The problem occurs with the new stick by itself, or both the new stick and old stick together.

@ johnb35: I thought CD drives were more expensive, thanks for letting me know. Though I would think replacing it isn't an easy process? I know very little about dealing with/changing hardware...

And yes, I may just return memory I have and splash out on some branded Crucial/Kingston/etc memory. Regarding getting a new machine - I have thought about it, but my requirements are very basic. All I need to do on my computer is run old MS Office (2003) apps and browse the web, which my machine seems sufficient for.

@ PohTayToez: Oh OK thanks for the info. I think my memory may just be faulty or more likely incompatible (for whatever reason, since on paper it should be fine). I think I'll probably buy and try some other memory, hopefully with better luck.


Thanks again for the help guys. Think I'll get some new memory and see how it goes. Very grateful for all the replies. :)
 
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Replacing a cd drive is very simple. Open the case, remove a few screws, unhook IDE/SATA data cable and Molex/SATA power cable. If its an ide drive(wide flat ribbon cable) then make sure the jumper settings on the new drive match the old drive.
 
I agree with Johnb35. You do not want to spend too much money on a really old system. It is a system that uses DDR 1 memory which means it has very little processing power compared to computers made in 2011.

If you do not know how to change out a DVD drive take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIG7P7r2jGk

1 gigabyte of memory is the bare minimum in my opinion to run a system presently that uses Windows XP.
 
Try this:

-plug ONLY the new RAM stick inside
-download Ubuntu 9.04 from here: http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/releases/9.04/

-download Unetbootin from here: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
-plug the USB stick of at least 1 GB size in your computer
-put that Ubuntu 9.04 ISO image file on the USB stick using the Unetbootin
-After the process is complete,restart your computer,go to BIOS,enable USB boot option,set your USB as the first device to boot from,save changes and restart
-Ubuntu will start loading automatically,so do NOT do anything...
-once you get to the desktop,try using Ubuntu's applications such as image viewer,calculator and so on...
-if nothing did not crash in at least an hour,then it is not your RAM memory stick...

-So if everything worked properly,try to repair your operating system using it's CD disk.Here you WILL have to replace your CD/DVD-ROM drive,but like johnb35 said...they are really cheap...

NOTE: If your BIOS does not support booting from USB at all,just burn the downloaded Ubuntu ISO image on the CD disk and then boot from the CD.Be sure to set your CD/DVD-ROM drive to be the first device to boot from in the BIOS.Once you have booted the CD,choose ENGLISH language and then choose TRY UBUNTU WITHOUT ANY CHANGE TO YOUR COMPUTER.Then do everything as before.Try using Ubuntu for 1 hour and if nothing crashes,then it is not your RAM memory that is bad or unsupported.

By the way my motherboard is about 10 years old and it DOES support booting from CD/DVD-ROM disks and also supports booting from USB devices so it is kinda weird that you say that your motherboard doesn't unless if it's 25 years old lol...

By the way,if you want,you can contact my UAC service and they can try to help you fix the problem.Here is their E-mail address:

[email protected]



Cheers!
 
Hi, Armuk,

I also agree with John and 2048Megabytes--I would not spend a lot of money on upgrading your 905US. And keep in mind what you were advised regarding the memory. Our HP system shows that the 905US became obsolete for HP in 2003. You indicate that your purpose is for basic computing; if your needs change, you may want to post again for recommendations.
 
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