Removed RAM while computer was still plugged in

LubomirKurcak

Commendable
Mar 25, 2016
5
0
1,510
I thought I would just casually take one of my RAMs out so I proceeded to shut the computer down. Content, I pressed the thing that holds the ram inside and removed it. Now is when I turn my computer on just to see nothing. There is no signal coming from the computer but it runs. All lights are lit, fans are working.

What happened? What components did I damage? Please, I need to fix this.
 
Solution
You may not have damaged anything. Some boards require that one particular DIMM slot be populated for booting. You may have removed the one necessary. After returning the ram sticks back into the board, does the PC work again?

clutchc

Titan
Ambassador
You may not have damaged anything. Some boards require that one particular DIMM slot be populated for booting. You may have removed the one necessary. After returning the ram sticks back into the board, does the PC work again?
 
Solution

LubomirKurcak

Commendable
Mar 25, 2016
5
0
1,510
Ok, when I put them back it works. Strange is that when I remove one of them the computer won't boot at all. With neither of them. I made sure I inserted them to the first slot.
 

clutchc

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What is the make/model of your motherboard?
 

LubomirKurcak

Commendable
Mar 25, 2016
5
0
1,510


msi 970 gaming
 

clutchc

Titan
Ambassador


I just checked the manual for that board, and there was no disclaimer about populating one slot before the rest like I was expecting. So it should work with a single stick in any slot.
But the manual was pretty sparse. They may have left that out. Which DIMM slot did you remove the stick from?
 

LubomirKurcak

Commendable
Mar 25, 2016
5
0
1,510
They were originally on the first and the third slot. The machine was assembled by my brother. When I removed either of them computer just didn't boot. When I reseated the ram from the third slot to the fourth it didn't boot either.

Honestly, I have no clue what's behind this but I'm really glad that the machine works, so I really don't want to experiment any more :p