Win98SE won't start after new RAM added

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Hi. Can anyone help me with this?

I have a Packard Bell Club 600 PC with Celeron 600Mhz on a Gigbyte GA
6WMM7 motherboard. It had 64MB of RAM and works fine, albeit slowly.

I took the old RAM out and installed a single stick of 256MB RAM and
now windows won't start! The BIOS recognises the RAM and operates
normally but when BIOS hands over to Windows the screen goes black and
booting either stops or the machine reboots.

When I put the old RAM back in, everything works fine again. Out of
curiosity I added a second stick of 64MB and the machine still worked
fine.

I've been through tech support help with the RAM supplier and accept
their view that the RAM is OK but windows is causing the problem. Their
suggestion is to wipe the disk and reinstall windows - a prospect am
unwilling to confront as I have so much software on it.

Is there some esoteric setting in windows I can modify to cure the
problem?

My thanks, in advance, for any help offered.

Andy

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Thanks for your responce, Haggis,

Yes, I did try a 256MB PC100 stick as I too suspected the PC133 module
I had bought. But no joy. Same symptoms - BIOS recognised the memory,
POST runs fine, windows fails.

Definitely a deeply buried windows problem.

Cheers.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

<andybenn@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1111688457.500150.14050@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Hi. Can anyone help me with this?
>
> I have a Packard Bell Club 600 PC with Celeron 600Mhz on a Gigbyte GA
> 6WMM7 motherboard. It had 64MB of RAM and works fine, albeit slowly.
>
> I took the old RAM out and installed a single stick of 256MB RAM and
> now windows won't start! The BIOS recognises the RAM and operates
> normally but when BIOS hands over to Windows the screen goes black and
> booting either stops or the machine reboots.

Did you run the BIOS Setup program and save the new setting?
If not, you should do so, to eliminate that as a possible cause.
>
> When I put the old RAM back in, everything works fine again. Out of
> curiosity I added a second stick of 64MB and the machine still worked
> fine.
>
> I've been through tech support help with the RAM supplier and accept
> their view that the RAM is OK but windows is causing the problem. Their
> suggestion is to wipe the disk and reinstall windows - a prospect am
> unwilling to confront as I have so much software on it.

That suggestion is so stupid that it defies further comment.
Due to the consumer-be-dammned cost-cutting measures
which have been ruthlessly implemented in the last 4 years,
"tech support" probably consists of minimum wage earners
reading from prepared scripts with absolutely no clue
about the cause of most of the issues they encounter.
>
> Is there some esoteric setting in windows I can modify to cure the
> problem?

You can run MSCONFIG. Click the ADVANCED button.
See if there are any items checked which cause concern.
Other than that, you are barking up the wrong tree.
>
> My thanks, in advance, for any help offered.

Your mobo specifications are:

Memory
32MB to 512MB DRAM size

2 x 3.3V DIMM Sockets

Supports 16/32/64/128/256 MB SDRAM DIMM Module


One obvious question,
which "tech support" should have already addressed,
is "What voltage is the 256MB stick"?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Do you get to see any traces of Windows 98 before it goes blank?

What happens if you install both the 64MB and 256MB sticks? (Provided
or course, that your MB allows this)

Have you created a Startup disk and tried booting that with the 256MB
stick installed? Did the "DOS" prompt show? Did the menu show (this
is the menu that asks whether you want to boot with CDROM support)?

Have you run diagnostic tests on the 256MB stick? You mentioned that
you and the RAM manufacturer decided that the RAM was Ok, how did
you arrive at this conclusion?

Good luck!
Saga

<andybennNO<at-sign>SPAMaol.com> wrote in message
news:1111688457.500150.14050@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Hi. Can anyone help me with this?
>
> I have a Packard Bell Club 600 PC with Celeron 600Mhz on a Gigbyte GA
> 6WMM7 motherboard. It had 64MB of RAM and works fine, albeit slowly.
>
> I took the old RAM out and installed a single stick of 256MB RAM and
> now windows won't start! The BIOS recognises the RAM and operates
> normally but when BIOS hands over to Windows the screen goes black and
> booting either stops or the machine reboots.
>
> When I put the old RAM back in, everything works fine again. Out of
> curiosity I added a second stick of 64MB and the machine still worked
> fine.
>
> I've been through tech support help with the RAM supplier and accept
> their view that the RAM is OK but windows is causing the problem.
> Their
> suggestion is to wipe the disk and reinstall windows - a prospect am
> unwilling to confront as I have so much software on it.
>
> Is there some esoteric setting in windows I can modify to cure the
> problem?
>
> My thanks, in advance, for any help offered.
>
> Andy
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Good points..

> That suggestion is so stupid that it defies further comment.
So.. if your toilet breaks down.. do you need a new house?
Heck, why reinstall Windows, just go out and buy a new computer!!

> is "What voltage is the 256MB stick"?
Although I did not mention it, I still think it is a hardware issue,
not Windows.

Saga

"Hugh Candlin" <No@MeansNo.Com> wrote in message
news:eMgzyaKMFHA.3852@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>
> <andybenn@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:1111688457.500150.14050@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>> Hi. Can anyone help me with this?
>>
>> I have a Packard Bell Club 600 PC with Celeron 600Mhz on a Gigbyte GA
>> 6WMM7 motherboard. It had 64MB of RAM and works fine, albeit slowly.
>>
>> I took the old RAM out and installed a single stick of 256MB RAM and
>> now windows won't start! The BIOS recognises the RAM and operates
>> normally but when BIOS hands over to Windows the screen goes black
>> and
>> booting either stops or the machine reboots.
>
> Did you run the BIOS Setup program and save the new setting?
> If not, you should do so, to eliminate that as a possible cause.
>>
>> When I put the old RAM back in, everything works fine again. Out of
>> curiosity I added a second stick of 64MB and the machine still worked
>> fine.
>>
>> I've been through tech support help with the RAM supplier and accept
>> their view that the RAM is OK but windows is causing the problem.
>> Their
>> suggestion is to wipe the disk and reinstall windows - a prospect am
>> unwilling to confront as I have so much software on it.
>
> That suggestion is so stupid that it defies further comment.
> Due to the consumer-be-dammned cost-cutting measures
> which have been ruthlessly implemented in the last 4 years,
> "tech support" probably consists of minimum wage earners
> reading from prepared scripts with absolutely no clue
> about the cause of most of the issues they encounter.
>>
>> Is there some esoteric setting in windows I can modify to cure the
>> problem?
>
> You can run MSCONFIG. Click the ADVANCED button.
> See if there are any items checked which cause concern.
> Other than that, you are barking up the wrong tree.
>>
>> My thanks, in advance, for any help offered.
>
> Your mobo specifications are:
>
> Memory
> 32MB to 512MB DRAM size
>
> 2 x 3.3V DIMM Sockets
>
> Supports 16/32/64/128/256 MB SDRAM DIMM Module
>
>
> One obvious question,
> which "tech support" should have already addressed,
> is "What voltage is the 256MB stick"?
>
>

 

[HAGGIS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

<andybenn@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1111688457.500150.14050@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Hi. Can anyone help me with this?
>
> I have a Packard Bell Club 600 PC with Celeron 600Mhz on a Gigbyte GA
> 6WMM7 motherboard. It had 64MB of RAM and works fine, albeit slowly.
>
> I took the old RAM out and installed a single stick of 256MB RAM and
> now windows won't start! The BIOS recognises the RAM and operates
> normally but when BIOS hands over to Windows the screen goes black and
> booting either stops or the machine reboots.
>
> When I put the old RAM back in, everything works fine again. Out of
> curiosity I added a second stick of 64MB and the machine still worked
> fine.
>
> I've been through tech support help with the RAM supplier and accept
> their view that the RAM is OK but windows is causing the problem. Their
> suggestion is to wipe the disk and reinstall windows - a prospect am
> unwilling to confront as I have so much software on it.
>
> Is there some esoteric setting in windows I can modify to cure the
> problem?
>
> My thanks, in advance, for any help offered.
>
> Andy
>

the new stick is probably double sided which your machine may not like, you
may need to find some PC100 memory

 

[HAGGIS]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

"andybenn" <andybenn@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1111689429.840100.49180@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks for your responce, Haggis,
>
> Yes, I did try a 256MB PC100 stick as I too suspected the PC133 module
> I had bought. But no joy. Same symptoms - BIOS recognised the memory,
> POST runs fine, windows fails.
>
> Definitely a deeply buried windows problem.
>
> Cheers.
>

try a memory tester (as well as the other suggestions people posted)

DocMemory
www.simmtester.com
MemTest86

http://www.memtest86.com/ (Suggest you might want to try the ISO version
if you have a CD Burner.)
Windows Memory Tester

Windows Memory Diagnostic
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

 

[andyb]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.

Saga - there was never a trace of windows before the screen went blank.
I was able to install both the 256 and 64 modules together, BIOS
counted up the total just fine but then the same thing occurred -
Windows wouldn't boot. No I didn't try a startup disk or run a memory
checker yet. The RAM supplier (Crucial) and I concluded RAM was OK
because 1) BIOS recognised it and counted it correctly each time in
every configuration I tried and 2) the 256MB PC100 module came from
another machine, also with Win98SE that has no problems. As for mobo -
I can't see anything obvious in the manual that I might have missed. Is
it possbile that Packard Bell might have modified the Gigabyte mobo in
their machines? The PB site has little or nothing in the way of support

Hugh - I did run the BIOS setup, fiddle with a few settings a saved it
just fine. I also put the settings back again! No, I didn't check
msconfig, I'll take a look at that. I can't tell you what the voltage
of the module is - all I can say is that Crucial claim to have sold
many of the same modules for the Packard Bell Club 600 without
problems. I have some sympathy with your views abut tech support but I
didn't feel I was getting the brush-off from Crucial. But its certainly
true that once I had exhausted his knowledge of RAM he was short of
ideas other than pointing a finger at Windows.

Haggis - I didn't run a memory tester as I was getting the same
symptoms with a known working module.

Jeff - Yep, it's becoming clear that I need to test the RAM inside the
machine to rule out mobo incompatabilities. I'll run memtest86. Also, I
havn't tried your trick of setting MSConfig to limit RAM to 128MB. I'll
try that too.

Thing is, guys, I'm now away home for the holiday weekend and won't be
able to take up your ideas until Tuesday. I'll let you know what
happens by starting a new tread with the title: Re:Win98SE won't start
after new RAM added.

My thanks again.

Andy

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Just a few remarks on your 2 points:

1) BIOS recognised it and counted it correctly...

This does not mean that the RAM stick is flawless. I had a problem where
the
PC always passed this test and it would start resetting soon afterward,
some
times during the Windows boot process. I then used a PC diagnostic s/w
(PC Check) and only after an exhaustive RAM check did it find that the
module had problems.

2) the 256MB PC100 module came from...

Ok, fair enough. This is perhaps the best certification, as you know it
was working in another PC. Then I would shift my suspicions on some
incompatibility.

Have a good weekend and see you on Tuesday
Saga

"AndyB" <andybenn@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1111745625.345766.179100@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.
>
> Saga - there was never a trace of windows before the screen went
> blank.
> I was able to install both the 256 and 64 modules together, BIOS
> counted up the total just fine but then the same thing occurred -
> Windows wouldn't boot. No I didn't try a startup disk or run a memory
> checker yet. The RAM supplier (Crucial) and I concluded RAM was OK
> because 1) BIOS recognised it and counted it correctly each time in
> every configuration I tried and 2) the 256MB PC100 module came from
> another machine, also with Win98SE that has no problems. As for mobo -
> I can't see anything obvious in the manual that I might have missed.
> Is
> it possbile that Packard Bell might have modified the Gigabyte mobo in
> their machines? The PB site has little or nothing in the way of
> support
>
> Hugh - I did run the BIOS setup, fiddle with a few settings a saved it
> just fine. I also put the settings back again! No, I didn't check
> msconfig, I'll take a look at that. I can't tell you what the voltage
> of the module is - all I can say is that Crucial claim to have sold
> many of the same modules for the Packard Bell Club 600 without
> problems. I have some sympathy with your views abut tech support but I
> didn't feel I was getting the brush-off from Crucial. But its
> certainly
> true that once I had exhausted his knowledge of RAM he was short of
> ideas other than pointing a finger at Windows.
>
> Haggis - I didn't run a memory tester as I was getting the same
> symptoms with a known working module.
>
> Jeff - Yep, it's becoming clear that I need to test the RAM inside the
> machine to rule out mobo incompatabilities. I'll run memtest86. Also,
> I
> havn't tried your trick of setting MSConfig to limit RAM to 128MB.
> I'll
> try that too.
>
> Thing is, guys, I'm now away home for the holiday weekend and won't be
> able to take up your ideas until Tuesday. I'll let you know what
> happens by starting a new tread with the title: Re:Win98SE won't start
> after new RAM added.
>
> My thanks again.
>
> Andy
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Your testing with the old RAM, and the second 64Mb module, strongly
indicates it is a compatibility problem with the new 256Mb RAM. It is quite
possible that the RAM is perfectly OK, but it just doesn't work properly
with your motherboard. A good memory diagnostic will reveal this.

There is no known issue with Windows 98 differentiating between 128Mb and
256Mb.

One way to test this is to make the following change in MSConfig to limit
memory to 128Mb, then install the new RAM. This would mean that Windows
was operating with exactly the same amount of memory in the two
configurations (2 x 64Mb and 1 x 256Mb). Now see if the problem occurs with
the new RAM. If it does, that pretty much means the RAM is the problem. If
the error doesn't occur, then there could be a partial error in the new RAM
(ie, beyond 128Mb) or there could be a problem in Windows.

Start / Run / MSCONFIG
General tab / Advanced / Limit memory to: 128Mb
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
<andybenn@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1111688457.500150.14050@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
> Hi. Can anyone help me with this?
>
> I have a Packard Bell Club 600 PC with Celeron 600Mhz on a Gigbyte GA
> 6WMM7 motherboard. It had 64MB of RAM and works fine, albeit slowly.
>
> I took the old RAM out and installed a single stick of 256MB RAM and
> now windows won't start! The BIOS recognises the RAM and operates
> normally but when BIOS hands over to Windows the screen goes black and
> booting either stops or the machine reboots.
>
> When I put the old RAM back in, everything works fine again. Out of
> curiosity I added a second stick of 64MB and the machine still worked
> fine.
>
> I've been through tech support help with the RAM supplier and accept
> their view that the RAM is OK but windows is causing the problem. Their
> suggestion is to wipe the disk and reinstall windows - a prospect am
> unwilling to confront as I have so much software on it.
>
> Is there some esoteric setting in windows I can modify to cure the
> problem?
>
> My thanks, in advance, for any help offered.
>
> Andy
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

AndyB wrote:
> Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.
>
> Saga - there was never a trace of windows before the screen went blank.
> I was able to install both the 256 and 64 modules together, BIOS
> counted up the total just fine but then the same thing occurred -
> Windows wouldn't boot. No I didn't try a startup disk or run a memory
> checker yet. The RAM supplier (Crucial) and I concluded RAM was OK
> because 1) BIOS recognised it and counted it correctly each time in
> every configuration I tried and 2) the 256MB PC100 module came from
> another machine, also with Win98SE that has no problems. As for mobo -
> I can't see anything obvious in the manual that I might have missed. Is
> it possbile that Packard Bell might have modified the Gigabyte mobo in
> their machines? The PB site has little or nothing in the way of support


> My thanks again.
>
> Andy
>

Not calling names, but from historical experience a querry.
Is the OS on Packard-Bell one that is particular to this box or is it a
vanilla variety? Had some pecular behaviours on "brand name" boxen in past.
As you are moving pieces of hardware try to connect the hard disk to a
working box with 256M RAM installed and check if it behaves.

Have fun

Stanislaw
Slack user from Ulladulla.