Prostar 8500C 500 mhz celeron legacy memory issue

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

The manual says all three memory slots are supported to 128MB each but
my tests show only two of them actually work.

Prostar says they have "lifetime free technical support" on all their
products but they blew off my questions about this.

Does anyone here know what the story is? Either the manual is correct,
and the laptop is somehow broken, or the manual is false.

hahaha they almost laughed at me for using such an old notebook but for
my use it's okay.

---
Flash

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Quaoar wrote:
> Flash wrote:
>
>>The manual says all three memory slots are supported to 128MB each but
>>my tests show only two of them actually work.
>>
>
> Are the modules identical? If not, it might be something along the
> lines of dual-density or single-density, etc., on one module.
>

Thank you for the reply. All three modules are from the same lot and
identical p/n, and swapping them around in pairs (in the lower two
slots) shows they are all good.

Also my old memory works with the new memory, as long as they are paired
in the lower two slots.

I'm guessing either the third slot is defective or the manual has a
false claim.

I asked prostar directly if the manual was correct or if the notebook is
broken, and they replied "It sounds like the third memory slot doesn't
work" which is a carefully worded response if I have ever heard one!

---
Flash

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Quaoar wrote:
> Flash wrote:
>
>>Quaoar wrote:
>>
>>>Flash wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>The manual says all three memory slots are supported to 128MB each
>>>>but my tests show only two of them actually work.
>>>>
>>>
>>>Are the modules identical? If not, it might be something along the
>>>lines of dual-density or single-density, etc., on one module.
>>>
>>
>>Thank you for the reply. All three modules are from the same lot and
>>identical p/n, and swapping them around in pairs (in the lower two
>>slots) shows they are all good.
>>
>>Also my old memory works with the new memory, as long as they are
>>paired in the lower two slots.
>>
>>I'm guessing either the third slot is defective or the manual has a
>>false claim.
>>
>>I asked prostar directly if the manual was correct or if the notebook
>>is broken, and they replied "It sounds like the third memory slot
>>doesn't work" which is a carefully worded response if I have ever
>>heard one!
>>---
>>Flash
>
>
> Spin is half of the game! FWIW, third RAM slots seem to be a recurring
> theme in the support forums. You've at least proved that the slot is
> either defective or non-functional, unless there is some BIOS setting
> for total RAM that must be set.
>
> Q
>

ProStar answered my question "for real" this time. The laptop is
defective, according to them. All three slots should function per the
manual. No bios or board switches...no bios upgrade.

Oh well. I think I'll get one of those "ITX" cubes and just use that. I
don't trust this notebook if it's flaking out.

---
Flash