Decreasing memory

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote:
>Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?.

What Andrew said. This is a memory or motherboard problem, hardware,
not software. Run the hardware diags or get memtest86

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

<William P.N. Smith> wrote in message
news:90vj01d37iojukd12li5k18hm2jfodfrb7@4ax.com...
> "Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote:
>>Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?.
>
> What Andrew said. This is a memory or motherboard problem, hardware,
> not software. Run the hardware diags or get memtest86
>

Could also be a virus.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

> "Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote in message
> news:WolOd.150$Ib.4@newsfe4-gui.ntli.net...
>
> Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?. It shows
> me a message saying ' youre memory has changed' or 'youre available memory
> has decreased'. When I go into setup, my memory can show as anywhere
> between 15MB and 320MB (my actual memory is 320MB), but mostly it defaults
> to 70MB!!??. I thought I may have a system error, so re-installed and fixed
> XP, but that has made no difference.
> If it is of any help, this occurred after I installed Avast antivirus, which
> seems to do a random memory check every time you use it. I have since
> removed the program, but the problem remains. I have also tried to restore
> to pre-everything I've recently done. But that didn't help, and since
> re-installing XP I no longer have any restore points!. Does anybody out
> there know what I'm talking about, and indeed how to fix it??



Hardware fault. Not related to software at all, not Windows XP, not Avast.
Contact Dell hardware support.


--
AZC
MVP

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Just as a strictly wild guess, when was the last time the motherboard C2032 3v
lithium coin-sized battery was replaced?

Second wild guess: Could this be due to heat problems? When was the last time
the interior of the system chassis was cleaned? Get rid of all the dust and
dirt inside and see what happens. Use a can of compressed air repeatedly to
dislodge and remove the dirt. Pay attention to dust and dirt in fans, inside
the power supply and ventilating the processor. (I know there are naysayers who
will claim that compressed air is not good for a computer. Don't believe them.
I go through cans of the stuff getting dust bunnies out of clients' computers.
Never a problem.) Take the computer chassis outside on a day with good weather
and blast with compressed air. You do not want to inhale the dust and dirt.

Run MEMTEST-86, the best and free memory tester you can find. If MEMTEST-86
turns up even one error, your system has either defective memory or possibly
something else not working... Ben Myers

On Wed, 09 Feb 2005 10:15:18 GMT, "Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote:

>Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?. It shows
>me a message saying ' youre memory has changed' or 'youre available memory
>has decreased'. When I go into setup, my memory can show as anywhere
>between 15MB and 320MB (my actual memory is 320MB), but mostly it defaults
>to 70MB!!??. I thought I may have a system error, so re-installed and fixed
>XP, but that has made no difference.
>If it is of any help, this occurred after I installed Avast antivirus, which
>seems to do a random memory check every time you use it. I have since
>removed the program, but the problem remains. I have also tried to restore
>to pre-everything I've recently done. But that didn't help, and since
>re-installing XP I no longer have any restore points!. Does anybody out
>there know what I'm talking about, and indeed how to fix it??
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Tom Scales" <tomtoo@softhome.net> wrote:
>Could also be a virus.

Maybe. Does the memory loss show up in the BIOS POST screen or once
you've booted the system?

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote:
>Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?. It shows
>me a message saying ' youre memory has changed' or 'youre available memory
>has decreased'. When I go into setup, my memory can show as anywhere
>between 15MB and 320MB (my actual memory is 320MB), but mostly it defaults
>to 70MB!!??.

This has nothing to do with your operating system, a virus, or
anything else on your hard disk. In fact, it'll happen if you take
the hard disk out of the machine. It's a hardware error, either
memory or motherboard.

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

> >Could also be a virus.
> Maybe. Does the memory loss show up in the BIOS POST screen or once
> you've booted the system?

If the OP has a Kodak camera and has installed their software, it used to
have a memory leak that would crash your machine every 36-48 hours IME

--
Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email
--- My new email address has "ngspamtrap" & @btinternet.com in it ;-) ---

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I did change my hard drive a few weeks ago, but it was running perfectly
fine up until a few days ago. I have three memory sticks in place, I shall
try different combo's!

Janbo
<William P.N. Smith> wrote in message
news:5r9l01dutc2f245n0g0s396n1hic20fqi5@4ax.com...
> "Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote:
> >Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?. It
shows
> >me a message saying ' youre memory has changed' or 'youre available
memory
> >has decreased'. When I go into setup, my memory can show as anywhere
> >between 15MB and 320MB (my actual memory is 320MB), but mostly it
defaults
> >to 70MB!!??.
>
> This has nothing to do with your operating system, a virus, or
> anything else on your hard disk. In fact, it'll happen if you take
> the hard disk out of the machine. It's a hardware error, either
> memory or motherboard.
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

My have sussed it. One corrupt memory stick. Unfortunately it's the
biggest one. Just my luck. I presume that has sorted the problem. I shall
have to do a few more reboots to be convinced though. I'll let you know.


"Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:L3FOd.227$bU4.1@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net...
> I did change my hard drive a few weeks ago, but it was running perfectly
> fine up until a few days ago. I have three memory sticks in place, I
shall
> try different combo's!
>
> Janbo
> <William P.N. Smith> wrote in message
> news:5r9l01dutc2f245n0g0s396n1hic20fqi5@4ax.com...
> > "Janbo" <janet.biggs@tesco.net> wrote:
> > >Anyone know why my puters memory changes evertime I switch it on?. It
> shows
> > >me a message saying ' youre memory has changed' or 'youre available
> memory
> > >has decreased'. When I go into setup, my memory can show as anywhere
> > >between 15MB and 320MB (my actual memory is 320MB), but mostly it
> defaults
> > >to 70MB!!??.
> >
> > This has nothing to do with your operating system, a virus, or
> > anything else on your hard disk. In fact, it'll happen if you take
> > the hard disk out of the machine. It's a hardware error, either
> > memory or motherboard.
> >
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Well, when will guys like you look into the manual?
You have a ressource cd which is bootable. The one CD with the drivers on
it. If you boot from this CD you can run various fixed or custom tests.
Running these tests will give you all information you need- if it is a
hardware problem. This is only shipped with Dell-PC's. If you have guarantee
then call the service and tell them the error code. I have NBD service, next
day my defective part was changed..

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Life just isn't always that easy I'm afraid. Computer was donated to me
when my company did an upgrade, bare bones only. Thanks for your advice
though. I think I'm just gonna have to part with some pounds!


"Steven Kraus" <skraus@gmx.net> wrote in message
news:420b43bc$1@news.uni-rostock.de...
> Well, when will guys like you look into the manual?
> You have a ressource cd which is bootable. The one CD with the drivers on
> it. If you boot from this CD you can run various fixed or custom tests.
> Running these tests will give you all information you need- if it is a
> hardware problem. This is only shipped with Dell-PC's. If you have
guarantee
> then call the service and tell them the error code. I have NBD service,
next
> day my defective part was changed..
>
>