How does RAM go bad all of the sudden?

[yellowperil]

One of my Crucial 256MB PC2100 modules just stopped working today after working fine for about 2 months. I was starting up Max Payne, and then the computer just restarted all of the sudden. The BIOS wouldn't recognize my hard drive, even after fidding with settings and restarting it several times. Finally I turned the power supply off and back on. This time it recognized my hard drive, but it said I only had 256MB RAM. I tested both modules by putting them in by themselves in DIMM slot 1, and my mobo wouldn't post with one of them in. The computer's now up and running on the good 256MB, but now WinXP is saying I have critical errors (grr).

Just curious, what would make a stick of RAM go bad?

 

[KennyTheGreat]

aww that sucks

maybe it was overheated?

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

The computer's now up and running on the good 256MB, but now WinXP is saying I have critical errors (grr).

Could be your Mobo. I've fried many DIMMs with bad mobos.

 

[eLiu]

Hey, that happened to me too!

Except I only had 1 stick of RAM... luckily for me my friend has 2...so i borrowed his until my new stick came

 

[compudog]

It's not just DIMMS that go bad (or get fried) either. My brother-in-law built an awesome rig (MSI K7TPro2, XP1800+, 1GB DDR, 2-60GB IBM Deskstars, Yamaha 16X CDRW, Asus V7700 Pro, etc, etc) His Vid card memory(?) won't let windows load until after the 3rd attempt when the PC is cold (Off more than 1 hr) It seems after it "warms up" it works fine. If he leaves it run everything is great. If he shuts down for the night and goes to start in the morning he has to go through the "boot-dance." Asus Tech supt suspects a cold-solder or malfunctioning SOJ mem chip. Time to RMA that sucker!

 

[yakko]

<< How does RAM go bad all of the sudden? >>

Same way anything goes bad. Sh!t happens.