please help, motherboard only detecting 128MB RAM instead of 256MB UPDATE!: MOTHERBOARD/MEMORY POSSIBLY KILLED!

[LongCoolMother]

a few days ago, i started noticing that my windows XP was slowing that very significantly due to very large hard drive i/o activity. i wasnt doing much at all and rebooting didnt help. yesterday, i noticed on my system that windows xp only said i had 128MB physical memory installed, when in fact, i have a 256MB PC2100 stick stuck in. this would explain the large amount of PF swapping in the OS.

well, i rebooted and checked the bootup screen. to my surprise, only 130MB of ram was detected. well, i rebooted again, this time chaning BIOS settings to optimized settings. sure enough, it detected 260MB this time. when i started to enter windows, i get the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error.

after some experimenting, it turns out that my BIOS only sometimes detects 256MB of ram, and at othertimes, only 128MB. i really hope this isnt the motherboard, because this motherboard is quite new. its the MSI k7t266 Pro2 using the KT266a chipset. i have an athlon 1800+ running with it with no overclock.

any suggestions? im going to try flashing the BIOS and then maybe reinstall windows ACPI drivers. its strange because it just happen out of no where, it just started one day, and i didnt even touch the BIOS or anything.

thanks.

 

[LongCoolMother]

UPDATE:

okay im even more screwed now. i took the memory out, reseated it, and hit the power button. ahoy, there was a great flash of light from the memory and my system died. well, i took the memory out, inspected it, and it looks the same. i tried turning on the system but it wouldnt post. no power at all. wont even respond. well, okay, i took the memory, seated it into another slot in the motherboard, tried, same thing. computer wont turn on with or without the memory. what do i have now? it better not be a dead motherboard, because i just got this motherboard a month ago since my old one died of a PSU shock.

please help!

 

[bacillus]

can't really help but suggest you try to RMA the m/board!

 

[LongCoolMother]

turned out the motherboard was bad, and to think i only got it 2 months ago!!! anyone have any idea if/how i can RMA it to MSI?