Probably faulty memory, but what are the chances a reseat would fix this?

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,574
9,261
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I have a customer's computer in at the moment because while a problem with it looks like it has all the hallmarks of faulty memory, it may not be quite as simple as that.

The symptom they reported is that once the computer has been running for about a couple of hours, it might reboot, BSOD, freeze, etc.

Running BlueScreenView to get BSOD summaries strongly suggests faulty memory, including MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, PFN_LIST_CORRUPT, etc.

Here it took somewhat more than a couple of hours for the faulty memory symptom to show itself: I ran two passes with memtest86+ 5.01, then ran prime95 for 45 minutes, (no problems reported so far) then I wondered whether there might be a chance as this machine doesn't really have enough RAM (2GB, 64-bit Windows), I wonder whether a HDD issue could show up as a 'memory issue' due to heavy use of virtual memory. I got the machine going on a full disk check. I watched it finish and reboot, then the machine started acting up (within seconds of Windows attempting to boot, the machine rebooted and then wanted to do startup repair, same again if I chose normal boot). I then ran memtest86+ immediately and got thousands of memory errors.

I replaced the RAM quickly and started memtest86+ for a couple of minutes (I didn't bother to do a full cycle at this point because if it didn't complain straight away then chances are the issue wouldn't show itself in the first 60 minutes based on the evidence). The chkdsk log shows nothing out of the ordinary, SMART readings are fine. As the previous appointment was malware related (the memory issue has been going on for years though), I've got it running a full malwarebytes scan. Next I'll probably leave it running memtest86 overnight.

The question from the title is based on me wondering whether the memory might just need reseating. Normally for simple faulty RAM situations (eg. no POST) I'd try this quickly anyway, but TBH I can't remember the last time that a reseat actually helped and I was wondering what other people thought about it (apart from "it's surely worth a try?"). I'll probably give it a try if I get the chance.
 

Elixer

Lifer
May 7, 2002
10,376
762
126
Since most DIMMs have the clips, I haven't seen a case where reseating them would help.
Before running memtest86+, I would do a sfc SCANNOW, since I have seen corrupted windows files produce those errors as well (especially the PFN_LIST_CORRUPT error).
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
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Do they live in a vibration-prone environment?

I donated an old P4 rig to a friend to use in a garage workshop. It had a single DDR DIMM in it. (Maybe two? Don't quite recall.) Anyways, every once in a while, it wouldn't boot - no POST. No real power-on at all.

Every time, though, if I re-seated the RAM, it was Golden again.

They had a train track practically in their backyard, and I figured that the vibrations worked the RAM loose enough that it wouldn't boot / was shorting, and a re-seat fixed that.
 

nemesiz

Junior Member
Jan 17, 2007
15
0
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The question from the title is based on me wondering whether the memory might just need reseating. Normally for simple faulty RAM situations (eg. no POST) I'd try this quickly anyway, but TBH I can't remember the last time that a reseat actually helped and I was wondering what other people thought about it (apart from "it's surely worth a try?"). I'll probably give it a try if I get the chance

As the previous appointment was malware related (the memory issue has been going on for years though), I've got it running a full malwarebytes scan

Understandably this sounds a stupid possibility as the manufacturing process for motherboard and memory has mainly eradicated this problem but have you considered corrosion? In the past they used copper (still do), and other metals in the production of the motherboard sockets and if mismatched over time the memory pins corroded or lost contact with the DIMM slots. Thus many users had to clean the contact pins or re-insert the memory. Of course weather, heat and environmental conditions also can cause copper to oxidise and discolor.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,574
9,261
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Vibration-prone, nope.

The contacts on the module look brand-new.

The stability issue seems to have gone since replacing the RAM.

The question of a re-seat came to mind because when I removed the module, I undid the clips as usual, though I couldn't help but think that the module came out of the slot almost without any resistance and it struck me as unusual.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,574
9,261
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system specs?

They're a bit odd; I think this was an el cheapo computer build from some local company. Athlon II X2 250, GA-M61PME-S2P, 1x 2GB DDR2 module, 500GB HDD IIRC, DVDRW, Win7 64 SP1 up-to-date. Since this problem I've upgraded the CPU to an X4 640 and 3GB RAM.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,574
9,261
136
The problem was I had a pretty limited time frame before bringing the computer back to the customer, and I wanted to be as certain as I could be that it was stable with the new RAM rather than wasting 4 hours, and then maybe another 4 hours and so forth while I nailed the possible precise conditions when the computer started exhibiting RAM problems (which of course potentially had nothing to do with the RAM module itself).

A while after I brought the computer back, I tried the problematic module in a spare PC at home, it turned out that it was a faulty module than managed at least 3 passes in memtest86 and four hours of testing before it started listing thousands of errors.

I find the 'four hours' thing to be a bit curious, surely that's way beyond the warm-up time for a memory module.
 
Feb 25, 2011
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The problem was I had a pretty limited time frame before bringing the computer back to the customer, and I wanted to be as certain as I could be that it was stable with the new RAM rather than wasting 4 hours, and then maybe another 4 hours and so forth while I nailed the possible precise conditions when the computer started exhibiting RAM problems (which of course potentially had nothing to do with the RAM module itself).

A while after I brought the computer back, I tried the problematic module in a spare PC at home, it turned out that it was a faulty module than managed at least 3 passes in memtest86 and four hours of testing before it started listing thousands of errors.

I find the 'four hours' thing to be a bit curious, surely that's way beyond the warm-up time for a memory module.
That is weird. But faulty ram is still faulty ram. :)

If you're time-crunched, yeah, sometimes it's "cheaper" to just throw parts at it. *fistbump*
 

Soulkeeper

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2001
6,712
142
106
reseating is worth a shot imo
i've had ones not work because a single human hair was in the slot
 
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