swapping RAM = losing USB port

luv2liv

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
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i am running Ubuntu 18 on a laptop with 4gb RAM. the laptop has 3 usb ports.
if i swap the 4gb stick with 8gb, suddenly i lose 2 usb ports. any idea how that's possible and how to fix?
this is the first time i experience such an issue.
 

samboy

Senior member
Aug 17, 2002
217
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If you swap the 4GB Ram back in; do the USB ports come back?

If not, then my suspicion is that some USB header was displaced when the memory was changed.
 

luv2liv

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
3,493
92
91
If you swap the 4GB Ram back in; do the USB ports come back?

If not, then my suspicion is that some USB header was displaced when the memory was changed.

yes, 3 usb ports work as normal once 4gb goes back in.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,340
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Hmm. I have an (older) laptop, and when running Win10 64-bit, if you increase the RAM to max capacity for that laptop's mobo, 2x2GB, the audio fails in Windows. No sound! You have to go into selective startup, and "Limit Max RAM" to 3GB, if more than 3GB is physically present. Weird, huh?

Edit: Try setting "Above 4G Decode" to "Enabled", and see if that works at all to fix it. (I think that this laptop lacks that feature.)
 

luv2liv

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
3,493
92
91
im not sure what's going on as well. now when i boot up with the 4gb, the fan spins up loudly and the screen still blanks.
BUT when i boot up with the 8GB, i get Ubuntu as normal WITH all the usb ports working. really weird. im not going to touch the innards ever again. lol