Well, I broke it again.

[marmotsack]

ok, so i just installed a new stick of RAM (1 GHz, DDR 400), and surprise surprise, the computer doesn't work. I can get windows to boot up in Safe Mode. If i try to boot normally, windows seems to be trying to start, i get my background picture, and then nothing after that. I just have this stupid picture staring at me. is there perhaps some extraordinarily long update thingy that goes on when i install this stuff that i didn't know about and can't see? I've tried pulling the new stick out and putting the old sticks back in, same problem. I'm out of ideas.

 

[Fardringle]

Try running MEMTEST on the system for a few hours with the old memory, then the new memory (then both if you want to use both together).

 

[marmotsack]

memtest... right...
uh... what is that? can i just fire that off from a command prompt?

 

[Fardringle]

Sorry, I knew I was forgetting something.

http://www.memtest.org/