Windows 7 Adding more RAM impossible?

paean

New Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Hi All,
Here's the issue: after upgrading from 2.5gb of RAM to 4GB, Windows 7 (x86) bombs: BSOD style. I make it to the "starting Windows" screen, minus the cool animation.

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_NOT_EQUAL
STOP 0X000000D1 (0XFFFFFFFE, 0X000000FF, 0X00000001)

The hardware: DDR2 PC2-5300 2gb SODIMMs. I have 3 sets of 2GB (I purchased the 3rd SODIMM after I initially suspected bad memory) and an old 512MB. However the RAM works perfectly fine with Live CDs. So the hardware is okay.

So how do I get Windows 7 to accept the RAM upgrade?

paean


PS. My version of W7 is an upgrade from Vista Home Premium.
 
Hi All,
Here's the issue: after upgrading from 2.5gb of RAM to 4GB, Windows 7 (x86) bombs: BSOD style. I make it to the "starting Windows" screen, minus the cool animation.

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_NOT_EQUAL
STOP 0X000000D1 (0XFFFFFFFE, 0X000000FF, 0X00000001)

The hardware: DDR2 PC2-5300 2gb SODIMMs. I have 3 sets of 2GB (I purchased the 3rd SODIMM after I initially suspected bad memory) and an old 512MB. However the RAM works perfectly fine with Live CDs. So the hardware is okay.

So how do I get Windows 7 to accept the RAM upgrade?

paean


PS. My version of W7 is an upgrade from Vista Home Premium.

I'm not sure the fact that your Ram works with "live CDs" is any proof that it should work with a full OS ?
 
I appreciate yours thoughts, but RAM doesn't care if its being loaded full of information or accessed from an OS that is running on a hard drive, a CD, a USB stick, etc. RAM either works or it doesn't. It can be read and written to, or it can't. It can be addressed, or it can't. I believe this is an OS issue, but anyone that could provide any hints on how to prove or disprove that would be appreciated. Thanks!

Oh, another note, the 4GB of RAM is detected in the BIOS.
 
That kind of stop error can be due to defective or mismatched RAM.

Listening to "Live CD's" may not be exercising all the RAM. I suggest testing it. One utility is memtest86+, a free download from here:

Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool

I suggest getting the .iso that will allow you to create a bootable CD. The test does not use the OS.

If you can get through a couple of passes without errors, I'm not sure what to suggest. Maybe your notebook manufacturer has a FAQ that'll tell you if any BIOS settings need to be changed to allow the OS to work properly with 4 GB. (I expect that none are needed, though.)
 
Certainly sounds like ram could be a possibility. It's not just a question of whether ram can be 'written to and read from'. The whole idea is that when something is written to ram, you get the same value back when you read from it. A fault will often result in different results coming back from what was stored, often in one particular memory location. That can cause an OS to crash when something in particular is happening. Load a different OS - such as the Live CD you mentioned - and you don't see a problem, as the faulty memory location isn't being used, or whatever is stored there isn't critical. The fact that BIOS sees the memory is irrelevant, as the BIOS doesn't check if every single byte actually works, only that it says it's there. Look for a Live CD that contains a memory tester program, and run that.

For the record - I'm not saying faulty ram IS the problem, just that it often is, and nothing you've said so far rules it out.
 
I appreciate yours thoughts, but RAM doesn't care if its being loaded full of information or accessed from an OS that is running on a hard drive, a CD, a USB stick, etc. RAM either works or it doesn't. It can be read and written to, or it can't. It can be addressed, or it can't. I believe this is an OS issue, but anyone that could provide any hints on how to prove or disprove that would be appreciated. Thanks!

Oh, another note, the 4GB of RAM is detected in the BIOS.

It still sounds like ram to me :(

whats the exact make and spec on each stick ??

since the early days of badly inconsitent and incompatible ram where the same ram made by the same factory only six months later could vary enough not to work together and with this all quite ofter made worse by bad chipsets on the motherboards I still try to buy ram at the same time in same type or the result when mixed cannot be guarenteed :mad:

ram spec isnt just about DDR2 PC2-5300 2gb SODIMM but also whether it's buffered or unbuffered, ECC or non, voltage , and timings and the layout of the memory on the stick , all of these factors determine how any system reads and writes the ram ?

as "mfarmilo" says above if it doesnt return the same values you will get a system crash :frown:
 
Well, I've put these sticks in a Macbook Pro (early 2008) and they work fine. Running Gimp, VMware fusion, Safari and a couple other ram hogging programs I was able to use all 4GB of RAM (not VRAM) without a hitch. I will try the memory test later.

Thank you for the suggestions. As nice as Windows 7 is, I'm done with windows. For what I do, it just doesn't compete as a worth-while operating system.
 
...just an afterthought, what is the model number and brand of your system?
Some systems are unable to address more than 2.5 GB of RAM properly, especially laptops that are a year old or more.
I've seen that problem many times.
 
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