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DADDY BOB'S COMPUTER Q & A
October 11, 2009
Q.
I suspect that I have a problem with the
memory in my computer. Is there an easy way
to test it?
A.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7,
the simple answer is yes. Microsoft has
built in a memory tester into Windows Vista
and later operating systems. For XP users,
see ** near the end of this article.
To access
this memory tester, click the Start ORB, and
enter memory. At the top of the list will be
the item "Memory Diagnostic Tool". Click on
it and this dialog will open:
Here you
are given two choices. You can choose to
test it immediately which will reboot your
computer or to run the test the next time
your computer boots up. It is recommended
and I concur that you choose to "Restart now
and check for problems".
NOTE:
Since the computer will reboot, you will
need to assure that there are no programs
open that could cause you to lose data if
they were forced to close.
Click the
Restart choice, the computer will restart
and when it does, the test starts
automatically and you will be presented with
this screen:
By
default, this test runs two passes and can
take thirty minutes or more to complete.
This time will depend on the speed of your
computer and the amount of memory that you
have installed in it.
Pressing
the F1 key will display some options that
allow changing how the test works, but for
most applications, the default settings will
suffice.
When the
test is finished, the computer will reboot
automatically and the results of the memory
test will be displayed after you log on. If
there were no problems detected, there will
be just a small display just above the
system tray stating no problems were found.
** For XP
users Microsoft has a memory tester that can
be run from a bootable CD that can test
memory on any computer. This could be handy
of there is a problem with the memory that
is preventing Windows from starting
correctly. This memory tester can be
downloaded from the Download section of this
site or by clicking
HERE.
The file
downloaded is a called MemoryTester.iso that
can be burned directly to a CD and it will
be bootable. This test also has different
scan settings but the default is usually
satisfactory.
NOTE: In
order to use a bootable CD, your computer's
setup has to be configured to allow the
first boot device to be the CD/DVD drive. On
some new computers this is the default, but
on most it is not. How this first boot
option is set will differ from computer
manufacturer to manufacturer so cannot be
covered here in detail. Here is the process
in general terms.
When the
computer first starts up, there is usually
be something displayed that tells you how to
enter your computer's setup. It may be to
press F2, F11, F12, the DEL key or any
number of key combinations. This message
doesn't display for very long so you will
have to take action quickly or it will be
bypassed. Once the setup utility has
been opened, look for Boot options, and
follow instructions to set the first one to
be the CD/DVD drive. |
