Bad RAM? or Dead RAM socket? running Toshiba laptop, Windows XP

[Edward A.]

Hello all -

I seem to be having a problem with RAM on my Toshiba laptop. Its a
4270XDVD running Windows XP.

Win XP now detects only 192 Megs of RAM. That is 64 Megs built in,
plus 128 Meg in one slot. But I have 2 128 Meg RAM modules filling in
both slots (slots A and B), for a total of 320 Megs of RAM. It
originally read 320 Megs, but it doesn't any longer. The RAM in both
slots are exactly the same make and model, PC100s, non-parity, cl=2.

I have done the following to check out the possible causes of the
problem.

1. Took out both modules, then inserted the first 128 meg module in
slot A only. It read a total of 192 Megs.

2. Took out the first RAM module and replaced it with the second RAM
module again in Slot A. It too read a total of 192 Megs (in both
points 1 and 2, that's 64 internal plust the 128 module). So this
suggests to me that the modules seem to be working.

3. Bought a third module (IBM brand) of 128 Megs and inserted it as
well into slot A (replacing the second one). It worked fine as well,
reading 192 Megs.

4. Tested inserting a 128 Meg module into slot B only (shouldn't work
in this situation I believe). It read 64 Megs (the internal RAM only).

I edited the boot.ini file and added the /maxram=320 parameter

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect /maxmem=320

and reinserted both modules into both slots.

This did not do anything either (still 192 with both slots filled in)

4. I went into the BIOS (booted up my laptop and pressed the ESC key)
and it only detects 192 Megs with both modules in. There does not
appear to be any Memory settings in the BIOS, and I believe I am
running the latest BIOS for this laptop (2.70, as listed on the
Toshiba laptop).

5. I downloaded a memory tester mentioned in one of the other forums
here, but it only detects 192 Megs to begin with.

Is it possible that it is the RAM socket/slot for the module itself,
or some voltage thing? I am getting quite frustrated by this, and
hopefully someone can offer some points I may not have considered or
some sort of diagnostic tool that I might be able to use.

thanks again

Edward

[Alex Quant]

"Edward A." <e...@edapostol.com> wrote in message
news:a52c39d1.04010...@posting.google.com...

> Hello all -
>
> I seem to be having a problem with RAM on my Toshiba laptop. Its a
> 4270XDVD running Windows XP.
>
> Win XP now detects only 192 Megs of RAM. That is 64 Megs built in,
> plus 128 Meg in one slot. But I have 2 128 Meg RAM modules filling in
> both slots (slots A and B), for a total of 320 Megs of RAM. It
> originally read 320 Megs, but it doesn't any longer. The RAM in both
> slots are exactly the same make and model, PC100s, non-parity, cl=2.

[..]

I had a similar problem on a 4270 with 256MB (128 + 64 + 64 builtin).
Sometimes the system would not detect the memory in a particular slot when
booting up - so it appeared there was either 256MB or 192MB. The laptop
would never crash, regardless of the initial amount of memory. After a bit
of puzzling, I decided to clean the offending slot and its contacts with a
bit of thin cardboard and since then (touch wood) the laptop always boots
with the correct amount of memory.

If cleaning doesn't cure the problem, then I'd suspect a physically damaged
slot or a bad memory controller.

AlexQ.

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