Ram gone?

[DK10016]

Hello. Here are my computer specs.

Computer: Dell XPS Gen 5
Ghz: Intel P4 3.4 Ghz
RAM: 1GB
Graphic Card: NVIDIA Geforce 6800

Ok so here is my problem. I have 1GB of RAM as you see above. Well.. My friend was going to put a 512MB stick in one of the empty slots so I would have 1.5GB, turns out they wernt the rite type for my computer. At the time my friend did not know this, so he decided to take out my computers battery and reset the BIOS or w/e. I noticed my games were getting graphical lag when they NEVER used to. Having my computer specs and all, that shouldn't happen. SO..

Someone on a different forum told me to take out the two 512MB RAM sticks I have currently in my PC, and reseat them ( plug them back in ). I did that and it worked, I had 1GB again. I installed the latest NVIDIA Driver for my GeForce 6800, rebooted my PC and checked my RAM. 512MB..

Basically, one RAM stick isn't being detected. How can I fix this? I appreciate the help. Thanks in advance.

[dcc]

You might try removing them and installing them in the first slot one at a time, if both of them work try installing them both again normally. If one of them dosen't work in the first slot, you may have damaged it.

Where are you checking your RAM amount?

[DK10016]

Alright Ill try that. I check my RAM amount this way: Start, Right Click " My Computer ", Properties.

[DK10016]

Awesome it worked! I switched the RAM in different slots, maybe they got mixed up and were in the wrong slots. Their both the same 512MB RAM sticks, but maybe the PC didnt like them in different slots if that makes sence. Im going to restart my PC and see if it goes back to 512MB like it did last time.

[DK10016]

I love you man! Well not really but.. Its stayed 1GB! Thanks a lot dude I couldn't have done it without you and this forum. One more thing. Ever since my friend took my PC battery out and put it back in, when I start my PC it says press F1 to start windows and F2 to start windows setup. Basically, it thinks I have a floppy drive and I don't. Do you know how to fix this?

[dcc]

You might try going into you BIOS and disabling the floppy from the POST.

[DK10016]

Alright that worked. One problem. I'm back to 512MB again..

This was then I reseated the 512MB sticks:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/dk10016/pcc1gb.jpg

This was after I fixed the floppy problem and booted up my PC:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a153/dk10016/pcc512mb.jpg

Every time I start up my PC, I don't have to strike F1 to start windows. It displays a black screen with to options for me to select. 1) Start Windows Home Edition / 2) Start Windows Setup. It lets me know the highlighted option ( Windows Setup ) will be selected in 5 seconds if I don't press a key. I want to focus more on my RAM, how can I fix this 512MB stick not being detected?

[sennetor]

check the bios to make sure the other half of your ram hasn't been handed over to the graphics card. Reset the Bios> Maintenance->Load Defaults then tweak the bios settings to suit. make sure the memory is populated from the OUTSIDE of the case inwards. You can also run the manufacturers diagnostics (F12 on post I think for dell) and see if that can detect the whole memory range.

[dcc]

the other half of your ram hasn't been handed over to the graphics card.

Are you running any games when you look at your RAM amount?

Are you running the RAM in dual channel?

One thing is for sure, your graphics card isn't going to eat 512MB of your RAM.

What you are discribing sounds like a connectivity problem, did both of the modules work when you tried the seperately in the first slot? You could try putting the second module in the third slot and see if it works.

In your BIOS, what is the order of the POST? I would place the floppy as the last item, and as previously suggested set the default settings.

Just for kicks, download Everest Home Edition at the link below, it's freeware. Once you have it running click on motherboard, click on memory to see what it shows for your RAM, it will show your total amount and the amount being used. Then go to SPD and check to see if both modules are being recognized. http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4181.html

[dcc]

I need to make a correction here, apparently bf2 is quite the RAM hog, as I now understand it, serious gammers will have 1GB of RAM in order to play bf2, I just read about a gammer who plays nothing but bf2 and is looking to add another 1GB to his existing 1GB, most other games will run fine on 512MB.

DK10016...if you have dwonloaded the Everest, let us know what the difference is in the amount of RAM before and after you start playing.

[DK10016]

Yep, BF2 is a RAM hog. I talked to DELL support over live chat, it didn't help much. Over the phone would be ALOT better. If I take out both RAM sticks and place them back in, I get 1GB. Once I restart, its back to 512MB. I have tried one at a time in the first slot, they both are in good shape. The 512MB stick that was in the 2nd slot, I put it in the 3rd slot and I played BF2, runs fine. I also put the floppy as the last, it didn't work. I had it working before though, where it wouldn't say that error. Every time I start up my PC, I keep getting this 1) Start Windows Home Edition / 2) Start Windows Setup.. A computer tech is coming over to my house, my step dad knows him very well, and I talk to him sometimes too. So basically hes coming over to fix my computer. I appreciate all the help, it did solve some of my problems. And it did teach me a few things. But Jim ( Comp Tech ) is coming over this week or next to fix my computer, so I don't want to waste all your time. Thanks!

[dcc]

Please let us know what they find.

[DK10016]

Ah. Jim came and fixed my PC. So I have no problems now. Thanks for all the help =)

[dcc]

Care to let the rest of us know what he did?

[DK10016]

Well first he went into the systems setup ( BIOS ). He went into Drivers and my floppy drive was set to internal when it was supposed to be set to off. So he turned that off, I no longer have to strike F1 when I start up my PC. Now for the 1) Start Windows Home Edition / 2) Start Windows Setup problem, he told me its something with the registry. This can happen when an installation of windows for example, reformatting, wasn't finished. Hes going to look up that problem and disable it, or get my computer to skip that process. Either way works. When I told him about the RAM stick problem, he just laughed and said, " Computers.. " Since I fixed it with the help of you guys, that was one less problem for him to fix. Now that windows blue screen error when I try to reformat / boot windows with CD, he looked at the error number and hes going to look that up. So basically he looks up the errors that he isn't familiar with, and he comes back and fixes my PC. While he is doing this he teaches me as well, so in the future I know how to fix these problems if they happen again. My internet has been crashing a lot. I have a Speed Stream modem ( SBC Yahoo DSL ) and a Wireless-B Linksys router. Iv had both of them for about a year to a year and a half. What I mean is.. My internet goes down a lot, and I have to reconnect which takes about two minutes or so. In order to fix this, hes going to go through a process of elimination. So hes going to bring me a new Speed Stream modem because he has a spare. If my internet keeps going down, hes going to bring a new router. If it STILL goes down, he will find another way. I will keep you updated once he comes back in about a week or so.