Memtest must be run from a bootable floppy or CD, so:

* If you plan to make a memtest86 bootable floppy, download the pre-compiled Windows .zip version.

* If you plan to burn a memtest86 bootable CD-ROM, download the zipped ISO version.

I've never seen a link to any version built specifically for a USB key/flash device.

I have used memtest many times. It is a great little tool... Found bad mem on many occasions with it

it looks like i have it on a disk, but it doesn't run when i reboot. should i check in my bios for an explanation why? i have never done this before. thanks, Ed James

Yes- you should check the boot order of your devices in the BIOS, making sure that the system is set to boot from floppy first, CD-ROM second, and hard drive third.

* Did you make a memtest CD, or a floppy?
* Which exact file/version of the program did you download?

One of the most common mistakes with making bootable CDs is that the user just copies the downloaded ISO image to the CD as they would a normal data file. This will not work, because ISO images are specially-encoded files which need to be burned in a certain way in order to produce a bootable disk.

DMR,
you're absolutely right. i hope you're still kickin around daniweb.
a long time has passed and my computer expertise has improved significantly.
i received a tip to try this programme.

http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm

i recommend for anyone downloading this programme, and perhaps any other ISO burning programme, that temporarily disabling antivirus, antispyware, and firewall may be necessary. i always temporarily disable my AV and AS, but it would not download without disabling my firewall.

once i downloaded and installed isorecorder, i downloaded the memtest iso file and right clicked on it (the iso icon). the isorecorder automatically takes over the process. once a pop-up saying "burning or the iso file is complete" has been displayed, and the disk tray pops open. the successful, useable memtest disk is made and ready to use.

as was advised to me, without a specific iso burner, i could have burned and wasted 1000 disks, and tried each of them 1000 times and none of them would ever work. i did waste 3 disks learning this lesson.

once the useable disk is made, i reclosed the tray, and restarted the computer. after the "compaq" screen (my computer is a compaq), a blue screen with "memtest 86" in red appears with text that is definitely indicative of a memory test being done. the blue "memtest 86" screen appears almost immediately after the "compaq" screen. not even a half minute passes before the test takes place. when the memtest is running, you definitely know it.

thanks for all replies.

Hello from two years ago!
I haven't actually been active here in quite a while, but I still get notified about threads that I was subscribed to at the time I left.

Glad you were able to get things sorted out, and thanks (a lot) for the "isorecorder" link!
I haven't looked at the program yet, but from your description it sounds like isorecorder takes the Voodoo out of burning ISO images; something which is definitely a common stumbling block for people trying to make bootable CD.

Thanks again