I am running windows xp media center sp2. I have been receiving Stop: 0X0000008E errors on an intermittent basis on my desktop. I ran windows memory test and Memtest86. Both found many errors. I pulled the old cards, cleaned inside the box and re-inserted the cards but still have the same problems. I have also been running many scans in an attempt to find any virus, Malware, etc. I have not found any problems along those lines but the desktop usually shuts down before I can complete a thorough scan with McAfee and other scanning tools.
I am considering replacing my memory. It currently has the original configuration (2 - 512MB cards DDR2 SDRAM PC2-4200) and can be upgraded up to a max of 2G.
Is it possible that I could have a virus which is impacting my RAM? If so, what is the best way to detect? My concern is that replacing the RAM may not address the root cause of the problem.
If I do replace the RAM, what is the best way to determine that the replacement RAM is absolutely compatible with my desktop? I have a couple of SimpleTech SRT-53DR2 cards which are 1GB DDR2 PC2-5300/4200/3200. When I searched the SimpleTech site, it did not identify these cards as compatible with my desktop.
Thanks!
