Memory problem?

[Strangr314]

Hi... I'm running on an IBM ThinkPAd T40 with:

1.6GHz Pentium M Processor
512MB RAM
80G HD

My computer is running extremely slow and i often getting message that the programs I am running have performed illegal operations and shut down. I almost daily run Adaware, clean my cookies etc.. For having 512 MB of RAM i get problems when running only 2 or 3 programs. Recently i had simialr problems and had to have my HD replaced cause it had broken. I ran PC Doctor hard drive test the other night and it took 6 hours (only program running at the time), but came back everything was fine. could this possibly be a RAM problem? Any other ideas? My computer has always run sort of bad since i got it and i just want it to work. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in Advance!!

P.S. these problems seem to ahve worsened since i reimaged with SP2

[DMR]

If you want to eliminate the possibilty of bad RAM (which you should do), run the memtest86 utility. Instructions and download link are here:

www.memtest86.com

[Strangr314]

Thanks for that note. I'll try that diagnostic tonite if i get the chance. Last night i ran the memory diagnostic that Microsoft offers on their webpage and it came back with no errors. I know that i'm not an expert on computers, but i can't imagine why my omputer is acting so badly. I bought the laptop through a school program and i know a lot of people who have had it worse than me and many more who have never seen a problem. I hope that i can locate the issue, because i need to use this laptop for tons of work at school.

[DMR]

Run memtest86 so that we can determine whether or not a physical memory failure has anything to do with this; memtest86 can do a more thorough job of testing than tools that run under Windows.

Another place to look for clues is in your system and application logs:

Open the Event Viewer utility in your Administrative Tools control panel.

In the Event Viewer, look through the System and Application logs for entries flagged as "Warning" or "Error"; double-clicking on any of those entries will open a "details" window with more information about the error/warning. If you find any entries that seem to relate to your problem, post the full and exact contents given in the detail windows.

[Strangr314]

Okay. Last night i ran the memtest86 and it came back with no errors. I've been really busy lately and haven't had a chance to look at the application logs, but the last time i did know there were tons of program hangs. I think there were errors, and i will get them posted asap. Are program hangs significant at all? or just the errors?

[UNE]

I have tried to download the memory tester from the given site www.memtest86.com but i couldnt figure it out how to download and run it .. so could any of you tell me how should i install and run this thing...

thank you

[Coconut Monkey]

Okay. Last night i ran the memtest86 and it came back with no errors. I've been really busy lately and haven't had a chance to look at the application logs, but the last time i did know there were tons of program hangs. I think there were errors, and i will get them posted asap. Are program hangs significant at all? or just the errors?

How long did you run the test for? A few hours is recommended and overnight is highly encouraged!

I have tried to download the memory tester from the given site www.memtest86.com but i couldnt figure it out how to download and run it .. so could any of you tell me how should i install and run this thing...

thank you

Download "Pre-Compiled Memtest86 v3.2 installable from Windows and DOS". You will need a 3.5" floppy drive and disk (which will be wiped clean). Unzip the contents of the file you downloaded and run the install file within, specifying the drive letter of the 3.5" floppy drive when prompted. Then, when the install is complete, boot off the 3.5" floppy disk.

[Strangr314]

How long did you run the test for? A few hours is recommended and overnight is highly encouraged!
QUOTE]

I let the test run through twice i think. I didn't know i should let it keep running over night. I'll let it do that when i get home today. I'm working on posting the errors and warning that i get in my event log. I'm not really sure which ones are relevant to my problem though. Hopefully I'll be able to post them soon.

Thanks for all the help so far!

[DMR]

Okay. Last night i ran the memtest86 and it came back with no errors.

That's a good sign. However, Coconut Monkey is right about letting the tests run for an decent amount of time; extended testing is more strenuous and may uncover errors that shorter scans don't. If you only ran a relatively short scan with memtest86, you should do a longer one. A run of at least 4 hours is recommended if you want the most definitive diagnosis.

I've been really busy lately and haven't had a chance to look at the application logs, but the last time i did know there were tons of program hangs. I think there were errors, and i will get them posted asap. Are program hangs significant at all? or just the errors?

Since you indicated that you've been getting a lot of "illegal operation" application terminations, you should examine any log entries that appear to relate to program hangs/crashes/errors. In looking through the details of all such log entries, you may uncover a pattern which could help us determine the source of the problem(s).

Look for log entries whose details indicate a that a problem occurred, and whose time/date stamps correspond to times when you've gotten the "illegal operation" errors. Post the full contents of the details windows of those entries when you get a chance.