Dimension 9150 Memory Problem
in [Dell]
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From: Christopher Muto on 8 Apr 2010 11:39 Pat Conover wrote: > "Christopher Muto" <muto(a)worldnet.att.net> wrote in message > news:PNCdnbiuv4--eCDWnZ2dnUVZ_jednZ2d(a)speakeasy.net... >> Pat Conover wrote: >>> "Ben Myers" <ben_myers(a)charter.net> wrote in message >>> news:hpjm09$b6o$3(a)news.eternal-september.org... >>>> On 4/7/2010 11:30 PM, Christopher Muto wrote: >>>>> Pat Conover wrote: >>>>>> "Christopher Muto" <muto(a)worldnet.att.net> wrote in message >>>>>> news:mbCdnblzaJjLpiDWnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net... >>>>>>> Pat Conover wrote: >>>>>>>> "William R. Walsh" <wm_walsh(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message >>>>>>>> news:0ba811ce-1300-4b9a-b110-2056dd0f3cef(a)g11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com... >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Hi! >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Any suggestions? >>>>>>>>> Just on a whim...unplug the system completely from power. Wait for >>>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>>> light on the motherboard to go out. Then look inside and see if >>>>>>>>> there >>>>>>>>> is dust or something in the memory slots. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> I had a Dimension E521 that had been running for *months* decide >>>>>>>>> that >>>>>>>>> it was going to drop off into never-never land. Powered it up again >>>>>>>>> and the LEDs said "memory error". >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Took out the memory modules. Reseated them and it was the same >>>>>>>>> thing. >>>>>>>>> Blew the (small amount of) dust out and reseated the modules--and >>>>>>>>> it's >>>>>>>>> been fine ever since. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> William >>>>>>>> Will give that a go. William, nice video by the way, throwing the >>>>>>>> old Dell into the dishwasher! I would not have believed it unless I >>>>>>>> saw it and knew you from the group. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Thanks, Pat Conover >>>>>>> i have two suggestions for you to try. one is to power down the >>>>>>> computer, unplug the power cord, then press and hold the power button >>>>>>> as to quickly discharge the residual power from the system (indicated >>>>>>> by the flea light on the motherboard being lit). next removed the >>>>>>> coin battery from the motherboard and leave it out for 15 minutes. >>>>>>> reinstall the battery and then power up to see if all behaves >>>>>>> normally once again. this was a solution for the same problem that >>>>>>> plagued the dimension 5150 and so i not so surprised to hear about it >>>>>>> happing to a 9150 that is of the same vintage. my second suggestion >>>>>>> is for you to try the other two memory module sockets. this computer >>>>>>> has a total of four memory sockets. they are color coded for >>>>>>> installing memory in like pairs. it sound like you have already >>>>>>> learned that you really don't have to have memory installed in like >>>>>>> pairs, singles work fine (though technically a little slower). there >>>>>>> is also no requirement to use one pair of sockets or the other. so >>>>>>> try the second pair of memory sockets and see if that helps... but i >>>>>>> would hazard to guess that pulling (and later replacing) the coin >>>>>>> battery from the motherboard will fix the problem so try that first. >>>>>>> let us know how it works out. >>>>>> Chris, never thought about the CR battery. I have had many computers >>>>>> over the years and never had to replace the CR batteries, but have >>>>>> read about replacing them on this group. The manual said the memory >>>>>> had to be in the 1st bank of two and wouldn't work without any memory >>>>>> in the 1st bank. But that doesn't mean it won't.... >>>>>> >>>>>> A new CR battery would be a very cheap fix. Thanks to both you and >>>>>> William for the help. I will post back with or without the solution. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks, Pat >>>>> i doubt you will need a replacement battery, you just need to >>>>> temporarily remove it to completely clear the system memory. i think >>>>> the >>>>> board is just plain confused about what is installed in the memory >>>>> sockets and that is why it stalls... try removing it as described and >>>>> report back. it may be all that is required to solve the problem. >>>> Well, the "confusion" could be caused by CMOS getting messed up by a >>>> CR2032 battery running out of juice. Maybe not. Maybe so. Don't rule >>>> it out. And a change of battery may be right for a system now around 3 >>>> or 4 years old. Inexpensive, and can't hurt... Ben Myers >>> Chris and Ben, I pulled the battery last night, waited a while, >>> reinstalled and the machine booted to a confused BIOS. BIOS reported low >>> system power/voltage. I reset the clock and other settings and booted to >>> the desktop. Proceeded to update AVG and crashed to the BSOD. Pulled >>> the battery again and will get a new CR2032. Will any battery brand do >>> okay? Any to avoid, like the OEM no-name one. First CMOS battery I ever >>> had go bad! Thanks for the tips, a $5 battery is much cheaper and less >>> headaches than new memory in this economy. >>> >>> Thanks, Pat >> this is a bit perplexing. removing the battery should clear the system >> cmos memory and possibly resolve the problem with it failing to properly >> recognize the memory.... but having pulled it it should either boot >> cleanly or complain about the battery and tell you to enter the bios to >> update lost settings... it should not cause a bsod after the system boots >> up sucessfully. so i am thinking something deeper is going on with this >> system. but to answer your question any battery will do. radio shack has >> them (over priced but fresh) and even target/kmart/wallmart has them (at >> the camera/electronics counter). you can order a dozen no name ones on >> ebay from china for the price of one at radio shack and though they many >> not be the freshest they seem to work. if you get the bsod again note >> what module is reported as the cause of the problem and note the status of >> the led diagnostic lights when it happens. > > Chris, I had recently replaced the C drive with a new 250GB Sata drive, the > old one failed the Dell diagnostics. I had reinstalled XP Home, chipsets > first, video, then other drivers, seemed to be working okay for about a > month. Then this issue came up. It did tell me to enter BIOS and reset the > settings that were lost. It had previously booted once before about a week > ago, ran for a couple of hours and then BSOD and shut windows down. > > I thought the battery was the culprit so I didn't write down the faults or > led lights. I will get a new battery and post back with any BSOD and > faults. > > Thanks, Pat > i think that getting a new battery is the right thing to do followed by running diagnostics. not sure if the bsod error is an unreated issue or not. sounds like your reinstalled the system properly but could have a bad driver in the mix. it is also possible that windows became corrupted along with the memory problems and the simple fix for that would be to use windows system restore to rest the machine back to a point in time prior to the first bsod. start-acessories-systemtools-systemrestore.
From: Ben Myers on 8 Apr 2010 21:45
On 4/8/2010 9:47 AM, Pat Conover wrote: > "Ben Myers"<ben_myers(a)charter.net> wrote in message > news:hpjm09$b6o$3(a)news.eternal-september.org... >> On 4/7/2010 11:30 PM, Christopher Muto wrote: >>> Pat Conover wrote: >>>> "Christopher Muto"<muto(a)worldnet.att.net> wrote in message >>>> news:mbCdnblzaJjLpiDWnZ2dnUVZ_j2dnZ2d(a)speakeasy.net... >>>>> Pat Conover wrote: >>>>>> "William R. Walsh"<wm_walsh(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message >>>>>> news:0ba811ce-1300-4b9a-b110-2056dd0f3cef(a)g11g2000yqe.googlegroups.com... >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi! >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Any suggestions? >>>>>>> Just on a whim...unplug the system completely from power. Wait for >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> light on the motherboard to go out. Then look inside and see if there >>>>>>> is dust or something in the memory slots. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I had a Dimension E521 that had been running for *months* decide that >>>>>>> it was going to drop off into never-never land. Powered it up again >>>>>>> and the LEDs said "memory error". >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Took out the memory modules. Reseated them and it was the same thing. >>>>>>> Blew the (small amount of) dust out and reseated the modules--and >>>>>>> it's >>>>>>> been fine ever since. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> William >>>>>> Will give that a go. William, nice video by the way, throwing the >>>>>> old Dell into the dishwasher! I would not have believed it unless I >>>>>> saw it and knew you from the group. >>>>>> >>>>>> Thanks, Pat Conover >>>>> i have two suggestions for you to try. one is to power down the >>>>> computer, unplug the power cord, then press and hold the power button >>>>> as to quickly discharge the residual power from the system (indicated >>>>> by the flea light on the motherboard being lit). next removed the >>>>> coin battery from the motherboard and leave it out for 15 minutes. >>>>> reinstall the battery and then power up to see if all behaves >>>>> normally once again. this was a solution for the same problem that >>>>> plagued the dimension 5150 and so i not so surprised to hear about it >>>>> happing to a 9150 that is of the same vintage. my second suggestion >>>>> is for you to try the other two memory module sockets. this computer >>>>> has a total of four memory sockets. they are color coded for >>>>> installing memory in like pairs. it sound like you have already >>>>> learned that you really don't have to have memory installed in like >>>>> pairs, singles work fine (though technically a little slower). there >>>>> is also no requirement to use one pair of sockets or the other. so >>>>> try the second pair of memory sockets and see if that helps... but i >>>>> would hazard to guess that pulling (and later replacing) the coin >>>>> battery from the motherboard will fix the problem so try that first. >>>>> let us know how it works out. >>>> >>>> Chris, never thought about the CR battery. I have had many computers >>>> over the years and never had to replace the CR batteries, but have >>>> read about replacing them on this group. The manual said the memory >>>> had to be in the 1st bank of two and wouldn't work without any memory >>>> in the 1st bank. But that doesn't mean it won't.... >>>> >>>> A new CR battery would be a very cheap fix. Thanks to both you and >>>> William for the help. I will post back with or without the solution. >>>> >>>> Thanks, Pat >>> >>> i doubt you will need a replacement battery, you just need to >>> temporarily remove it to completely clear the system memory. i think the >>> board is just plain confused about what is installed in the memory >>> sockets and that is why it stalls... try removing it as described and >>> report back. it may be all that is required to solve the problem. >> >> Well, the "confusion" could be caused by CMOS getting messed up by a >> CR2032 battery running out of juice. Maybe not. Maybe so. Don't rule it >> out. And a change of battery may be right for a system now around 3 or 4 >> years old. Inexpensive, and can't hurt... Ben Myers > > Chris and Ben, I pulled the battery last night, waited a while, reinstalled > and the machine booted to a confused BIOS. BIOS reported low system > power/voltage. I reset the clock and other settings and booted to the > desktop. Proceeded to update AVG and crashed to the BSOD. Pulled the > battery again and will get a new CR2032. Will any battery brand do okay? > Any to avoid, like the OEM no-name one. First CMOS battery I ever had go > bad! Thanks for the tips, a $5 battery is much cheaper and less headaches > than new memory in this economy. > > Thanks, Pat > > Any brand of CR2032 is OK. You can find them at Walmart for cheap... Ben Myers |