Memory Test Fail??? Could this be the reason why my system won't even install windows?

[WayneTeK]

Ok, from other forums, i've learned that a way to check if your RAM is good is to deselect the QUICK POWER ON SELF TEST... I did just that and did a memory check... To my surprise it said, "MEMORY TEST FAILED"...

What the??

So could this be a reason why i coudln't get my system running? I just built a brand new system and I thought it was my CPU because whenever i turned off my Level 1 and Level 2 cache on my P4 1.6A, it would run just fine... or at least install windows finally.. but whenever i enabled it, it would crash.. or say that a certain file/driver won't load... Please help me out!

By the way, my system specs are down there if you need'em...

 

Here you go

 

[WayneTeK]

ONe more thing.. I have two sticks of 256mb DDR Pc2100 Crucial Memory.. Now, i tried runnign them both individualy and each time when i'm booting my comp up, it says "MEMORY TEST FAILED."

I dont' think that both rams can be bad, can they? I mean, what are the odds that Crucial sends me two faulty mem???

 

[thorin]

The real memtest86 page is over here: http://www.memtest86.com/ 3.0

Thorin

 

[LukFilm]

I had a bad stick of PC133 RAM that prevented me from installing Windows XP successfully, I thought it was a software problem, but it was RAM, once I ran it at PC100, everything was fine.

 

[WayneTeK]

Oh, by the way,... i can't run memtests because my system won't even run!!! Isn't that interesting now? My system won't go into windows and while it is booting up, gives me error messages... Yay!! A new $1,200 system that won't run because of one ludacrious problem.. heh

Sorry if i wasn't being clear but, my system, when first turned on, goes through the memory check and says "MEMORY TEST FAILED." On both sticks!

am i doing something wrong here? or is it my cpu... I still dont' know what my actual problem is..

here is a link to another forum post i've been posting to solve this problem.. i think it may clarify some things for ya.. thanks for looking!

Problems with my brand new 1.6A system... wont' boot up properly, won't work...

 

[Rickr]

You need to make sure your memory settings in the BIOS are set to the most conservative settings possible. Example, set the timing to 2.5T or 3T if possible. Make sure your memory bus is set to 266MHz. Set memory timing to "Slow".

 

[WayneTeK]

everything is set to stock on the MOBO... Ok, here is an update... I just brand new ram to see if it is a RAM problem; i still get the same problem. memory test failed.. could this be a cpu problem? or perhaps the MOBO is damaged????

 

[Chang10is]

Originally posted by: WayneTeK
everything is set to stock on the MOBO... Ok, here is an update... I just brand new ram to see if it is a RAM problem; i still get the same problem. memory test failed.. could this be a cpu problem? or perhaps the MOBO is damaged????

Seems like it could be the mobo to me. With Crucial's reputation, it seems unlikely that you'd have both RAM sticks arrive defective.