Installed more Ram comp. won't start.

[Spyder4765]

Ok, I bought some more Ram for my parents computer because it only has 128MB and running Windows XP with a 900Mhz processor. So I wanted to get them some more performance. Any way I bought them 256 MB of PC133 SDRAM and I used Crucial.com to find the right kind for their Gateway Essential 900c. But when the Ram got here I put it in and when I went to start it up it wouldn't and said it might have something to do with the fact that new hardware was installed. So I turned it off and thought it might help to put the 256 MB in the Dimm 0 since it was bigger, so I started it up and it gave me no error but when it got to the Windows XP screen where it loads it just froze up there, I just don't know what to do.

 

[-AnGuiSh-]

Well...Im no expert...But i'd probably say that your 2 ram makers aren't compatible.

Do this...Put the 256 Mb Stick in by its-self...If it don't work then its probably the stick itself.

 

[perkoset]

I think with gateways you have to go into the bios to let it register the new ram im not sure though

 

[Mulletbum]

I think you should throw it on a memtest. Pop in just the new stick of 256 ram and run a memtest on it to see if it was good. 10 passes should do.

Of course check if it set up correctly in the bios.

Last but not least double check the ram at pny.com to see if you got the right kind.

 

[Spyder4765]

How do I run a mem test?

 

[Spyder4765]

And I know I have the right kind

 

[Spyder4765]

I just did it again and went into the BIOS and it showed the 256 MB in the DIMM 0 bank so I went to save and exit. It went to the load screen then restarted. Then it gave me options on how to start it and I chose Last Known Configuration, when I did that it went to the load screen then went to a blue screen and said there was an error and it stopped to protect files then below it said
IQRL_DRIVER_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

 

[Lone Wolf]

That is not what Last Known Good configuration is used for.

There was no need for you to mess w/ your BIOS settings as BIOS automatically counts the amount of RAM installed upon boot up. It's evidenced by the fact that the BIOS reported the 256 stick correctly when you looked in the BIOS menu.

You should have just booted up normally as you would w/ the 256 stick in the first slot and the smaller one in the 2nd slot. If that didn't work, then your next recourse should have been to contact Crucial's tech support. They would have either helped you troubleshoot it or just replaced the module.

 

[Spyder4765]

Ya, thats what I figured it would come down to...thanks.