Inspiron 8600..failed Memory..start Up Problem

I have a 3 1/2 year old laptop which has been relatively problem free. A year ago I upgraded the memory to 1.536mb and had no problems until last week when i received a blue screen error message.I ran diagnostics via safe mode and the memory tests failed. I determined that the after market 1gb memory stick had apparently failed.Not sure why as i use this laptop as my desktop connected to an external monitor and keyboard and it never goes anywhere.Anyway, I proceeded to buy a replacement 1gb stick and installed it yesterday. The laptop now seems to be working fine and the sys info shows that i have 1536mb of memory.

PROBLEM: In spite of having the new memory installed , when i boot up the laptop i continue to get a message..."Memory write read failure at 5400C004,read 10EF00EF expecting 00EF00EF Decreasing available memory.Strike F1key to continue F2 to run the setup utility." Since the computer and memory seem to be working fine now I dont know what this message means, or how to eliminate it from coming up everytime i boot the computer.

I am far from a computer expert,but over the years have usually been able to fix mine when they crashed .I thought that maybe i didnt fully seat the memory sticks,but cant see how the laptop would be working so well if that were the case.

I will sure appreciate any help anyone can provide on how to solve this problem.

 

I'd try running memtest again and see what it reports. I'd also try the 'failed' 1GB stick in the other slot 'cos it may be a problem with that slot.

If you try enough stick/slot combinations you should be able to work out if the memory is bad or the slots. Dirt can get stuck in them and over time heat cycling can cause damage.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for your help. I have sent the failed memory stick back to PNY and hope to get a replacement under their lifetime policy. Meanwhile i bought a no name 1gb stick on ebay and installed it and it seems to be running fine. I heard about memtest and tried to download a free version onto a cd but it wouldnt run when i put the cd in the cd drive. When i get the replacement 1gb i will switch both of the 1gb sticks back and forth and use them alone. From what you say that should help me see if either of them are bad.
If the sticks are both ok, can i fix the slots or clean them .I dont know how to do that but could give it a shot if it will save my laptop which has really been a good one and still works great otherwise.

I assume i will continue to get the failed memory message at bootup until i find the rest of the problem, even though the computer is working fine and the memory seems to be as well.
Any further helpful thoughts will be appreciated.

 

Well you could still switch them with your present rams now unless you're not sure that your old ram is working fine. You could also look at this website http://www.laptoprepair101.com/laptop/2008/02/28/fix-laptop-memory-slot-failure/ and maybe get some ideas in fixing your slot if ever there is indeed a problem.

 

Thank you! I was unaware of the laptop repair site and will use it to help solve my poblem. I already noted at that site where it indicates that if one of the memory slots is bad the motherboard has to be replaced which wouldnt pay in my case, but i could just make do with only one 1GB stick in one slot for adequate speed.Thanks again.

 

Memtest is usually an ISO image which has to burned to CD usiing the right options, not a standardcopy. There should be memtest or equivalent on on of your Dell CDs.

 

I have recently been advised that PNY is sending me a replacement memory stick for the one which i think/thought failed. Since i continue to get a memory failed message at boot up I am waiting for the new stick and will then switch both of them back and forth, individually and at together, to see if i can eliminate the error message and the requirement to hit F1 to continue. Nevertheless, after i hit F1 the laptop goes to bootup and works like it has all 1.5 gig of the memory i now have in it working well.I really dont know what to make of it. I would think that only the 1bg of 512mb stick would work. Otherwise, why would i get the error message I am getting?

anyway, i am wondering if i can find some way to repair the memory slot if in fact one of them turns out to be bad. So far all i have learned it how to put a guitar pick inside the memory module lid which i guess forces the memory to press down into the slot and makes it work. Short of a new motherboard, I dont know of any other solutions.