Faulty RAM or something else? Help!

I have an Asus Eee PC 1000HE and I ordered a 2GB Corsair memory stick from Amazon and installed it before even booting up the little computer. I went through the windows set up and installed some programs, nothing major and eventually got a BSOD. It told me there was a corrupt system file and it needed to be repaired however nothing worked but a full restore. I had to restore using the windows disc and start over.

It did the exact same thing a second time as well as a third time. The third time, I pulled the 2GB stick and put the stock 1GB back and it miraculously recovered using the recovery disc, still having all of my settings and whatnot. This made me happy but curious as to why the memory could do that or even if it really was the memory. I put the memory in my other laptop (an old Acer 3050) and it is now behaving strangely as well with constant Firefox crashes and no IE internet capability.

So I'm thinking the problem is the memory and I will be contacting Amazon for a return. However I need to know if my netbook is now stable enough to actually put files on. I don't want to risk losing all of my data (yes I have it backed up). It's just frustrating to spend hours putting data on a computer and customizing programs and settings to get your computer to your liking then losing it all.

So what do you guys think? Was it the memory? Is my netbook okay? Any input is appreciated, thanks!

 

From what I understand, you are having problems with the new memory you purchased, as it is giving you BSOD's. However, when using the stock memory that came with your netbook, everything runs normally. Is this correct?

If so, there are two solutions.

1) Return the memory to Amazon and ask for a refund or exchange. Personally, this is the route I would take, as it seems like a clear-cut case to me with your constant BSOD's with the new memory, but not with the stock. Be warned that you may be charged shipping and handing and/or restocking fees.

2) Test the memory to ensure that it really is the memory that is bad. If the memory does test bad, you might be able to return it to Amazon without paying shipping and handing and/or restocking fees becase the memory is defective.

To test your notebook memory, download Memtest from Memtest.org - You will most likely want to download the USB version located HERE. Run the executable and allow the program to run for several hours. If errors appear, you know your memory is bad.

 

For overclockers, Prime95 has a feature called "Torture Test" that allows maximum stress testing on the CPU and RAM. There are several options allowing the stress test to focus on the memory, processor, or a balance of both.

Usually Prime95 will detect an error within a matter of minutes if an overclock is not stable, however many people like to let the system "burn-in" overnight to ensure long-term stability.

Download it here: http://majorgeeks.com/Prime95_d4363.html

It look like your RAM is faulty but, give Prime95 a try if you want...