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    My 1GB Computer Thinks it Has 256MB?!

    Discussion in 'HP' started by Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008.

  1. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    I have an almost 2-year old HP DV5220ca with 1gb of ram. Matter of fact, I opened it up, and indeed found 2-512mb sticks, so I popped em out and put em back in.

    Now, when I turn on my computer, it says I have 256mb of ram. It says it only needs 256mb of HDD space to hibernate, and when I use TuneUp Utilities' Memory Analyzer, it says that Ive got 256mb of ram, and that it uses like 60% of it at idle, with NOTHING running.

    It even runs slower then it should, so can anyone tell me whats wrong?
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008
    #1
  2. redrazor11

    redrazor11 Formerly waterwizard11

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    Did it read 1 gig before?
     
    redrazor11, Apr 6, 2008
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  3. JCMS

    JCMS Notebook Prophet

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    Poppe 'em out and reput them in another time.
     
    JCMS, Apr 6, 2008
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  4. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    I did pop them out and put them in, and Im not sure if it ever read 1gb, but it does run slower.

    I thought I shoudl elaborate.

    When I hit my desk one time, right next to my laptop, I DIDNT TOUCH MY LAPTOP, but I got a blue screen, I think it was a memory dump or something.
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008
    #4
  5. Kdawgca

    Kdawgca rotaredoM repudrepuS RBN

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    Try running a memory test for errors with memtest 86+(see guide here)

    Also run CPU-Z(google or check the windows forum for a dl link) and check under the memory and SPD tabs and see if it recognizes the ram...
     
    Kdawgca, Apr 6, 2008
    #5
  6. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    -Check the BIOS

    -Check CPU-z

    If both are consistent then Tuneup memory is wrong
     
    flipfire, Apr 6, 2008
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  7. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    Well, BIOS shows I have 1024 ram, and Im running the Memtest now
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008
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  8. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    I talked to HP Tech support, and they told me to go to start>programs>accesories>System tools>System info

    When I started it, it told me that it was missing files or whatever and couldnt tell me anything.

    It told me the same thing in safe mode
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008
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  9. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    Both tests ran fine in Memrest, Im going to do CPU-Z now
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008
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  10. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    Yeah, BIOS and CPU-Z both say I have 1024mb of ram, and the Memtest86+ Said both sticks are fine.

    Yet, my computer still does seem to slow, and windows tells me I have 256mb of ram, and needs 256mb to hibernate, even tuneup tells me Im using like 80% of my ram idleing
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 6, 2008
    #10
  11. Greg

    Greg Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Hmmm...its possible that Windows is the problem here, not the PC. Can you do a system restore to a point before you started swapping sticks?
     
    Greg, Apr 7, 2008
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  12. Carsonauto

    Carsonauto Notebook Guru

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    no, even before I even touched the sticks, it read 256mb.
     
    Carsonauto, Apr 7, 2008
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  13. redrazor11

    redrazor11 Formerly waterwizard11

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    Do you have a copy of windows, or recovery disks, or something you can restore the system with, and see if it is windows causeing the screw up?
     
    redrazor11, Apr 7, 2008
    #13