Memory Access Test

Okay, so the model of my VAIO is VGN-CS16G/P
Intel Core 2 Duo P8400
Vista Home
2 GB RAM
250 GB HDD
Nvidia 9300 MS

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It randomly shuts down. Even seconds into booting, where the VAIO logo shows up, it sometimes does. This happens when I play games, such as the Sims 3 or when I'm doing a lot of multi-tasking. So I understand this could be an overheating issue because yeah, I feel the laptop a little hotter than usual.

Also, I experience slow downs and split-second hang ups when the Volume is maxed out. (could this be a common problem for other vaio laptops?)

And most recently I discovered a new revelation. My unit fails the Memory Access Test in the VAIO Recovery Hardware Diagnostics.

But not just any normal kind of failure.

It shuts down.

Yes, when I do the memory access test of my unit, 3, or 4% into the process, it shuts down on its down.

I'd like to ask opinion, help and thoughts on what exactly my problem is now and what's the next thing I should do.

Thanks everyone.

 

it might be overheating for the shutdown issue after running the intensive gpu demanded program.

as for increasing volume cause the laptop slow down and lag, i never experienced this. if you did change the system file, such removing, adding audio driver, maybe thats the cause.

for the memoory acces test fail.. does your vaio give blue screen?
anyway all of this problem could be hardware or software. since the failure test stuck/end at memory test, you might start trying changing the ram, see if this solve.

as for software solution, try to restore back to the earlier before the problem occured, or worst case scenario, restore back to the factory setting. gotta backup your files before doing this.

just 5 cent on my idea/point of view.

 

Just last night, I put my laptop in front of the air-conditioning unit and left it there for 10 minutes to start cooling it. Then I proceeded to work from there, while the aircon was still cooling it. I played the Sims 3 and it still died on me. And I swore the laptop was at its coldest, well exterior temperature at the least.

The memory access test thing, no it just shuts off. No blue screen, no message, no nothing.

It's like 3% into the test, the unit's front light turns white to blue then shuts off indefinitely. Sad.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions, oh by the way.

The unit is just around a year old. So it bums be so bad its acting up like this at a young age.

 

You could download a memtest cd image and boot that to test your ram. That way your only testing the ram and windows is not running.

download the .iso and burn it to cd on another computer. you have to burn it as image (iso) format so it will be bootable.

http://www.memtest.org

 

This is almost certainly due to overheating.
To verify, remove half the RAM and repeat the memtest.
Then exchange with the other half of the RAM and repeat the memtest.
If both fails, there's no problem with the RAM.

Two possible causes:
- Fluff in the exhaust fan, blocking air exhaust.
- Bad CPU or GPU / heat sink connectivity. E.g. too much[*], missing or incorrectly applied thermal paste, or a retention spring that has popped off.

Both are fairly common, and easily fixed.


[*]: For home built PCs, too much thermal grease is one of the top causes of failure. While it's new, the grease is still moist, and everything works fine. Once the grease dries out after a few months, the CPU or GPU is isolated from, instead of connected to, the heat sink, and starts overheating. For a factory built PC, this shouldn't happen, but is sometimes seen.