Any reason windows would report the RAM as wrong?

This for another client, her laptop is running very slow but the windows installation itself seems spot on.

Windows is reporting the system has 112MB RAM (16MB graphics).

The machine runs like it needs more memory but I have checked the service manual on the net so (its a laptop) and according to that it came with 256MB RAM.

So unless PCWORLD have taken memory out I am confused. As I said the system runs as if it needs more RAM.

My plan is to install a 512MB SODIMM to it.

 

I'd trust what the computer tells you it has more than what a manual on the web said. open it and have a look what 'additional' memory it has.

See what the manual says about the ram being internal or additional memory. It could be 128mb internal and 128mb additional but someone has taken it.

 

You might like to download and run from the admin account a copy of Belarc Advisor as it should tell you more than you need to know about the machine it is running on. You could also check with Crucial and get a second opinion as to what and how much RAM can be used in her laptop.

 

If windows says it has 112 mb, then thats what it has.

 

Have you physically checked the RAM? One DIMM may just have come unstuck and need reseating. If it is showing 128Mb then it implies it will have two boards fitted and one has a problem. I've never known a DIMM to half fail.

Tony.

 

You are getting less ram almost certainly because the architecture of the motherboard is using shared display memory - i.e. it's integrated video and the 16Mb video ram is 'pinched' from the regular ram. It's common on cheap and nasty machines, and many corporate donkey terminals (read: Dell/Compaq/etc.)

 

Sorry, misread your question: the 112Mb is (as I suggest) due to 128Mb-16Mb video (shared), but the fact that the machine was meant to have 256Mb and has only 128Mb may be a badly seated SODIMM as Tony suggests, or something that needs to be enabled in BIOS. It could also be a knackered SODIMM, but I'd expect it wouldn't get past the BIOS stage, probably sitting with a blank screen and making POST failure beeping noises.

Chances are it's like my old AST - one internal 128Mb chip, and a single slot for a SODIMM up to xxxMb (either 256Mb or 512Mb - depends on the age of the laptop). First task is to determine where the memory expansion slot is, and check for the presence or absence of a SODIMM there. Your boot sequence should show the composition of the memory chips (e.g. what's in each slot) and if you have 1x256Mb and Windows is 'seeing' only 128Mb (video sharing aside) then you do have a bit of a problem; perhaps if you posted the laptop make and model we can help more?

John

 

You could try running sis software's sandra, that'll tell you everything you need to know about the computer

 

I think we should start charging you...or at least take commision on the work you complete...lol...

 

What does the RAM test say at boot up? If it displays one that is, it should show the final amount of RAM that the BIOS thinks is in the board.


GTM

 

I stick on sisandra by default with every new PC I've messed around with (saves fannying around trying to identify hardware from serial numbers etc) although if a stick of RAM is not seated correctly nothing is going to see it bar your eyes.

I've uncovered defective RAM (causing various boot up errors and random crashes) using Memtest before now - free download easily found on the web. I have it lurking on my PC somewhere if you want it.