I have this old "second PC" Pentium 233MHz with 128 mb of simm RAM that keeps crashing now and then. I finally figured out the problem today - bad RAM socket. I tested the 4 pieces of 32mb on another computer and each worked fine. However, when I only put 1 piece of ram in socket 0, the computer couldn't start and it made a beep-beep-beep sound, just as if there wasn't ANY ram in it all. I added another piece and the computer started up. The bootup memory tester detected all memory to be OK somehow. After startup, computer crashed after loading windows. This tells me that socket 0 is not working properly. Because it's a slightly older computer, you can't install memory on sockets 1 to 3 without sticking something in socket 0. As of right now, I can't install any ram on the computer unless I expect it to crash on every great usage of ram such as opening my browser. There are two dimm sockets and i think they're fine, but is there any workaround? Thanks.
Exactly. If you want to use that PC, I'd toss the SIMMs and see about dropping in a DIMM instead, since it's available. It's that or trying to find a motherboard to replace what you have.
Firstly, I appolgise if this reply may be daft but I cannpt readstraight because I am considerably inibriated! I'm just trying to help! But from what I understand, your RAM may simply not compatible with your system/motherboard. Try googling your make/type of RAM and see if there are any compatibility issues with your motherboard. 'Big brand' motherboards tend to spit out proper RAM and visa versa, as I have learned"
The first RAM slot on the motherboard is broken. It doesn't recognize anything. The other slots are fine. So when I use memory intensive programs that use more than the RAM in the other 3 slots, the system freezes.
http://www.fonerbooks.com/cpu_ram.htm#motherboard cpu ram 0 Motherboard Troubleshooting - Memory and RAM diagnostics, CPU troubleshooting and Heat Sink
