Odd Computer problem. Adding extra memory to emachine PC

Adding a further 128 MB of DDR-RAM of the PC2100 type. I've confirmed its the right type.
But it caused it to crash.

Its the 170 Model with 1.7 GHZ CPU, 128 MB DDR-RAM & 40GB HD.

I do know that emachines tend to have poor power supplies, so I uninstalled the onboard graphics card & modem plus Floppy Drive.

Any help would be apprecited.

Dagsy edit: Official COmputer help thread

 

Does the computer show the installed memory during the startup routine?

 

First off, E-Machines are about as relyable as a drunken sailor at Mardi Gras.

If the RAM is in fact the right type, all you should have to do is just put it in and fire the thing up... but obviously that didn't work.

How many slots for RAM does it have? Sometimes a computer needs to have something in EVERY slot for it to work. This doesn't mean real RAM sticks, but fake paper ones. Mine is like this and if I didn't fill each place it crashed.

If that isn't the problem... I really don't know but I'll think about it.

 

also, bad ram is a possibility. I've had that happen before.

 

I agree with Nashira - check the memory chips.

 

It has 2 slots for the memory, and it does show that the memory has been upgraged in system properties.

It could be a bad stick, some of the error messages mention IRQL Less Than Something & win32k.sys.

 

[color=663300]What do you consider a "crash"? as in it didn't start up at all? Or performed poorly?[/color]

 

Check the CAS settings of the memory in your bios. Set it to three.

 

Regarding how it crash's. One minute its fine the next you get a blue screen message saying computer encountered fatal error and had to reboot to protect itself. goes on to give some tips conc hardware & software.
and it does a dump of memory to evulate the problem. once finished rebooting Windows Error reporting uploads a report to microsoft who conclude its a driver problem. Which it isnt.

Regarding BIOS, I just took a look I couldnt find much for memory settings. no mention of CAS.

 

CAS settings are either hidden, or they would be under something like Advanced Configuration. If they're not there, then eMachines has castrated your BIOS.

 

what's an e-machine?

 

An e-machine is a cheap computer I was blessed with.

 

The motherboard and RAM could be incompatable, the two different stick of RAM could be incompatable too. Take the old sticks out and run the machine using the new sticks. See what happens. If you still have problems the RAM and board could be incompatable, or the RAM is faulty. If it works fine, then the two sticks of RAM you have are incompatable.

 

I have an E-Machine and now that I got DSL it keeps freezing my browser.

 

[color=663300]Does the compy work fine with all the new components but without the RAM? I've had Windows tell me that "memory dump" stuff before and I don't think anything was wrong with my RAM.

I'd agree with the others that the problem is most likely your new RAM. [/color]