Below are everyday technical questions that may help you to solve your problem. If you cannot find your answer here, please email us.

 
 

I installed the memory and my monitor went black. Back

You have a compatibility issue. The memory you bought for your system is not the correct one. Please check your system memory by looking in the system manual, contacting the manufacturer of your system or looking at the compatibility guide at this web site.

I installed my memory and nothing happened. Back

If you have a Pentium machine you need to upgrade 72-pin technology (SIMMS) in PAIRS. Adding only one SIMM will not affect your system one way or the other. Since a Pentium is 64 bits wide you have to have 2 SIMM modules for anything to happen. The other reason this happens is that the modules are not properly seated. Be sure they snapped in on both sides.

 

I have Windows 95 and Windows 98. Do I need to tell my system I have more memory? Back

No, the system should self configure. If you want to verify how much memory is in your system after the install simply go to My Computer and under control panel scroll down to system. Under system properties go to performance. This screen will tell you how much memory your system has and how much is currently in use.

 

I have an older system and do not use Windows 95 or Windows 98. How do I tell my system that I have added more memory? Back

You may get a system message of memory size error or memory configuration error or change memory settings. This is because you have added memory and the system has to adjust its current set-up to match new set up. Follow your system instructions to solve this problem.

 

How do I know if I have the correct memory for my system? Back

The best way is to install it. Memory is easy to install and you will almost always know right away if it works. Memory modules will only fit in the banks one way and putting in the wrong memory won't hurt your system one bit. The memory just won't work. As a rule of thumb, 72 pin by 32 SIMMS is generally used in 486 and older pentiums and 168 pin by 64 DIMMS is used for the newer pentiums. Check your manual and remember that SIMMS in a pentium machine must be installed in pairs.

 

I installed the memory and I am getting an annoying bell sound? Back

One of two things can cause this. First, is the memory installed properly? Reopen the computer and check to see whether the memory is snug in the socket. Second, the memory may be defective. Try moving the memory to another slot and see what happens or remove all the memory and only install the new memory. If the ringing still occurs, it may be defective.

 

I installed the memory and I get an error message "High Mem". What is this? Back

Generally, a Hi Mem error occurs when you have exceeded the maximum parameters of the system. In other words, you have installed more memory than the system can handle or a module, whose capacity cannot be seen by the system. Check your manual and be sure to look at the maximum memory allowed in your system section. Some memory banks are limited, so follow your system guideline on what module to install where. As stated before, use the process of elimination. It works.

 

I have tried everything and I still get nothing. Back

A last ditch effort is to move the memory around to different banks. Some systems require the highest capacity memory be in the first banks. Other systems have limitations on what bank slots can take what memory. Check your manual carefully and experiment a little. Remember to reboot between tries.

 

I have a machine that accepts EDO/FPM and SDRAM modules. What do I do? Back

These machines generally come with EDO DIMM modules installed and if you decide to upgrade to SDRAM, you must remove the existing DIMMS before doing so. In addition, if your system had EDO DIMMS on board, these are 5 volt modules. The SDRAM modules are 3.3volt, so if you decide to install SDRAM, read your manual and be sure to change your jumper to 3.3V. If it has not been changed, your system may only read some of the memory modules capacity.

 

I installed my SDRAM module and the machine is only reading ¼ of the module's capacity. Why? Back

If your machine accepts EDO and SDRAM, then this is happening because you need a specific design on the modules. Modules can be built using many DRAM layouts. Some of these layouts are newer than your machine was designed to recognize. If you are installing a 32MB SDRAM DIMM, it must have 16 chips on it and be built using 2x8 SDRAMS. If you are installing a 64MB module, it must be built using 8x8 SDRAMS. Unfortunately, on the 64MB, you cannot simply count the chips, since both modules, the new and old, have 8 chips. If you do experience this problem, please email us for assistance. If you are using SIMMS and this is happening, it is because of the design of the module. Some modules can be designed using different board layouts. Not all systems can read all layouts. 8x32 can be built using a 4-chip or 16-chip design. If you have a 4-chip design and get ½ or ¼ the capacity, exchange it for a 16-chip design. If you have a 16x32 with an 8-chip design and you are having capacity problems, exchange it for a 32-chip design. These are the only modules where this is the solution. These should also be the only modules that you ever encounter this problem.

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