Recently, a customer had a netbook that would not boot up; when he tried to re-install from restore disks, his netbook gave him a series of unusual error messages.
Because it looked like a problem with the restore disc, I tried several other discs that I knew were good, but I got the same results. After some more testing, I got a Blue Screen (of Death) whose error message, IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL, I knew to be indicative of bad RAM. So, I replaced the RAM in the socket on the bottom of the netbook.
No change. Same error messages. I searched for a resolution on Google (the researchers friend) and all the results said 'RAM issue'. But I had changed the RAM. So what was going on?
As it turns out, most netbook computers have a secondary RAM socket underneath the keyboard.
I pried up the bezel above the keyboard where the power switch usually is, lifted up the keyboard, and opened up this secondary RAM socket and replaced that RAM with the RAM originally taken from the primary socket.
Problem solved. (Once I placed the cover back on the socket.) No more error messages!
Except for the one preventing Windows from booting. Which was taken care of in short order.
No comments:
Post a Comment