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July 28, 2006
Dear CNET members,
Happy Friday! When I started my computing days, I remember back when a 1-megabyte stick of RAM cost me fifty bucks. Today, for less than that amount, I can pick up a whole 512MB! As computer applications and tasks intensify and demand more computing resources, people are adding more memory to their computers. A year and half ago, I polled our community members on how much RAM they used in their main computer, and 47 percent of you had 512MB, with only 25 percent having 1GB or more. Today I would expect a significant shift in that percentage, so in this week's newsletter, we are revisiting that same poll to see where our members stand. Get your votes in to see how much memory we use now.
RAM is one of the most popular upgrades for computer users, and while it's not as simple as changing a lightbulb, it's a task that many users are comfortable doing. However, when things don't go according to plan, it can be a frustrating experience, as Jake has found out in this week's question. So to get Jake started in his RAM troubleshooting, I give you this week's winning answer by Barry, who gives us a nice healthy list of things that might have gone wrong. In addition, we have many helpful suggestions from our members, so please look at them all. Jake, join this week's discussion to tell us what solution worked for you. And if other members have any additional advice to offer, please post it! Thanks, everyone!
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Member Question of the Week
I recently purchased an HP Media Center PC, 2.8GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. I installed another 512MB memory stick with the exact same specifications that are required for the PC. However, the PC does not seem to recognize the memory, even though it is installed correctly and the PC turns on and works fine. Why does the PC not recognize the memory, and is there a way to make the PC recognize it? Please give me a checklist of ways I can solve this issue. Thanks!
Submitted by:
Jake K.
Jake, it would be helpful to have more information on the original memory. Was the original 1GB of RAM comprised of one 1GB module or two 512MB modules; is it SDRAM, DDR or DDR2; how many total memory sockets does the computer have; and what is the computer's CPU chipset? It would also be nice to know the exact description of every module in the system--every number on every label on the various modules. This is all relevant information that may be necessary to answer the question.
With the information given, there is not enough to answer the question with certainty, but hopefully, I can help you by suggesting things that you need to look at. And even if your memory addition had worked, I can suggest to you why this was probably not a good addition, and how you could have better upgraded the system...
Submitted by:
Barry W. of North Canton, Ohio
For
Barry's
efforts, we're sending him his choice of any
Help.com Learning CD.
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Check out next week's question:
Hello, everyone!! About three weeks ago, on my brand-new Dell, the Internet Explorer home page was hijacked, and I do not know how to get control back. Any suggestions? I have run a number of antispyware utilities (Ad-aware, SpyBot, Ewido, Spyware Doctor, and Highjackthis) with no luck. I called my ISP provider for help, but so far no luck. Also, with having my computer home page hijacked, if I go online to conduct some banking, am I at risk? I run ZoneAlarm and AVG, all my patches and security updates run every day, and I don't surf dangerous sites. Any help that you can send my way will be most appreciated! Thank you very much!
--Submitted by:
Maureen M. of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
If you have the answer,
e-mail us at messageboards@cnet.com.
If we choose your response, you'll get a
free Help.com CD.
Have a question?
• Multimedia
• Internet Security
• Digital Cameras
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• PC Upgrading
• PC Troubleshooting
• Digital Music
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How much RAM do you currently have in your
main computer?
(Please click on button to vote) |
 128MB or less (really?)
192MB
256MB
384MB
512MB
768MB
1GB
2GB or more
I don't know
Simple question, simple answer
Help your fellow members
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Click here to see full answer
