Re: Troubleshooting memory problems

Well, I downloaded memory diags from memtest86.com and from Microsoft
and they both run for quite a while without revealing any problems.

I am beginning to think that what I *really* have is a failing hard
disk.

My reasons for suspecting this are:

1) the problem has gradually developed over time

2) the problems are frequent at startup in the morning (as in Norton
complains that it can't find a valid signature for it's Firewall and
Anti-virus)

3) complaints about an inability to read or write specific memory
locations could be due to corrupt data coming off the disk in the
first place.

Am I right about this last point?

My other theory would be a bad video driver because the embedded video
is sharing the memory with the system.

I am open to any suggestions, because my system is still messed up!

Rudy Lopez

"Rudy Lopez" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Well, I downloaded memory diags from memtest86.com and from Microsoft
> and they both run for quite a while without revealing any problems.
>
> I am beginning to think that what I *really* have is a failing hard
> disk.
>
> My reasons for suspecting this are:
>
> 1) the problem has gradually developed over time
>
> 2) the problems are frequent at startup in the morning (as in Norton
> complains that it can't find a valid signature for it's Firewall and
> Anti-virus)
>
> 3) complaints about an inability to read or write specific memory
> locations could be due to corrupt data coming off the disk in the
> first place.
>
> Am I right about this last point?
>
> My other theory would be a bad video driver because the embedded video
> is sharing the memory with the system.
>
> I am open to any suggestions, because my system is still messed up!
>
Go to the manufacturer's website and get the proprietery hard disk
diagnostic tool,
....And you might want to back up that data...

--
<B0N3H3@D>
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein

«BONEHEAD>>

>If you have SMART tuned on and BIOS jags or a utility that tests the
>Smart sectors, you should be getting a warning. Have you gone to the
>Soyo web site and updated all of the MB drivers. Video drivers are
>notorious for leaking into other areas of RAM.

What is SMART?

(I *am* studying for A-Plus at the moment, but I have a bit to learn)

Rudy Lopez

I downloaded the Drive Fitness Test from Hitachi's website and it ran
on the Hitachi drive (and on the other Maxtor drive for that matter)
without a problem.

Diagnotics at this point are leading me to believe that I don't have a
hardware problem.

I actually followed the link on the error message from Noron AV and it
is the kind of error message you get if your system is or was infected
with the Klez Worm or a similar one.

I followed their advice through a maze of webpages and downloaded the
klez removal tool and did a web-based virus scan. Neither could find
anything.

I think I am at the point that I should do a complete re-install of
the OS on a reformatted disk. The instructions for repairing NAV were
a bit tedious and there is still something wrong with the way the
system is functioning.

It's home computer and I seem to have most of the documents backed up
on a disk.

I'm probably going to re-install Norton Av and Personal Firewall 2003
back onto the machine, but part of me is wondering if I would be
better off with Zone Alarm and AVG.

I have some questions about re-installing Windows 2000 but I think I
an going to ask in another thread.

Rudy Lopez

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 03:30:51 GMT, Barry Watzman
<> wrote:

>RE: "I am not a fan of NAV. It is a invasive program that may eventually
>corrupt your hard drive."
>
>It's no more invasive than any other virus program.
>
>The point about corrupting your hard drive is pure BS.
>

Having read both your posts I will try to make peace in the group and
agree with both of you.

When it comes to my SOYO desktop with Windows 2000 Pro and Norton
2003, I will blame the messenger for my computer problems: the problem
must be with Nortan AV!

For my laptop with Windows Xp Home and Norton 2005, I will place my
faith in Norton!

Back to my memory problems:

So far memory Diags don't catch any problems but data corruption shows
up when I try to copy a substantial amount of data to CD from either
of my hard disks. (The verify pass fails)

This is even after re-installing the OS and Nero.

I think I am going to replace the memory modules next.

BTW - I realize this isn't a help forum for fixing hardware. I really
am studying for the A-Plus exam, honest!

Rudy Lopez

On Fri, 01 Apr 2005 16:17:03 GMT, Rightard Whitey
<> wrote:
>
>Uninstalling NAV is a nightmare. It doesn't uninstall all it folders and
>leaves a bunch of registry entries. too. Go to www.google.com and type
>in "Norton AV problems". I got 178,000 hits. I rest my case.

That's the impression I've gotten from using Norton.

Everything is roses until you are one of the 178,000 lucky ones.

Rudy Lopez

Well, I think I can safely say now that it was a hardware problem and
it was the memory.

Eventhough the hardware diagnostics I ran for the memory ran over
night without encountering errors, replacing the memory was the only
thing that allowed my system to burn CDs and DVDs that verify OK.

The failure rate with the old memory was 100% and the success rate
with the new memory is 100%.

Bad disks wasn't what led me to believe I had a memory problem, but it
ended up being the test I relied on to see if my memory corruption
problem had been solved.

I think there was an option in the advanced settings of the memory
tests called "fading bit test" which I never ran. Perhaps that would
have encountered the errors, I will never know because I am getting
rid of the old memory chips ASAP.

Wait.....eBay!!!

Rudy Lopez