Archive for August 8th, 2007
Diagnosing Problems with your Computer Memory
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007Diagnosing Problems with your Computer Memory
When you’re using your computer, you expect that it will work whenever you want it to. You expect to be able to turn on your computer, do what you need to do, and have a good experience overall. But when things begin to happen to interrupt your computer time, this is not only frustrating because your computer or laptop isn’t working, but also because you don’t know exactly what the problem is.
For many computers, problems can stem from memory troubles. If you’ve had your computer for a long time, you might want to look out for these common memory problems:
The blue screen of death
If you’re going to boot up your computer or you’re in the middle of an activity and you get the ‘blue screen of death’ on your PC, you might be having troubles with the computer memory. When this screen happens once and then doesn’t seem to happen on a later boot up, you will want to bring your computer into a repair shop anyway to get the memory looked at. While it might seem like a minor annoyance, it can become a major problem if you use your computer for important tasks. Make sure that you backup all of your files and programs if you can get back on the computer.
The computer acts strangely
While this isn’t a very specific diagnosis or symptom, any computer behavior, like a blank screen for no reason or crashing more often than usual and for no reason can also be signs of a memory issue. If you’ve been running certain programs together without any troubles before, but suddenly your computer shuts down whenever you try, it may be a big sign of memory troubles.
Likewise, if you notice that your computer can’t handle multiple big memory programs at the same time, it might be a sign for an upgrade or a replacement of your current memory. Things like video games and video editing applications are the biggest programs you have, so this is where you might see these kinds of problems. If your computer crashes as you use these programs, you need more memory.
The computer just won’t start
While it might seem like your computer is simply dead, faulty memory can also cause your computer to not boot up. Replacing the memory is much cheaper than replacing the computer, so try that first before you completely give up. If you hear long beeping noises when you try to boot, that is a sure sign that the memory is having troubles.
The screen is distorted
When your computer is having troubles showing the graphics on your screen – it might also be a sign of a computer memory issue. Of course, it could also be that your video card needs replacing, too.
What can you do?
The good news is that memory problems are generally easy to fix with new memory. But if you’re not sure what is wrong with your computer, you may want to take it to a certified computer repair shop or send it back to the manufacturer. They will:
- Test the computer
- Try replacing the memory
- Look at the rest of the circuitry
- Check the connections
- Test individual components
When the testing is done, the repair center should be able to tell you what is going on with your computer and what needs to be fixed.
Now, you can simply try to replace your memory to see if that does the trick, but if something more major is happening, you might want a qualified repair specialist to deal with the issue. However, you can have your computer checked out first and then do the memory repair on your own if they tell you that the memory is the issue.
Visit Upgrade Computer Memory to find the correct memory upgrade for your computer. Click here to view this blog in PDF.
Tags: Diagnosing Memory Problems
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Wednesday, August 8th, 20073 Tips to Remember When Doing a Memory Upgrade on your Desktop
Wednesday, August 8th, 20073 Tips to Remember When Doing a Memory Upgrade on your Desktop
A desktop computer might be the best investment you make for your business and for your family. By providing you with the ability to create professional looking documents, access to the internet, and general gaming and music functions, you can not only broaden your world, but you can also keep up with the fast pace of information. If you’ve had your computer for a while, you may begin to wonder what else it can do for you and for your life. And that’s where many people start when they think about adding memory.
Why You Need More Memory
Just as we all wish that we had a more efficient memory system in our brains some days, our computers wish for more memory to improve their function. RAM, or random access memory, is essential for storing programs and information when we are working on the computer, making it easier for us to access this information when we need it. The more programs we need to access, the more memory we need. As the rest of the computer is bogged down with stored programs and documents, the computer needs to rely on the RAM more and more to perform basic functions.
As this RAM depletion occurs, you might notice that your computer is running slower or having troubles with basic programs. Your computer might crash more often than it ever has or it may freeze in the middle of a task. If you didn’t have a lot of memory to begin with when you bought the computer, chances are good that you still don’t have a lot of memory to work with – and you need to correct this.
The good news is that you can actually do your own memory upgrade on your computer to make things move more smoothly for you. Here are three tips to help you with your first memory upgrade.
Tip #1: Always Check on How Much Memory You Have and Determine How Much you need
Just like you can’t screw two light bulbs into one socket, you can’t always put a lot of memory into a desktop computer. Some models simply aren’t equipped to handle higher amounts of memory. But they can often be built up to about 1GB average, which is a fair amount of total memory for a basic desktop computer.
To find out how much memory your computer can handle, you can refer to your user’s manual to see where the computer lists the memory capability. If you can not find it here, you might want to go to your computer manufacturer’s website to see if they can give you directions from here. The help desk for your brand can also help guide you.
If your computer can handle upwards of 2gb, you may want to try to determine how much you need. In many cases, you won’t need to max out your memory. You will just add what you need. Take a look at how you use your computer. If you are a normal computer user, you may only need to increase a little. If you play high-end computer games or are into media editing, you may want to add more.
Tip #2: Always Buy from a Certified Memory Seller
It’s very tempting to buy memory from someone that is selling it for a low price. When shopping for memory you will see many retailers and various pricing. Remember to check that the product you are buying is brand new and graded A. There are many retailers that often offer Value or Salvage RAM. While this type of memory may be less expensive, it is not brand new or graded A. Buying from a cheaper seller can often result in malfunctioning equipment as well as a loss of the money you paid for it.
Tip#3: Always Read the Directions
Installing memory into a computer is actually quite simple, if you read the directions. Your computer manual should have instructions on how to install memory. Here are the basic tips:
- Turn off and unplug your desktop
- Press in the power button to discharge any electrical charge
- Touch a metal part of the tower to discharge electricity
- Open up the tower, and locate your memory slots.
- Push in new memory until it ‘clicks’
- Put tower back together and turn on
Visit Upgrade Computer Memory to find the correct memory upgrade for your computer. Click here to view this blog in PDF.
Tags: Upgrade Desktop Memory
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Wednesday, August 8th, 2007What is RAM and Why is it Vital to your Computers Performance?
Wednesday, August 8th, 2007What is RAM and Why is it Vital to your Computer’s Performance?
Also known as Random Access Memory, RAM is the lifeblood of your computer’s power. But when you’re newer to computers or you simply don’t understand how this piece of your computer works, it might not seem like an important piece to learn about. However, if you’re ignoring the presence of RAM, you’re cheating yourself out of a superior computing experience. Here’s what you need to know.
Defining RAM, the Easy Way
The invention of RAM as a way to store information was revolutionary in its beginnings. While tapes and other storage systems used to be in computers, they were often slow and hard to access in a quick fashion. You might be able to get to the stored file that you wanted, for example, but the computer would need to go through yards of tape before it found the exact file that you wanted. Things used to be stored in order, which made sense at the time, but RAM made things better.
With RAM, pieces of memory are stored at random intervals. This might seem to make things more difficult, but it actually helps. While the pieces may be stored in a random order, they can also be accessed in a random order, no need to sift through irrelevant information to find what you’re looking for. This creates a faster system of information gathering, one that we are all accustomed to now.
What’s also innovative about RAM is that there is no physical storage of the data, which allows it to be accessed quickly, as well. But at the same time, this also means that data you store on RAM is going to be erased when you turn off your computer. This is not a bad thing, however. It simply allows the drive to be able to continuously store new information to be quickly accessed when you need it – i.e. temporary internet files, files you are working on that have not been saved, etc.
Why RAM Makes Your Life Easier
Though it’s clear that RAM allows you to access files more quickly, what you might not realize is what this means in a real life setting.
Take, for example, the idea of working in different programs in your computer. If you have your internet connection up as well as a few document files, your computer is storing these pieces of information in the RAM portion of your computer. This is allowing you to move from place to place without losing any information in the process. If you have more RAM, you will be able to open more pieces at the same time, and if you have less RAM, you may have troubles moving from program to program.
Most computers and laptops will come with a fairly decent amount of RAM that will allow you to work in word processing programs and email programs quite easily. However, if you need to access larger programs like a video making program or a design studio system, you need to have more RAM in your computer to help you perform the functions you need to without problems.
What You Might Want to Know
Of course, everyone wants to have a computer that runs faster and faster, but at what cost? RAM is expensive to add to your computer if you already have a computer in your home. You need to buy certified pieces of memory from your computer manufacturer that will allow you to install them on your own or with their guidance.
You can also purchase a computer with the higher amount of memory already installed, but this also comes at a premium price.
Another thing to consider is that many computer CPUs or central processing units are unable to handle higher amounts of RAM due to their age. Older computers are simply not equipped to handle large amounts of memory as they can not sync all of the processes in the computer to still function well. This is simply something to keep in mind if you have a very old computer.
The fact of the matter is that adding RAM is the best way to improve the function of your computer until you can afford to buy a new model. Most computers will allow you to upgrade to about 1 to 2 GB of total memory, allowing you to run a number of functions with ease. However, there are other brands of computers that are beginning to offer 4GB and 8GB of RAM to help you run highly complicated programs.
For the home user, more memory than 2GB is generally unnecessary. Unless you’re using a lot of memory intensive programs, it simply is like having too big of an engine in a smaller car.
Visit Upgrade Computer Memory to find the correct memory upgrade for your computer. Click here to view this blog in PDF.
Tags: RAM
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