COMPUTER GOT BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH ( BSOD )
Monday, January 26, 2009
If your pc fails to boot, or displays a BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death), occasionally this is caused by a faulty stick of ram.
Follow this tutorial to fix the memory bank in a simple ways.
1 - ensure the environment is static safe by removing any unwanted plastic, bags from your workbench. Keep the computer system plugged into your AC unit but ensure that the power switch on the PC is turned off.
For PC using ATX power supply, remember to turn off the power switch located at the back of the casing , when you shut down computer from Windows.
Keeping the PC plugged in the AC will ensure that case is grounded thus reducing the possibility of damaging the module or system from ESD (Electro Static Discharge)
2 -After removing the casing cover, ground yourself by touching any of the metal surfaces on your computer casing. Doing this step discharges any static built up on your body and clothing
3 - Visually locate the computer memory expansion slots. This is normally visible but if in doubt, refer to your operation manual instruction book.
4 – the first thing to do is to remove the memory module and perform some visual inspection to check the memory socket which sits the memory module. Make sure all the pins are straight, no cracks or broken pins must be found, finally make sure all contact and connector joints are dust free.
A- Wet the end of a cotton swab with the solvent, the swab should be wet but not dripping
B- Using a circular motion, clean the contacts(tabs) on the memory module.
C- Allow the contact surface to dry thoroughly.(5 to 10 minutes)
D- Replace the memory module back into the socket, careful not to use too much pressure.
E- Repeat steps B through D for each module you have.
F- Power on the computer to test the RAM.
G- If you don’t see any memory errors, replace the PC's case and power-up.
Additional Tips:
5. While contact cleaner is preferred, it is also a well-known trick that you can also clean contacts with a pencil eraser.
Troubleshooting memory using BIOS Beep Codes
The BIOS on the motherboard will always perform a power-on-self-test (POST) during power up, usually this test is perform to ensure proper system function and if a failure occurs during the POST, it will identify the failure and emits a beeping sound to prompt the service technician to take corrective action ASAP.
The exact meaning of the beeping codes varies from different BIOS developers, there are 3 basic BIOS developer today, the most popular BIOS is made by "American Megatrend¨ - AMI, Award and Phoenix BIOS. The beep codes for this AMI & Award BIOS developer are provided in this memory troubleshooter guide, we do not provide beep code reference for Phoenix BIOS and custom BIOS written by other companies other than the two mention.
Beep codes are not entirely consistent sometimes to detect the exact failures, but generally it is still the most dependent methods to diagnose a fault without opening up the PC system or using any diagnostic software.
Troubleshooting Memory Failures using Award BIOS Beep Codes
1 Long Beep tone - Memory Problem
1 Long Beep and 2 Short Beeps - DRAM Parity failure
1 Long Beep and 3 Short Beeps - Video error
Continous Beep tone - Memory or Video memory failures
Troubleshooting Memory Failures using AMI BIOS Beep Codes
1 Beep tone - DRAM refresh failure
2 Beep tone - DRAM Parity failure
3 Beep tone - Base 64K RAM failure
4 Beep tone - System timer error
5 Beep tone - CPU failure
6 Beep tone - Keyboard controller error
7 Beep tone - Virtual mode error
8 Beep tone - Display memory read/write error
9 Beep tone - ROM BIOS checksum error
10 Beep tone - CMOS register read/write error
11 Beep tone - Cache memory error
Continous Beep tone - Memory or Video memory failures
