Readers Questions. 

IF01729 

Q.  Sorry about any typing errors, I'm having to use my phone browser as I've busted my desktop somehow.  Yesterday I added some memory (RAM?) and was very careful to ground myself and I didn't use any tools - magnetic or otherwise. When I rebooted the keyboard and mouse didn't work. I rebooted several times before I worked out that the keyboard was ok during the black screen part of the start process so I used the F keys to boot in safe mode but it made no difference. I was advised to remove the internal battery for 20 minutes or so but that also made no difference. I am stuck. Any help please?

A.  Well these memory controller issues on chip sets can be tricky, I’ll try to explain what is going on. The chipset memory controller may think that dimm1 is for 256 memory, and when you plug in your new memory then it tried to run it like it was a 256 causing slight corruption in the memory controller.

The board post and boots now? or is totally unresponsive. I would now power down the machine, remove the memory. Now follow this step exactly.

With the MEMORY REMOVED FROM THE SYSTEM. Turn it back on for about 1 or 2 minutes.. perhaps less, I like only to do this for 30-90 seconds, and this will not harm your board.

What you will be wanting to hear is a memory beep post error. I believe it's 3 consecutive beeps with a pause.

This means now your memory controller is ready for memory cause it has forgotten the old memory settings.

Then try power down installing memory again, fire up.

Yes this is tedious work. I have had about 3 machines. 'cough' not mine, service machines that I have seen this happen on.

So if this doesn't work. Do the same thing again fire up with no memory installed, then power down drain power, unplug power supply, and now.

Put in your old memory again, without mixing.

Boot, cross fingers.

Now there is a final option, and that is to remove the CPU and memory (and of course start the machine with them both removed) so you can get bios post to start responding again.

It worked with out the doing the last step.  Thanks a million.

Let me know if you need anything else.

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