Memory/Ram

2006-08-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

Free memory test:

When a PC begins acting strangely, it's time to test the RAM. A good utility for doing this is Memtest86. Find out what this handy freeware utility has to offer.

Even small problems with a system's memory can cause a machine to act strangely. However, memory is one of the harder components to accurately test, partly because the system reserves various portions of the memory for internal functions while other portions are consumed by the operating system. But there is a tool you can use to overcome many memory-testing obstacles it's one of the best that I have found for such testing -- called Memtest86.

Memtest86 - A Stand-alone Memory Diagnostic

Memtest86 is thorough, stand alone memory test for x86 architecture computers. BIOS based memory tests are a quick, cursory check and often miss many of the failures that are detected by Memtest86.

Memtest86 is released under the terms of the Gnu Public License (GPL). Other than the provisions of the GNU public licence (GPL) there are no restrictions for use, private or commercial. Explicit permission for inclusion of Memtest86 in software compilations and publications is hereby granted.

Windows Installation:

For windows installation begin by downloading either the Pre-Compiled Windows package to build a boot-able floppy disk or an ISO (zip version) to create a boot-able CDROM. After the file is downloaded an extract must be done to uncompress the file(s). To extract right click on the downloaded file and select the "Extract All" option. The extract option will let you choose where the files will be extracted to. To build a bootable floppy go the the folder where the files were extracted and click on the Install icon. The floppy disk will appear to be unformatted by Windows after the install is complete.

To build a boot-able CDROM use your CD burning software to create an image from the un-zipped ISO file.

Since Memtest86 is a standalone program it does not require any operating system support for execution. It can be used with any PC regardless of what operating system, if any, is installed. The test image may be loaded from a floppy disk or may be loaded via LILO on Linux systems. Any Unix, Windows or DOS system may be used to create a boot floppy or bootable CDROM.

http://www.memtest86.com/

Memory-Ram

Memory/Ram