added memory doesn't show in win98se... 1

[jeffwright]

my mother-in-law (hoo boy, here we go...) has a compaq deskpro 5441 running win98se. it came with 64 mb of ram, which actually showed up as 56mb in windows system properties (shared 8mb with video). i bought two, used sticks of 64mb pc100 ram and added it into slots 2 and 3. when i restarted the computer, system properties only shows 120mb of ram, like it only added 1/2 of the ram i installed.

i ran the compaq diag routine from within windows, and it shows 192 mb of ram installed. the ram does not count-up on POST by default, i have not tried to get into bios yet to turn it on.

have not had a chance to load and run si-soft yet. anyone have any thoughts?

 

[cdogg]

It seems you have stumbled across one of the most annoying problems with Compaq PC's, especially on older ones. They like to use proprietary components and settings, making it difficult to use anything else but Compaq certified parts. Memory is the perfect example of this.

It's quite possible that the motherboard doesn't want to recognize the memory DIMMs. At this point, you're probably best off trying to return the memory and buying from a dealer that guarantees compatibility.

http://www.crucial.com

is one place you can go that has a configurator tool online to help you select the right kind, which is backed by a guurantee.


~cdogg
[tab]"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources"
[tab][tab]- A. Einstein

 

[Jontmke]

It could also be that you can't really use all three slots. Try taking out the old stick and using just the two new sticks. Then put the old one in the third slot and see if it will find it. If there is a setting, maybe not with compaq, in the bios reset the memory settings to the default.

Jon

There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge. (Bertrand Russell)