My AOL 8 has taken all my memory

Having installed AOL 8 I find that it has taken all my available RAM

I have queried this with them and tried what they suggested but still have a red box on their

requirements

This question was answered on October 28, 2004. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Try adding more ram to your memory Not only that it will make your computer run faster, it is probably the most inexpensive way of upgarading your computer.

Before you get up to your elbows into the case, keep in mind that you're handling

sensitive electronic circuitry that can be damaged if handled improperly The biggest

enemy is static electricity, so be sure to touch an unpainted grounded piece of metal

before proceeding The safest way to stay grounded is to leave the powerchord plugged

into the back of your PC, leave the other end plugged into a power strip, plug the power

strip into a wall outlet, and turn the powerstrip off This way there is no power going

to the PC, but the PC is grounded, and touching an unpainted part of the case will

dissipate any static electricity

Get any obstacles out of the way for unobstructed access to the motherboard Depending on

the type of case you have, you might have to temporarily remove a cable or two, or maybe

even move a drive cage or power supply out of the way A while back I was trying to

install a memory upgrade in a extremely small proprietary PC I had to remove the power

supply, the CD-ROM drive, the hard drive, and the floppy drive just to get to the memory

slot on the motherboard Yikes! Hopefully your PC offers easy access Make sure you

remember what you unplugged or unscrewed from where so you can put it back when you're

done

Installing DIMMs

You need to be methodical when installing memory First you should remove the existing

memory modules DIMMs are held in place by folding plastic clips on each end of the slot

Carefully push the plastic clips outward until the DIMM pops free Grab the DIMM at the

ends, and lift it straight up Repeat this with each module until they are all removed

Now it's time to install the new modules Take a look at the modules You will notice

that they have two notches at the bottom end If you take a closer look at the memory

slots on the motherboard you'll see that there are two corresponding ridges in the slot

This will help you make sure that you insert them the right way

Insert the first module vertically into the first DIMM slot (again, the order is

important) Carefully apply even pressure straight down with your thumbs on the top of

the memory module The plastic clips normally pop into position all by themselves when

you install the new module But it sometimes helps to pull the plastic clips up and

inward with your index fingers while pushing down on the top of the module until the DIMM

snaps into the socket and the plastic clips snap into place If you feel a little

resistance, that's probably due to the tension of the metal contacts inside the memory

slot But if you feel a lot of resistance and it just doesn't snap into place, it might

because of the notches, and you might have the memory modules inserted the wrong way

Repeat this with each module until they are all properly seated

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Posted by gilbert of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on October 28, 2004

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