Why can't I boot after upgrading memory?

I attempted to upgrade the memory by adding a 128MB

memory chip to the next slot. After I installed it, I booted

the computer and it did not recognize the memory

upgrade. I took the upgrade out and now the computer

won't boot at all. I don't know if the CD Rom may have

come unplugged too. Does the cable from the Hard

Drive also need to plug in to the CDRom? It fits, there

are the right amount of pins, i even tried plugging it in

and it still won't boot. Please Help! I have upgraded

several computers memory and never had this happen

before!

This question was answered on December 3, 2002. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Kinda tight in there, isn't it? I'm pretty sure your problem isn't a large one, just take it slowly

Yeh, I'd bet close inspection would reveal a drive cable that is cocked to one side, partially pulled out of the socket going to the motherboard You might have even knocked the original memory module loose.

Be careful if you remove the drive cables entirely They can be tricky to reinsert Note their orientation.

Suggestion is to get a nice, bright flashlight Anyway, just be sure you have plenty of light Depending on how fat your fingers are, you may have even damaged the drive cable Give it a good look-see Be sure the cable isn't kinked or folded over on itself sharply, and that the ends seem intact

No, the CD drive and the Hard drive don't necessarily have to be plugged into the same cable In fact, it's preferable to plug them into separate IDE channels, but if you PC came with both drives on the same cable, it's no big deal Manufacturers usually only include one cable It's cheaper that way However, if you have a second IDE ribbon cable in there, flopping around with nothing attached to it at all, it could indeed be for the second drive

If you're still having problems, try booting without the CD-ROM ribbon cable plugged into the drive at all Be certain the "Pin 1" edge of the cable is where it belongs when it is plugged in (usually toward the center of the drive) There's an indication on the drive itself Use the flashlight.

A good clue as to the original configuration would be indicated in the BIOS setup program, which can usually be accessed by pressing "Delete" during the boot-up process It's called-out on the screen, but you have to read fast! Just be careful not to change anything Consult your manual for this one.

Be sure you did not knock loose one of the power cables going to the drives or damage them, either Check the little black jumpers on the inside edge of each drive to see if they are intact Both your hard drive and the CD Drive should each have one, especially if they're on the same cable Don't remove the jumpers unless you have to

Where you are trying to take this, is back to the condition the computer was in before you began Take out the new memory module Reseat the old one in its original socket See if the PC starts up If it does, you're back to square zero, which is better off than you were when the computer wouldn't even boot.

Next, go back to your original problem Try switching the memory modules you are attempting to upgrade with Better yet, take out the old module and replace it with the new one If the PC boots, your new module is of the proper type The smaller of the two modules, memory-wise ought to go into the second socket This is important It's where you should have put them in the first place The memory sockets are numbered Look carefully Find the flashlight ...

RG

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Posted by Robert of Mesa Community College on December 3, 2002

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