Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Computer gurus, physical memory hard faults

What are they? If I let my laptop sit idle they fall off to zero, doing anything and I get about 125 a second.
I'm trying to speed this old laptop up a tad. Just surfing the net and streaming audio I'm using 78% of my physical memory.

It's sounds like you need more, higher quality memory. I've never swapped out memory on a lap top, I've done it many a time on a desktop.

I've done it before in a desk top I don't think I wanna tear into a laptop.

Swapping it out on the laptop shouldn't be too difficult. The memory is usually under the keyboard however, so some dis-assembly is required.

If you are getting hard faults, this is usually indications of failing memory, and the memory should be replaced anyways. Make sure that you get memory that matches the speed and form factor of the memory currently installed. Larger memory size is fine, however it has to fit in the slot, and work at the same speed.

To be honest I'm waiting on this laptop to die anyhow, eight years old. I haven't priced mem sticks for it but I really don't wanna spend the money on a dying horse.

Great, pull the hard drive (to save all your data), take the rest out and use it for target practice.

Help it along... (jump to about 36 seconds)

[video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=hbwhxgd2MW8[/video]

Depending upon notebook, memory might be pretty easy to get to. My old toshiba has a removable cover on bottom. With machine off, you can remove and re-insert just to check.

Before you take it apart, go to www.crucial.com to see what new memory will cost. You don't need to know anything but machine make and model. I think the site might also have memory removal instructions.

Old, old trick that sometimes works: Remove memory card and reinstall. Modern latching cards don't work loose but it's just possible some gunk or oxide found its way to the card edge fingers, doesn't take much to give flaky results at speed. Reinserting cleans the fingers and best of all it costs 'nuthin.

Transistors do wear out and at an accelerated rate inside hot laptops but worth a try. Quality (cost more, top rated retailer) memory held to higher specs is more reliable - where do you suppose memory that works but not up to spec goes?

Seriously, replacing or reseating memory on an 8 year old laptop could be pretty eazy peazy. See if there's anything on Youtube for your make/model. Or if there's an owners manual online that describes how.

I've upgraded all of mine over the years, and yes that goes back a ways.

Likely the only tool you're going to need is a size 0 Phillips screwdriver, though you might get away with a larger one.

Scott

Do what nighthawk and Scott T say.

It will be easy, and may indeed be all you need to do.

When you have the memory out, gently clean the contacts with a pencil eraser (not too much, about 3 or 4 strokes per side), clean well, and reinstall.

Over the last 20 or so years, I have done this to about a dozen computers with memory faults (laptops and desktops) and it worked in 4 or 5 cases.

5 minutes, tops.

John