Dimension 2350 refuses to boot with extra memory

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Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

I have a Dell Dimension 2350 with 256MB existing RAM and I am trying
to upgrade it to 512MB.
The problem is that I can't get to boot successfully with any other
mem cards fitted. :-(

It currently has:
Infineon
256MV DDR 266 CL2
PC2100U-20330-A1
32M x 64 SDRAM

I've tried some cheapie cards and when the machine booted it came up
with weird characters all over the POST screen.

After that I decided to try a Crucial 256 DDR266 PC2100 DIMM as
recommended by Crucial's site - but this time the PC powers up briefly
(no POSTs visible) and then powers down and then continues this in a
cycle.
I've tried swapping slots with no difference.

Any ideas?
--
Mr B
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
news:mvc1p0h5nddensegchoqeghcbo6eb0v8vb@4ax.com...
>I have a Dell Dimension 2350 with 256MB existing RAM and I am trying
> to upgrade it to 512MB.
> The problem is that I can't get to boot successfully with any other
> mem cards fitted. :-(
>
> It currently has:
> Infineon
> 256MV DDR 266 CL2
> PC2100U-20330-A1
> 32M x 64 SDRAM
>
> I've tried some cheapie cards and when the machine booted it came up
> with weird characters all over the POST screen.
>
> After that I decided to try a Crucial 256 DDR266 PC2100 DIMM as
> recommended by Crucial's site - but this time the PC powers up briefly
> (no POSTs visible) and then powers down and then continues this in a
> cycle.
> I've tried swapping slots with no difference.
>
> Any ideas?
> --
> Mr B


Have you tried POST with the original DIMM in the other (2nd) socket without
the new RAM?

This would verify the 2nd socket to be operating properly (or not).


Stew
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 06:23:13 -0600, "S.Lewis"
<stew1960@cover.bellsouth.net> wrote:

>Have you tried POST with the original DIMM in the other (2nd) socket without
>the new RAM?
>
>This would verify the 2nd socket to be operating properly (or not).

Yup - it works fine. Also the new mem by itself in the 1st slot
doesn't work.

--
Mr B
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

So return it as defective.

"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
news:hub2p018r2ckef69vst2jhfaecp4hmgmn2@4ax.com...
> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 06:23:13 -0600, "S.Lewis"
> <stew1960@cover.bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>>Have you tried POST with the original DIMM in the other (2nd) socket
>>without
>>the new RAM?
>>
>>This would verify the 2nd socket to be operating properly (or not).
>
> Yup - it works fine. Also the new mem by itself in the 1st slot
> doesn't work.
>
> --
> Mr B
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Done that four times already with mem from different sources. I don't
believe that the mem can be that bad - although it is reported as
faulty by the supplier after RMA. Could the mobo be destroying it
somehow?
I'm using an antistatic strap and the original mem is fine despite
having been moved between slots several times.

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 17:16:28 -0500, "Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:

>So return it as defective.
>
>"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
>news:hub2p018r2ckef69vst2jhfaecp4hmgmn2@4ax.com...
>> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 06:23:13 -0600, "S.Lewis"
>> <stew1960@cover.bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>
>>>Have you tried POST with the original DIMM in the other (2nd) socket
>>>without
>>>the new RAM?
>>>
>>>This would verify the 2nd socket to be operating properly (or not).
>>
>> Yup - it works fine. Also the new mem by itself in the 1st slot
>> doesn't work.
>>
>> --
>> Mr B

--
Mr B
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
news:1lm4p0deetour1hgliuq74jj5usnmgdvbd@4ax.com...
> Done that four times already with mem from different sources. I don't
> believe that the mem can be that bad - although it is reported as
> faulty by the supplier after RMA. Could the mobo be destroying it
> somehow?
> I'm using an antistatic strap and the original mem is fine despite
> having been moved between slots several times.
>


I don't think you're killing the DIMMs with ESD. Try this: get another
stick from www.crucial.com (since they guarantee function and compatibility)
, but this time, pull the original DIMM completely and try the new crucial
DIMM in the socket nearest the CPU first. If it POSTs, then add the
original Infineon DIMM to the 2nd socket and verify POST.

If it won't POST, see if the new or original DIMM are now bad based on the
socket in which they were located. It's not likely that the board is frying
the DIMM(s), but I don't think it can be ruled out altogether.

*This assumes that all new DIMMs up to this point have been tried in the 2nd
DIMM socket FIRST and that somehow they were ruined as a result.

Stew
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

go to crucial, I've never had a problem with their memory.

"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
news:1lm4p0deetour1hgliuq74jj5usnmgdvbd@4ax.com...
> Done that four times already with mem from different sources. I don't
> believe that the mem can be that bad - although it is reported as
> faulty by the supplier after RMA. Could the mobo be destroying it
> somehow?
> I'm using an antistatic strap and the original mem is fine despite
> having been moved between slots several times.
>
> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 17:16:28 -0500, "Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote:
>
>>So return it as defective.
>>
>>"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
>>news:hub2p018r2ckef69vst2jhfaecp4hmgmn2@4ax.com...
>>> On Tue, 9 Nov 2004 06:23:13 -0600, "S.Lewis"
>>> <stew1960@cover.bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Have you tried POST with the original DIMM in the other (2nd) socket
>>>>without
>>>>the new RAM?
>>>>
>>>>This would verify the 2nd socket to be operating properly (or not).
>>>
>>> Yup - it works fine. Also the new mem by itself in the 1st slot
>>> doesn't work.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Mr B
>
> --
> Mr B
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Pen" <nospam@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:-qudnVZXo_5HFw_cRVn-og@adelphia.com...
> go to crucial, I've never had a problem with their memory.
>

<snip>

Hey Pen -

In his original post he mentioned that he had tried a stick from them among
others. Perhaps he got a faulty stick.

If he gets a second DIMM from crucial that won't work, he's likely got other
problems....

I've only had one order from those guys that didn't work, but it was due to
incompatibility and a no-name system.


Stew
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:17:13 GMT, Mr B <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com>
wrote:

> I have a Dell Dimension 2350 with 256MB existing RAM and I am trying
> to upgrade it to 512MB.
> The problem is that I can't get to boot successfully with any other
> mem cards fitted. :-(
>
> It currently has:
> Infineon
> 256MV DDR 266 CL2
>
> I've tried some cheapie cards and when the machine booted it came up
> with weird characters all over the POST screen.
>
> After that I decided to try a Crucial 256 DDR266 PC2100 DIMM as
> recommended by Crucial's site - but this time the PC powers up briefly
> (no POSTs visible) and then powers down and then continues this in a
> cycle.
> I've tried swapping slots with no difference.
>
> Any ideas?

crucial.com shows the memory that works in a 2350 is CL 2.5, not CL 2. That
could be the problem.


--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

Solved this by upgrading the FlashBIOS to A02 - although I thought I'd
done this ages ago. So now a mem stick which previously stopped the
box from booting now works fine! Weird ...
Tx to all for the help.

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 00:13:42 +1100, "Buck Rogers" <who@cares.com.au>
wrote:

>On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 12:17:13 GMT, Mr B <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com>
>wrote:
>
>> I have a Dell Dimension 2350 with 256MB existing RAM and I am trying
>> to upgrade it to 512MB.
>> The problem is that I can't get to boot successfully with any other
>> mem cards fitted. :-(
>>
>> It currently has:
>> Infineon
>> 256MV DDR 266 CL2
>>
>> I've tried some cheapie cards and when the machine booted it came up
>> with weird characters all over the POST screen.
>>
>> After that I decided to try a Crucial 256 DDR266 PC2100 DIMM as
>> recommended by Crucial's site - but this time the PC powers up briefly
>> (no POSTs visible) and then powers down and then continues this in a
>> cycle.
>> I've tried swapping slots with no difference.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
>crucial.com shows the memory that works in a 2350 is CL 2.5, not CL 2. That
>could be the problem.

--
Mr B
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)

"Mr B" <mr-b@ntlworld-butnotthis.com> wrote in message
news:ui1lp0tanhl9n41s7defiqb9qoa4b40k1d@4ax.com...
> Solved this by upgrading the FlashBIOS to A02 - although I thought I'd
> done this ages ago. So now a mem stick which previously stopped the
> box from booting now works fine! Weird ...
> Tx to all for the help.
>


That's fantastic news. Where did you get the final new DIMM from (out of
curiousity)?

So here's a post where a BIOS flash is merited by loss of function. Thanks
for the info.


Stew
 
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