PC WILL only boot w/ 1 RAM stick - d5 ERROR

[KenGriffeyJr]

So, short story short.
Was gonna upgrade my 2 2 GB sticks of OCZ ram along w/ my nVidia GeForce GTX 285.
Well, decided I'd go do it another day so I simply put them back into my computer.

Booted up and well... it wouldn't.

I have:
AMD Phenom 9500 Quad-Core, 2.20 GHz
XFX 750a SLI nForce motherboard
2 2GB OCZ 2N800SR4GK sticks of RAM (DDR2)
Win 7 64 bit

So, I figured a stick of RAM magically stopped working ... sure.

Pop in stick #1 into the first RAM slot; computer boots.
Shut down; switch out Ram sticks so just #2 is in the 1st RAM slot; computer boots.
Pop in both sticks into RAM slots 1 + 3 as I had them for 2 years ... won't boot. Gives me a d5 error code. According to the manual the d5 error code message is:

d5 - Bootblock code is copied from ROM to lower system memory and control is given to it. BIOS now executes out of RAM.

**again, I have an XFX 750a -- the d5 error code for the 750i is different; as it's 'meaning' is 'Initialize memory port device -- and it's the same error as D0 and D4.**

Here's a link to a .PDF file for the User's Manual:
http://xfxstorage.com/Support/Manuals/Nforce7/750A/750a%20User%20Guide.pdf

The error code messages start on pg 28.

EDIT: I've also tested the RAM sticks individually in each of my 4 RAM slots and I'm 8/8.

I'm at a complete loss as to what the hell happened and why the hell this is happening.

I've somehow managed to get through the last 5 years w/o ANY hardware issues until a few days ago ...


I've tried disconnecting everything and reconnecting to ensure all connections are good and secure (even though the computer boots whenever either stick of RAM is being used by itself)

I've played the 'process of elimination game' with switching out the RAM sticks hoping it'll magically work together ...... sadly my brother has DDR3 which my mobo cannot use so I can't test out 2 other pieces of RAM...

I never fiddled w/ my BIOS to begin with so I haven't bothered to reset anything to defaults as they should be on the defaults.

Any suggestions? I've tried googleing the d5 error code but there's a lot more useless junk to wade through than helpful sites ... as usual ... and all the sites relevant to the topic are just the same things that I'm doing -- forum posts w/ just people taking stabs in the dark.

 

[Gate9er]

Have you checked all the RAM slots using a single RAM stick?

 

[KenGriffeyJr]

Yeppers.
With both sticks so I'm a perfect 8/8 (2 sticks, 4 slots)

 

[Lumber-jack]

Something changed... Swap out the ram and borrow someones else's and put yours in theirs to determine if it is MB or RAM. You can always try and reset BIOS to default but that's getting desperate.

 

[KenGriffeyJr]

Something changed... Swap out the ram and borrow someones else's and put yours in theirs to determine if it is MB or RAM. You can always try and reset BIOS to default but that's getting desperate.

I don't know what could have changed ... just took out the hardware and put it back in.

I'll have to harass a buddy to go computer-less for a few hours and test their RAM in mine and vice versa.

I've thought about defaulting BIOS but as far as I can remember, I've never updated it. :/

 

[Lumber-jack]

I know you don't know something changed but the fact is something did since it doesn't work. I have been there many times and you must try to rule out problems through process of elimination and as much as I love changing everything at once you must do it step by step one at a time to isolate the problem. Do not update your bios now as that will change things even more and possibly create more problems. Trust me on this as you could create another problem and not know it.

Just a though perhaps you damaged the RAM? or even the socket? Static, damaged MB etc...

 

[KenGriffeyJr]

I know you don't know something changed but the fact is something did since it doesn't work. I have been there many times and you must try to rule out problems through process of elimination and as much as I love changing everything at once you must do it step by step one at a time to isolate the problem. Do not update your bios now as that will change things even more and possibly create more problems. Trust me on this as you could create another problem and not know it.

Just a though perhaps you damaged the RAM? or even the socket? Static, damaged MB etc...

Ya ... been trying to do things one step at a time.
Definitely not updating BIOS or anything. Never have and ya... no need to start now.

If RAM is damaged, shouldn't it not work? I figured it worked as a circuit so if something was broke/disconnected, it wouldn't function at all.

If the socket were to be cracked or anything (which I spent literally 5 minutes inspecting it and saw nothing that I could even think in my 'excited' mindset was damage) would the ram (DIMM is the correct term, ya?) slot still function?

How are 'dual channel' RAM slots connected? Just wiring or something along the physical motherboard connecting the corresponding RAM slots? I haven't looked to see if whatever THAT is, if it looks 'out of place' or damaged.

I try to 'ground' myself before I start sticking my fingers inside my case so I'd have to think static damage is not in the question.

Again, I've scanned all along my motherboard HOPING To find a crack or something that clearly yells DAMAGE so I can just come to a conclusion and move on from here ...