[SOLVED] Why would reinstalling RAM fix a Windows startup issue???

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Baranovich

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Jun 18, 2021
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So I'm asking anyone who is more versed in the way that PC components function internally. I'm able to do basic things like replace and upgrade components in PCs, but I don't understand how and why they interact the way they do.

I had one of the dreaded "Endless Automatic Repair" Windows 10 loops yesterday. I was playing an MMO game, then suddenly the internet WIFI disconnected. I couldn't get it to reconnect, so I did a restart which can often restart the connection and everything is fine again.

But when I went to do the restart, the PC got stuck and would not boot to the Windows desktop. I tried every single fix there is: hard boots, recovery, update rollbacks, driver rollbacks, safe mode, command prompt instructions, windows own repair tools, etc. Nothing would work. So then I saw in a Youtube video the suggestion that taking out your RAM sticks and then reinstalling them can clear that kind of loop problem.

So I did exactly that. Took out my RAM sticks and then reinstalled them on the motherboard, just plugged them back in. And magic! The PC booted up normally and went right to desktop, after two days of pulling out my hair.

But what I don't get is, WHY would simply taking the RAM out fix a problem like that? Was it a matter of the RAM not being quite seated properly? But if it wasn't seated, why would it work fine for a year and then suddenly not? Or was this a case of the RAM removal like "resetting" something in Windows 10 that cleared the endless loop? It's all very confusing to me!
 
Solution
If the RAM has an intermittent/unstable connections, all bets are off in doing almost anything at all...

As long as no corruption of the OS had occurred, you were able to boot and operate normally to desktop once the problem with RAM seating was resolved, and, dodged several bullets of troubleshooting. (Be glad that's all it was, as 99 times out of 100, reseating RAM accomplishes nothing, with most peoples issues rarely being that easy to resolve with no money spent!) :)
If the RAM has an intermittent/unstable connections, all bets are off in doing almost anything at all...

As long as no corruption of the OS had occurred, you were able to boot and operate normally to desktop once the problem with RAM seating was resolved, and, dodged several bullets of troubleshooting. (Be glad that's all it was, as 99 times out of 100, reseating RAM accomplishes nothing, with most peoples issues rarely being that easy to resolve with no money spent!) :)
 
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