Windows 7: need help with windows crashing after adding a 4gb ram

my compaq presario cq56-102sa runs for around half an hour and then crashes for no reason. it doesn't even say why it crashes. i have the original 2gb added onto my 4gb ram but i have no idea why it crashes and shuts down. i have an amd v140 processor 2.30 ghz and it says 6.00 gb is installed with nothing to relate to when it crashes. i'm new here so please help me as it's unbearable.
i have now found out that it might be because it is overheating so i put a fan right behind it to cool it.
i need a fix soon!
please help!



Regards,

Reece.

Run a memory test to check if RAM is OK - here's two SF tutorials for this.
RAM - Test with Memtest86+
Memory Diagnostics Tool

Use a program such as Core Temp or HWMonitor to check for overheating.
Core Temp
CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting

These are all free programs.

it must be overheating as without a fan it decides to restart when it gets hot.
i don't know why it is fine with a fan behind it.
I might have found out that I could need a new heat sync for it but can't find any.

if people are still reading this, i think that i need to clean the fans but i don't want to mess it up. what should i do?

You never did reply to the suggestions you were given.
Did you do anything with them and test temperatures and memory?

It sounds like you know it's a temperature problem.
If you do any cleaning without knowing the current temperatures, you will not know what difference the cleaning made.

Are you capable of, and willing to do the cleaning yourself?
Can you afford to pay someone that you can trust for this service?
Do you have a tech friend that can help you do this so you can learn?
I can't answer these questions for you - they are your decisions.

IMHO every PC including laptops need periodic cleaning maintenance.
If you want to clean fans in a laptop, you or someone has to open it up to be able to clean the fan(s) correctly.
I've never seen a laptop with fan(s) and heatsink(s) that can be accessed and cleaned without opening it up.

I use, build, and maintain desktops, so cleaning is much simpler.
I can easily pull off a side panel to see, access, and clean the fans, heatsinks, etc.

You could just buy a can of compressed air and blow out the dust from the vents and all openings.
But, where does that dust and dirt go?
Common sense tells me - right back into the laptop if it is not opened up!
Wonderful - now more dirt spread around inside the laptop!
This approach may help short term, but what about long term?
Maybe you don't care about long term, i don't know.
Maybe I'm wrong

You could use a vacuum to pull dust and dirt out before using compressed air for cleaning.
But, many say a vacuum can cause a static discharge damaging electronic components.

Personally i would first vacuum to pull dust out of the laptop, knowing the 'static danger' and following recommended precautions.
If that didn't help enough i would then use compressed air ...
This is my opinion based on my experience...NO GUARANTEE here
This also assumes you can't or don't want to open up the laptop for cleaning...

So, how capable, competent, and willing to learn are you with hardware, specifically a laptop?
You could search for cleaning instructions for YOUR laptop and maybe find an online (Youtube) video.
Are you willing to do that, and carefully follow the instructions?

Also:
Whenever i add new memory, move existing memory, or reconfigure memory...i run a memory test.
Better safe than sorry - the choice is yours.

hope this helps,
David

hi david,
i can't take off the back as to do that i have to take the screen off, keyboard off, ram out and finally the fan.
i have tried compressed air and it cooled it down 2-5 degrees from 72 degrees before but still overheats 1 minute later than before. also speed fan didn't do a thing as it couldn't find the fan; as well as i eventually finding it it wouldn't change a single thing to the fan or fan speed.
Please note i live in britain so its normally about 15-20 degrees here

Is its own fan spinning? You should hear a pretty obvious noise that rises with time as the small fans in laptops have to run at ludicrous speeds.

this seems to be the manual that explains how to disassemble your laptop. In case you are brave and want to do it.

But some laptops are crap as far as heat rejection goes and cannot work without a cooling pad anyway. Thankfully these things are cheap.

I'd personally ask for a refund/RMA/whatever if possible. It's not supposed to melt down after a few mins of operation.

Hi still seems too hard to take off the top cover as i have already looked at the manual but warranty has run out so i don't want to risk it.
i think a cooling pad is the best option.