Win 7 laptop freezes on boot with 2 sticks of ram, but fine with 1

[sparkes81]

Hi have a PB SW51 laptop, AMD Turion 64, 2gb DDR2 ram.

It has been running windows 7 32bit fine for over a year now.

Foolishly I decided to give Win 7 64bit a try.

The installation went like clockwork until final reboot to start windows (after installation complete)

The splash screen displays, then freezes, then I get BSOD telling me my BIOS isn't ACPI compliant.

After Googling for info I read about removing a stick of ram, which I did, and hey presto it boots with no problems.

I've run memtest86 for 3 passes on each stick of ram with no errors.

I know that Win7 64bit is best with 4gb of ram but thought I'd give it a try anyway.

Now I really wish I hadn't as I decided to reinstall the 32bit edition and am now getting the same error
with that.

please help.

Don't know why I'm getting this error now. As when I first got the laptop, over a year ago, I installed Win7 32bit without problems and it ran sweet as a nut.

 

[Ztruker]

Did you try with each stick of ram individually? If it works with one and not the other, replace the defective one.

 

[sparkes81]

Hi thanks for your reply.

Yeah both ram sticks work in either memory slot, just not together at the same time.

Its really weird, as ive had Win7 running fine on this machine before.

 

[sparkes81]

I tried reinstalling the bios today but still the laptop freezes at boot splash screen with both sticks of ram installed.

Its just bizarre. :-(

 

[VistaKing]

sparkes81

Run a memtest on the memory stick that is lagging the laptop

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

If the memory is a dual channel memory kit you would have to replace both of the memory sticks .

 

[gregrocker]

The tutorial shows how to isolate problem sticks and slots. It could be either.

 

[sparkes81]

Hi ive done as suggested and run Memtest-86 v3.5b on both sticks for 8hrs and it didnt find any errors.



Any other ideas gratefully received

 

[sparkes81]

Ok, new info to digest...

I have a spare MOBO for this laptop but it is an older version which has an IDE interface as opposed to SATA.
I also have an IDE HDD to pair with this MOBO.

So I decided to try the laptop with this MOBO and HDD and both sticks of RAM.

Low and behold it boots up fine with both sticks of ram installed.
(Im writing this reply on the laptop now)
So I guess we can rule out the RAM as the culprit.
And obviously there is a fault with the SATA MOBO.

But the questions now are;
Why all of a sudden has the SATA MOBO decided not to like two sticks of RAM.
Is it a co-incidence that the fault originated straight after an install of Win7 64bit.
And is there anything I can do to resolve it.

Its a bizarre occurance, as apart from changing the DVD Drive (the original one wouldnt read a disc
for some reason)
I didnt make any physical changes to the laptop prior to or during the 64bit install. I only started
swapping bits of hardware after I encountered this fault.

Hmmmmm.

Please help.

 

[VistaKing]

Could be one of the SLOTS on the SATA motherboard is going bad. I'd get a new SATA motherboard.

 

[sparkes81]

Yep thought that might be the case.

Had a look on e-bay, there is only one on there and he wants £59.99 for it. :-(

Packard Bell Easynote SW51-B-012 MIT-DRAG-D Motherboard | eBay

But there is a guy selling a complete laptop with a display fault:

Packard Bell Easynote SW51-B-012 Laptop - Faulty | eBay

Do you think the display fault on this one is a graphic card or a screen fault?

 

[VistaKing]

Looks like it could be a screen fault. But all you need is a Motherboard and hopefully it is SATA not IDE.

 

[sparkes81]

Yeah I do only need a MOBO, but I have a spare screen too. I was thinking I could make up a second laptop using the IDE MOBO together with the bits from the broken screen laptop on ebay, and then sell that one on as a working laptop.

This way getting a SATA MOBO for next to nothing. Just need to confirm that the Broken Laptop on ebay is a screen fault and not graphics card and that it is indeed a SATA MOBO.

What you think???

 

[sparkes81]

He does also mention on ebay that the graphic anomaly is progressive as the laptop runs. This to me indicates a possible graphic card issue. Would you agree? I'd love it to be a screen fault. But need advice.

 

[VistaKing]

I am thinking its a scren fault. But you could have the seller update his video driver and then take a pic of the screen for you.

 

[sparkes81]

Cheers mate your replies have been very helpful indeed.

I've sent him a message asking him to confirm a SATA interface,
and if he could update his graphic driver and send me a picture of the screen with the laptop running.

What should I be hoping to see in the new screen shot to confirm its a screen fault?

 

[VistaKing]

You shouldn't see what the old photo shows . If he updates the drivers and the screen is still like that its a bad screen.

 

[sparkes81]

You are not going to believe this but after removing and replacing the IDE MOBO and HDD with the original SATA MOBO and HDD, and reassembling the laptop, I thought I would give the two sticks of RAM another try. And its just booted up fine.

How bizarre is that? I'm back to how the machine was before I foolishly tried to install Win7 64bit. I think I'm going to leave well enough alone now.

The only thing I did was to blow some air between the connections in and around the ram slots, as I could see some dust between them. Fingers crossed this will be the end of my issues now and the laptop will continue to function as it always has.

Will keep you posted.

 

[VistaKing]

Glad you got it working. Hopefully you don't have any left over screws LOL

 

[sparkes81]

Ha no, no screws left over. But it looks like I may have spoken too soon, after a couple of re-boots the freezing problem has returned. :-(

And on top of all that, the guy from ebay messaged me back telling me that his laptop is IDE and not SATA, grrr

 

[VistaKing]

I'm thinking its a motherboard issue .