Standard DRAM Memory

[mfherbert]

I just installed two 512 meg chips in my two memory slots.  The computer only recognizes 512.  When I did my initial scan to determine how much memory could be used Crucial scan showed that there was 256 when in fact each slot had 256.  How do I get the computer to recognize both slots?

[P10RS]

WELL FIRST WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS !! So first thing to do is put both your old memory sticks back in, boot the computer,go to setup and see if the bios reports 256 or 512 of memory present. If it reports 256 then you may have a bad module or a bad slot. So turn computer off, reset memory and try again. If 512 good, if 256 bad.  If good(512) turn off computer, take out old memory and try each new module in the first dimm slot and see if the computer boots up. If it does then try with both new memory modules,  if it won't boot with either of the new ones in the first slot, then put one of the know good modules back in the first slot and one of the new modules in the second slot and boot it up. Try the same thing with the 2nd new module. What we need to to find out is a. Are both of your old modules good? b. Are both of your memory slots good? c are both of the new modules good? d.will the computer boot with one old and one new module, IF IT WON'T BOOT WITH BOTH NEW MODULES.  It would also be very helpful if you would post the exact crucial part number off the new memory modules

[mfherbert]

Here is what I did yesterday.  When I had both 512 chips in the slots the system properties showed only 512 vs 1 gig.  I then removed one chip (I can't see that the slots are numbered) and tried to start.  The machine would not boot.  I then put the chip in that slot and removed the other chip.  Now the computer started and when I went to properties it showed 512.  I then went back to the original 256 chips and repeated the same process.  It only showed 256 when both chips were in.  Finally, I put in the 512's again and again properties showed only 512.  Next I ran the Crucial scan again and it only showed 512 and said I could improve performance if I bought a 512 chip.  I called a computer friend (he has a shop) who suggested you guys in the first place and he looked up the specs and said that this T 30 is supposed to support up to 1 gig.  Oh yes, I also went to msconfig and checked to see if the boot.ini was set up as described in one of your previous queries.

Any further ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[P10RS]

WELL it appears that one of the memory slots is not working. This is probably confirmed by the fact the fact that when you put both of your original 256 chips in the computer, the computer and the crucial scanner both only "see" one 256 meg chip. I've owned a lot of IBM laptops and I can't remember any setting in the bios/ setup that needs to be turned on in order for the second memory slot to work, but it probably wouldn't hurt to browse the bios setup program and see if there is any setting there that would affect the memory slots. Just to make sure put both of the old sticks back in and "boot" into the bios/ setup program. Go to system information and see how much memory is reported. if it is only 256 then It can't be a windows problem because the bios doesn't see the second slot, nor the memory in it.  Have your tried to flash the bios? It may be that your bios is corrupted and flashing it will solve the problem. Below is a link to the IBM (lenovo) web site were you can download the latest bios for your t30. just be sure to have it on the mains and battery when you flash it.

http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/

[mfherbert]

I didn't feel comfortable flashing the bios myself after reading about online so I went to a shop I trust and had them do it.  No luck.  I guess it is a hardware problem unless you have something further up your sleeve.  Will Crucial take back the 512 chip that I probably don't need?

Thanks,

Mike