What causes bad ram?

[daveS]

Can bad programming cause errors on your ram?

Just curious because, I have 2 systems that have faulty memory modules. I'm using corsair, and nanya ram. Memtest86 finds errors on the 5th test on both systems. I find that coincidental. I've been testing out alot of new software, and wonder if that was possibly the cause? Sorry if this sounds crazy, but I am not sure if software can cause physical damage to ram. Thanks for any input on this. It's a bummer when your backup system suffers the same problems your main system does.

[RoD]

improper voltage, static charge, faulty memory from factory, bad sockets, etc...not software.

[confuted]

Overheating, humidity condensing, microwaving, dipping in liquid egg yolk, bending, polka music played nearby, and dropping from cliffs into the ocean are also likely causes of broken or malfunctioning RAM.

errrmmm... ummm... time for bed.

[daveS]

Well, the people next door were having a polka party.... seriously though, I was one of the lucky ones to have the power go out, and here there might have been spikes in the electric before it went out. So, maybe that is the cause. That would explain all my ram going bad at the same time anyways.

[RoD]

If you have access to a voltage meter you should check the ram sockets also, to ensure they didnt also go. Chances are you need new ram chips.

[Eric19]

I suppose programming errors could cause your pc not to use the ram properly. But that would only happen if you were dumb enough to try and edit the system files, if thats even possible.

[DirX]

Making the system use the ram improperly would mean you reprogrammed the BIOS. Windows does not directly access the ram, all Ram operations go through the bios. Would be somewhat funny if you could tell the bios that the ram on your system is unlimited, might have some interesting results =]

[nickname_changed]

It only goes through the bios in real mode, in protected mode (most 80386+ processors that use more than a meg of memory) the OS talks to the memory through the processor, the BIOS only has control of the RAM before the OS starts up and goes into real mode.

[ober]

can you even boot the system with the RAM installed? Because it sounds like you're able to put the RAM in a computer and test it... I'd say if you get that far it might not be completely lost.

and Eric19... you cannot "use RAM improperly".. it is memory. It either works or it doesn't. No programming will make your RAM stop working or make it work incorrectly. It may not behave as you expect, because you don't understand your own code, but that's not the memory's fault.

[darksaidin]

Well, you would reprogram the bios to apply a higher voltage to the RAM chips I think. That might destroy them...

[Iamien]

or do what i did once and be installing a chip and have PC start up otu of no were, frying the socket and the chip :S
it smoked till i ripped power coard out of wall ahha