memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay

steven67@ wrote:
 > anybody wrote:
 >
 >
  >>I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
  >>test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
  >>memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
  >>the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
  >>However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
  >>passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
  >>
  >>Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
  >>Spectek PC2100 256M
  >>Micron PC2100 128M
  >>2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M
 >
 >
 > .
 >
 >
 > Is that an older version of Memtest86? If so, try the latest versions of
 > Memtest86 and Memtest86+.
 >
<font color=purple> > Memtest86: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest86.com</font" target="_blank">http://www.memtest86.com</font</a>>
 >
<font color=purple> > Memtest86+: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest.org</font" target="_blank">http://www.memtest.org</font</a>>

Thanks. It displays "Memtest -86 v3.1".
Apparently the latest Memtest-86 is v3.1a.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

steven67@ wrote:
 > anybody wrote:
 >
 >
  >>I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
  >>test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
  >>memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
  >>the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
  >>However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
  >>passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
  >>
  >>Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
  >>Spectek PC2100 256M
  >>Micron PC2100 128M
  >>2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M
 >
 >
 > ..
 >
 >
 > Is that an older version of Memtest86? If so, try the latest versions of
 > Memtest86 and Memtest86+.
 >
<font color=purple> > Memtest86: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest86.com</font" target="_blank">http://www.memtest86.com</font</a>>
 >
<font color=purple> > Memtest86+: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest.org</font" target="_blank">http://www.memtest.org</font</a>>

And have in mind that Linux is quite resistant to hangs,
something can fail and Linux will still be working ok.
Maybe you can have strange application fails, and
problems compiling programs or the kernel, that are the
things that use to happen when you have defective memory.

--

Jose Maria Lopez Hernandez
Director Tecnico de bgSEC
jkerouac.TakeThisOut@bgsec.com
bgSEC Seguridad y Consultoria de Sistemas Informaticos
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.bgsec.com" target="_blank">http://www.bgsec.com</a>
ESPAÑA

The only people for me are the mad ones -- the ones who are mad to live,
mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn
like fabulous yellow Roman candles.
-- Jack Kerouac, "On the Road"<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 20:56:38 GMT, anybody
<anybody RemoveThis @aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.com> wrote:


  >> Is that an older version of Memtest86? If so, try the latest versions of
  >> Memtest86 and Memtest86+.
  >>
<font color=green>  >> Memtest86: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest86.com</font" target="_blank">http://www.memtest86.com</font</a>>
  >>
<font color=green>  >> Memtest86+: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest.org</font" target="_blank">http://www.memtest.org</font</a>>
 >
 >Thanks. It displays "Memtest -86 v3.1".
 >Apparently the latest Memtest-86 is v3.1a.

Was there even a non-A 3.1 version?

3.1a also displays (only) "Memtest-86 v3.1"<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

anybody wrote:
 > I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD
 > to test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
 > memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
 > the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
 > However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
 > passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
 >
 > Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
 > Spectek PC2100 256M
 > Micron PC2100 128M
 > 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M



Try running Prime95 under Windows or Linux.
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm" target="_blank">http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm</a>

The "Torture Test" will usually root out RAM or CPU problems rather quickly.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

On Thu, 02 Sep 2004 17:34:30 +0000, anybody wrote:

 > I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
 > test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
 > memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
 > the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
 > However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
 > passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
 >
 > Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
 > Spectek PC2100 256M
 > Micron PC2100 128M
 > 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M

I'm unfamiliar with your BIOS, but most BIOS memory tests just
check for the presence of blocks of memory and are by no stretch
a true diagnostic. As suggested by other responses, make sure
you get memtest86+, which tweaked the program to work with some
newer memory management circuitry. (I suspect your particular
memtest86 version is the problem rather than actual bad memory.)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

anybody <anybody RemoveThis @aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.com> writes:

 >I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
 >test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
 >memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
 >the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.

Urgh.

 >However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
 >passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?

Yes. The BIOS test is nothing. It just counts how much memory
is available, nothing else. Its value for testing purposes
is below zero; if the RAM test fails, your memory might
already have been faulty for ages.

 >Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
 >Spectek PC2100 256M
 >Micron PC2100 128M
 >2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M

Do the specs for the board match the specs of the modules?

Hint:
Try compiling a kernel. That's a good stress test as well,
though I fear that most likely you have a HW problem of
some kind, given the symptoms.


Michael<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

Make sure you have the latest BIOS for your motherboard. memtest86
would hang on my system too until I installed a BIOS update that fixed
the problem.


anybody <anybody.TakeThisOut@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.com> wrote in message news:<GQIZc.4826$sX6.844@news02.roc.ny>...
 > I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
 > test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
 > memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
 > the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
 > However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
 > passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
 >
 > Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
 > Spectek PC2100 256M
 > Micron PC2100 128M
 > 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

anybody wrote:
 > I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
 > test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
 > memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
 > the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
 > However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
 > passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
 >
 > Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
 > Spectek PC2100 256M
 > Micron PC2100 128M
 > 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M
 >
 >
 >
 >

Isn't memtest86 supposed to be put on its own bootable floppy or cdrom
and run separately from other things?

--
spammage trappage: replace fishies_ with yahoo<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

Frank Fussenegger wrote in comp.os.linux.hardware:

 > Make sure you have the latest BIOS for your motherboard. memtest86
 > would hang on my system too until I installed a BIOS update that fixed
 > the problem.
[snip]

Yes. The README file does say that some BIOSes cause it trouble.


--
Peter D.
Sig goes here...<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

On 2004-09-03, S.Heenan <sheenan.RemoveThis@wahs.ac> wrote:
 > anybody wrote:
  >> I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD
  >> to test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
  >> memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
  >> the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
  >> However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
  >> passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
  >>
  >> Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
  >> Spectek PC2100 256M
  >> Micron PC2100 128M
  >> 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M
 >
 >
 >
 > Try running Prime95 under Windows or Linux.
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm</font</a>>
 >
 > The "Torture Test" will usually root out RAM or CPU problems rather quickly.
 >
 >

There is a nice GUI version of Prime95 from:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.dblsys.ca/sp2004/index.htm" target="_blank">www.dblsys.ca/sp2004/index.htm</a>


--
declinton.RemoveThis@sympatico.ca
Linux User # 276385<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

Michael Buchenrieder wrote:

  >>However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
  >>passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
 >
 >
 > Yes. The BIOS test is nothing. It just counts how much memory
 > is available, nothing else. Its value for testing purposes
 > is below zero; if the RAM test fails, your memory might
 > already have been faulty for ages.
 >
I'm not talking about the POST memory test. The Intel BIOS has a bunch
of diagnostics (eg hard drive, CDROM, keyboard, mouse) built in. It
doesn't seem as thorough as Memtest-86 though.
 >
  >>Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

spodosaurus wrote:
 > anybody wrote:
 >
  >> I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD to
  >> test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
  >> memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
  >> the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
  >> However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
  >> passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
  >>
  >> Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
  >> Spectek PC2100 256M
  >> Micron PC2100 128M
  >> 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>
 >
 > Isn't memtest86 supposed to be put on its own bootable floppy or cdrom
 > and run separately from other things?
 >

That is about how the SuSE install CD works. It presents an option to
run Memtest-86 without booting into the OS.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay 

Which version of Memtest86 were you using? 3.0?
Memtest86 3.0 should support Intel 845 based chipsets.
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.memtest86.com/" target="_blank">http://www.memtest86.com/</a>

--
David Wang - Tech Support
Extreme Node - Blade servers based on the standard ATX form factor
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.extremenode.com" target="_blank">http://www.extremenode.com</a>

"Douglas Clinton" <dbl DeleteThis @somewhere.earth> wrote in message
news:8wK_c.2246$Nd6.88155@news20.bellglobal.com...
 > On 2004-09-03, S.Heenan <sheenan DeleteThis @wahs.ac> wrote:
  > > anybody wrote:
   > >> I am using the memtest86 program from the SuSE 9.0 install/rescue CD
   > >> to test some memory sticks. I have tested four sticks, and the
   > >> memtest86 test hangs no matter which I use. It barely gets started in
   > >> the test before the computer goes dead and I have to power cycle.
   > >> However it seems to run Fedora and Windows XP and SuSE fine. Also it
   > >> passes the BIOS memory diagnostics. Should I be concerned?
   > >>
   > >> Dell 4500 (Intel BIOS, Intel 845 chipset, P4, 533 MHz)
   > >> Spectek PC2100 256M
   > >> Micron PC2100 128M
   > >> 2 x Kingston Value RAM PC2100 256M
  > >
  > >
  > >
  > > Try running Prime95 under Windows or Linux.
<font color=green>  > > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.mersenne.org/freesoft.htm</font</a>>
  > >
  > > The "Torture Test" will usually root out RAM or CPU problems rather
quickly.
  > >
  > >
 >
 > There is a nice GUI version of Prime95 from:
 >
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.dblsys.ca/sp2004/index.htm</font" target="_blank">www.dblsys.ca/sp2004/index.htm</font</a>>
 >
 >
 > --
 > declinton DeleteThis @sympatico.ca
 > Linux User # 276385<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: memtest86 hangs, but Linux and Windows run okay