Dave Stevens wrote:
Hi,
I have a dual boot system with Windows and Linux on separate drives. After
some recent problems with booting I ran memtest86. In 40 hours more or less I
got about 600 memory errors. I don't like this but am somewhat at a loss to
understand how it compares to other systems or what consequences are likely
to stem from this. What I want to avoid is system instability and
unpredictable behaviour. Can anyone point me to more information about how to
interpret this result? or has anyone an opinion?
Dave
Typically, ANY errors from memtest are significant.
Looking at it one way: Can you afford 600 crashed programs in a 40 hour
block?
Realistically, what matters most is where the errors are. If they all
occur in a specific range that all appear on a single memory card, then
pulling the card can keep you going until you can replace it.
However, modern systems almost all have 'matched pairs', as in dual mode
memory.
The bottom line? You can and will experience problems until the memory
issues are resolved.
Reseating and retesting are the easiest. Be sure to use a can of
compressed air to clean off the contact points before reseating or
replacing the memory. If it continues to fail, you must replace it.
