Do Dell computers require proprietary memory or can you use any old kind?

[wchang99]

I just came home all happy from CompUSA because I'd gotten a good deal on a 64MB memory upgrade, stuck it in my computer and lo and behold, it wouldn't start up -- the error message was "Invalid VxD dynamic link call to device 3, service B. Your Windows configuration is invalid - run the Windows setup program to correct this problem".

I went into setup mode, and the new memory still wasn't being recognized -- it was showing that I only had 64MB instead of the 128MB that it would be with the new dimm -- so I powered off and removed the dimm. After rebooting, the machine noted that the memory had decreased, which seems to mean that it had actually detected it before, but just couldn't use it -- then continued booting up, without a hitch.

The dimm was seated properly, the notches lined up and the clips fastened onto the edges of the dimm. The CompUSA tech support guy said it might be that PC-100 SDRAMS don't work with 66mhz bus machines, that you need to use PC-66 -- but I recalled that people here have always said that you can use any memory faster than what your system bus is. So really, I'm not sure what to think of the CompUSA guy's explanation -- he didn't seem too sure himself, he was just making a guess by the information he had.

I suspect that it could be a Dell compatibility issue, even though it physically fits perfectly in the slot -- cause I do remember hearing something about that, though it might have been about non-standard motherboards or something else.

My specs: Dell Dimension XPS-D266, P2-266, Win 95, currently 64 MB RAM.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for any help, guys!

[Rat]

Have you tried the new RAM by itself? It is unlikely that it is because of the RAM being a PC100. Most likely your problem lies with whether or not the original RAM is ECC or NON-ECC. It's not a good idea to mix the two. Check to see if the old RAM is ECC and match what you have.

Rat...

[wchang99]

Thanks Rat...

It seems that the old and new RAM are all non-ECC. They only have 8 chips per side (the old ones have 8 on each of both sides, the new one has 8 all on one side) - that is the way to tell, right?

I also did try the new RAM by itself, before I learned the trick of counting the chips... The computer wouldn't start up. The CD drives would start spinning, but the monitor would stay off (power save mode).

I checked on another variable, 2 or 4 clock cycles, and the Dell I have supports both kinds, so that shouldn't be a factor.

[Rat]

You can't tell whether a Ram stick is ECC or not by counting the chips; you have to research the part #'s in most cases. Your owners manual may tell you what's in there if the old stick is original. There is a setting in the BIOS to enable/disable the ECC of the RAM. Alot of people run out and get RAM without checking what they have. There are other variables with the selection of RAM. PC 100 should work fine in a Dell and there should be no compatibility problems with non-Dell RAM. I would, however, stay with brand name RAM such as PNY or Crucial. The generics don't seem to hold out very well.

Rat...

[engracio]

wchang99,

I ran into the same problem you had. I was upgrading a friends gateway pentium 266 from 32mb to 64mb. When I used a generic pc100 64mb stick, nada. Tried a generic I think 64mb pc133 and it booted right up.

Ram incompatibility, btw, the pc100 works fine on other machines.

ee