Problem with my memory!!

[sonofisis]

First and Foremost, I have no Viruses or Adware, It's a clean and new O.S..

This is weird.. I have a Gateway Computer, Intel P4 2.5GHZ, 706MB of RAM running on Windows XP SP1.... I had it for about a year, and it ran fine. I usually reinstall Windows once a month, well, the last 2 installs, i've found that my memory gets too low now, waaaaay too quick.. If i let the computer sit for 20 minutes or so, then try to start programs back up, they won't load.. They all get stuck at 64K in the memory in task manager.. I keep having to restart about every 30 minutes!! I have a 512MB and 256MB stick of DDR memory inserted..   I had no recent hardware changes besides the installs of XP..  I usually surf on Internet Explorer, but now, i'm only allowed to surf for 20 minutes, then usually the applications fail and is unresponsive.. After I close try to reopen IE, or any other heavy program, they simply won't load.. I'm torturously forced to restart my computer every 30 minutes!!! and Does any one know a way for me to trouble shoot all of this, or any suggestions?

[R0SS]

Well you must have a viruses or spyware.


I dont know what it could be.


Errmmmmm

try microsoft anti-spyware

R0SS

[GX1_Man]

Doesn't DDR require 2 chips of the same size to function properly? (I know this will not solve the problem.)

I always enjoyed a reinstall of Windows, but it sounds like you are doing it waaaaaaay too often. There is something seriously amiss here.

There is some background process at work here eating up your CPU/RAM usage. Usually these are viruses/trojans, etc. You said you are clean, but what have you used?

Have you contacted Gateway about this issue or done a Google search to see if this is a widespread problem?

hang in there.

[Computer_Commando]

...It's a clean and new O.S...Windows XP SP1....

What do you mean by "new"?  WinXP-SP3 due for release.  Upgrade to SP2 immediately and then perform Windows Update.

[sonofisis]

^Not new, but a clean install.. I scaned my memory with PC Doctor, scanned with memtest, I scanned my hard drive, defragged, and all of that.. I even did a scheduled disk check, but when it finished and tried to boot back up, I got an error message on a Blue Screen that read,

Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing
xxx STOP: 0x00000006 (0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x000000000, 0x000000000)

In so many words.. I don't know how to disable these things.

I'm using RAM Def 2.5 and it regulates the memory well.. At first IE wouldn't open at all after like 30 minutes of running.. Now it opens fine, but it won't connect to the Net.. My anti virus still runs, but won't live update..  The internet won't connect.

Weird problem..

[dl65]

sonofisis.....First , let me say that you have sufficient ram for Xp to work well ......But given that you are unable to update your AV and can't access the internet , suggests to me that there is probably a virus present.
So ...I suggest trying this .
1..Turn off your system restore .
2..Shut down and restart in SAFE mode.
3..Run you anti virus in safe mode ......deleting anything it finds.
4...Run SpyBot and ad-Aware and of course remove anything it finds .
5...Reboot into Normal mode , go online and attempt to update your anti virus.
6...Rescan your pc .....again with your updated AV .
7...Go to Windows update page and get all the updates ...Including SP2 ....
8...Then D/L and install M/S antispyware Beta ........
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en
This is probably one of the better pest removers out there right now . ( it won't find everthing , but used in conjunction with the others , your puter will stay reasonably clean.)
9.... If your pc seems to be running ok .......turn back on your system restore .

Let us know how it goes .

dl65  

[merlin_2]

remove the added ram stick and test pc......

[sonofisis]

sonofisis.....First , let me say that you have sufficient ram for Xp to work well ......But given that you are unable to update your AV and can't access the internet , suggests to me that there is probably a virus present.
So ...I suggest trying this .
1..Turn off your system restore .
2..Shut down and restart in SAFE mode.
3..Run you anti virus in safe mode ......deleting anything it finds.
4...Run SpyBot and ad-Aware and of course remove anything it finds .
5...Reboot into Normal mode , go online and attempt to update your anti virus.
6...Rescan your pc .....again with your updated AV .
7...Go to Windows update page and get all the updates ...Including SP2 ....
8...Then D/L and install M/S antispyware Beta ........
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd-dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en
This is probably one of the better pest removers out there right now . ( it won't find everthing , but used in conjunction with the others , your puter will stay reasonably clean.)
9.... If your pc seems to be running ok .......turn back on your system restore .

Let us know how it goes .

dl65  

you have it all wrong.. AV can't connect only when my memory acts up.. I'm updated, and I've scanned for a virus.. I have none, I even said that already. I'm very familar with getting rid of a virus.. this is an unknown problem.. I have no viruses, My memory has been doing this the past two reinstalls I did of Windows..

[sonofisis]

remove the added ram stick and test pc......

I did that, I even switched places, then switched back.. I left the 256 MB stick in only at one point, and it did the same.. I would contact gateway, but i'm no longer under warranty..

[patio]

Uninstall RAM Def 2.5 and see if it improves. I've seen RAM optomisers act up this way.

patio.

[sonofisis]

Nevermind now guys.. I'm 99% sure that i've isolated the problem.. I was using Outpost Firewall, and I just uninstalled it.. Now that it's uninstalled, the internet doesn't mess up after 30 minutes, and everything loads fine.. I don't know why Outpost would prevent my Internet Explorer from opening, but that seems to have been the case. I've now been online for almost 2 hours, no problem, I hope that it isn't just a fluke, but i'm quite sure that there was a conflict with Outpost Firewall..

[GX1_Man]

^

I'm using RAM Def 2.5 and it regulates the memory well.. At first IE wouldn't open at all after like 30 minutes of running.. Now it opens fine, but it won't connect to the Net.. My anti virus still runs, but won't live update..  The internet won't connect.
Weird problem..

I would definitely start by losing RamDef, whatever the heck that is. If you need  programs like this, if it works, you've got other prolems. Let's just work on one issue and remove ALL of the variables.