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If you've been using computers for a while, you probably understand the significance of RAM in a computer system. A computer operates smoothly when its RAM is stable. However, after extended use, RAM can develop faults, affecting the system's performance or even preventing it from booting up. Therefore, regular monitoring of RAM health is crucial. In this article, we'll guide you through some methods to check for RAM issues. Stay tuned!
1. Utilize Windows Memory Diagnostic Feature
Windows Memory Diagnostic is an integrated feature in Windows designed to help diagnose RAM issues. There are two ways to access this feature:
Method 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, then type mdsched.exe and press Enter.
Method 2: Open Control Panel and select Administrative Tool.
Next, within the new window, choose Windows Memory Diagnostic from the options.
After opening Windows Memory Diagnostic using one of the above methods, a window will appear. Click on Restart now and check for problems (recommended) to reboot your computer and begin the RAM checking process. Note: Before selecting this option, make sure to close all running applications.
Upon restarting, your computer will automatically enter the RAM Test screen. Wait a moment for the testing process to complete. The computer will reboot once more and boot directly into Windows.
After booting into Windows, you can view the results by opening Event Viewer, following the same steps as in method 2 above.
In the Event Viewer window, navigate to Windows logs -> System. Then, in the list of events, locate the event named Source MemoryDiagnostics-Results and double-click it to open.
In the results section, if you see 'no errors,' it means your RAM is free of any issues.
2. Utilize MemTest86 Software to Test RAM
This method is applicable when you can't access Windows. MemTest86 software doesn't run within the Windows environment; instead, you need to create a bootable USB with MemTest86 to use it.
You can download the software from the official Memtest86 website:
https://www.memtest86.com/download.htm
This software offers both paid and free versions, but you only need to download the free version.
After downloading, extract the files and proceed to create a MemTest86 bootable USB drive.
Prepare a USB drive with sufficient capacity, ensuring it has no important data as it will be formatted.
Insert the USB drive into your computer and run the imageUSB.exe file extracted in the previous step.
The USB boot creation window appears. Follow Steps 1 to 4 sequentially.
Step 1: Choose the USB connected to your computer.
Step 2: Select the mode for writing the image file to the USB.
Step 3: Choose the memtest86-usb.img file, typically located within the extracted folder. The software usually selects it automatically.
Step 4: Press Write to initiate USB boot creation. If prompted, simply press Yes.
Wait a few minutes for the USB creation process to complete.
Once the USB boot is created, insert it into the computer you want to test the RAM on. Boot up the computer from the connected USB.
Once the computer boots into the USB, you'll encounter the interface as shown below. Enter '1' and press Enter to access the RAM Test interface.
Here is the RAM testing interface, the software will automatically run and scan for RAM errors. You need to wait for the software to complete 7 passes to accurately detect errors. If there are errors, they will appear in the Errors section. The error-checking process can take quite a while, possibly several hours depending on the RAM capacity, so please be patient.
Above is the guide on how to check for RAM errors. Hopefully, through this article, you will know the condition of your computer's RAM to avoid encountering errors. Wishing you success!
