Tutorial: How to use Memtest

Memtest ISO Download:: http://www.memtest.org/download/4.00/memtest86 -4.00.iso.zip
Or look here for any updates to Memtest: http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
Here's a free UnZip Program to Download: http://www.jzip.com/
Free ImgBurn ISO burning application Download: http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

Here's what it looks like when you burn the Memtest ISO to CD or DVD Blank media



Here's Memtest being run from the new Bootable CD: (note: pic supplied by Memtest.org)

Memtest should be run for 7 Passes (Approx. 4 Hrs) Also, notice the "Pass" up top of screen

If your Ram is found to be faulty (you will see a large red error box), here's all your options:
Buy new Ram, to replace the faulty Ram
That is all !

greattt thanks good tutorial

Hi, sorry if this seems noobish, is a memtest still relevant if I'm using a laptop? The only reason I'm looking at this is because I'm encountering BSODs very very often.

edit: When I run memtest, does it require user input in-between the recommended "7 passes"? I'm thinking of letting it run overnight or something.

Memtes86+ is still relevant and it doesn`t require any input after the initial set up.

Leaving it running over night is a good idea.

Gillian

Hey man. thanks a lot.. 7+ hours will took a long time...

Good Day again.. do u think if i replaced my 2sticks of RAM (1 GB both) and Placed a single 2GB of RAM. Do you think it will fix the problem?

I have a quick question, I have a PC that is shutting down during the memtest.
But prior to the reboot, there are no errors showing.

The original problem was that Windows would state that it is shutting down (at random times and no event log that are worth mentioning)

Is it pretty much a motherboard error then?

I tested two different sticks of 512 RAM (one at a time) in different DIMM slots with the same results. The computer shuts down in the middle of the memtest with no errors previously showing and at random times during the test.

I haven't had a computer shut down while testing memory. I had many memory errors while testing but have never had a motherboard shut down. If you're lucky you have a overheating problem, but you may be looking at broken parts. Take off your hard drive and anything else that isn't necessary for the test. Leave only your video card, motherboard, memory and whatever disk drive you're loading memtest from on your system and that's all. Try again, and let us know what happened.

Yup I unplugged everything except the keyboard and monitor and booted up to CMOS.
It was even shutting down in CMOS with no activity and nothing plugged in, no graphics card, no CD-ROM, no floppy, no hard drive, nothing but the keyboard and monitor in the default VGA slot attached to the motherboard (used the aftermarket graphics card for the earlier tests)

Im pretty sure at this point it is not the memory or the DIMM slots on the motherboard lol.
I tried two different RAM chips (one at a time and alternated the RAM to different DIMM slots between tests.)

Some other things that I did:
The temp was going back and forth from 44 C to 45 C before it shut down while in CMOS.

Then I plugged in the CD-ROM drive again and booted up to the memtest, ran the test again, and same result. It would shut down during various stages in the memtest.

Very frustrating, I even replaced the power supply with a brand new one and re-seed'd the processor and ran the memtest again, same results.

EDIT: Since Ive isolated that it is not the memory, I will post any future posts in regards to this issue in a different thread.
My original post was just inquiring if anyone had experienced, a PC with memory issues, shutting down during the MEM test.

Ok I downloaded memtest....but, I don't have a CD burning program on my computer....I usually use Windows Media Player for burning audio CDs, and drag and drop for burning photo CDs. I've never created a bootable CD so what should I do?

Please read post #21 just up there :rolleyes:

Any further help please create a New Thread

Not use the WinRAR?

Quick question....

I understand that u are not supposed to use WinRAR to unzip the file,
but that's the only unzipping tool I have.
Do I still have to unzip it but with another app or I just burn it onto a cd in the zipped form as it is??

Cheers Pam

Hi Pam... Post 21 tells you what you need to know.
Copying the iso to a cd ( as you may do with WIndows Explorer / File Manager)
is different from burning it to the cd. as described in note 21.
What you are doing is creating a bootable disk.

I just opened up Nero Burning ROM Then I choose a DVD-ROM (UDF/ISO) Search for the file and burn. This burning method seems to create bootable cds for me.

Edit: Didnt actually look at the last page before I posted. My bad! haha opps! :-D

Hello, I need help.
I am trying to do the imgburn for memtest like in post #21. But my memtest file is a zip and you all said not to open with zip. When I try in ImgBurn to browse and open memtest file it says error "invalid or unsupported image file format!" what am I doing wrong?

Look again at post #21 kimsland provides a link to a utility to open your Zipped Memtest file. You have to unzip the file; otherwise you won't be able to burn it. Unzip and you will get an image like shown on the first screen of the ImgBurn screen in post 21. It looks like a sheet of paper with the upper right hand corner folded and an image of a CD in front.

Double click this image and your burning software should automatically come up to burn.

Duh, Thanks!

thanks, it's informative.

I have sony vaio laptop Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1.
My cd drive does not work. It doesn't read cd's. And my laptop does not have a floppy drive.

what can I do to run memtest86+ ?

If you have the option to boot from USB then you can load the Memtest86+ bootable application onto a drive and run from USB.

thanks for tutorial and your effort.