Why Does Reseating RAM Help With Troubleshooting?

Search

Everywhere Threads This forum This thread Search titles only Note By: Search Advanced search… Everywhere Threads This forum This thread Search titles only By: Search Advanced… Log in Register What's new

Search

Everywhere Threads This forum This thread Search titles only Note By: Search Advanced search… Everywhere Threads This forum This thread Search titles only By: Search Advanced… Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar Menu Install the app Install How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• Home
• Featured
• Forums New posts Search forums
• What's new Featured content New posts Latest activity

• GPU price tracking 2026: Lowest price on every graphics card from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel today — here are the best deals during the AI-driven pricing crisis!

Why does reseating RAM help with troubleshooting?

• Thread starter Thread starter UKickAss
• Start date Start date Dec 31, 2017
• Tags Tags A4Tech Gaming Headsets

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar

• Home
• Forums
• Hardware
• Systems

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Status Not open for further replies.

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 This is less a question asking for help and more a question out of curiosity. So, this morning I wake up and go to turn on my PC but nothing happens, no fans spinning, no lights apart from the motherboard's green LED light. However, last night the computer was working fine. In fact, I hadn't had an issue with the PC for 2 straight years. But then all of a sudden it decided to stop working? It wasn't like I put the PC under some heavy load as yesterday I was just playing some CSGO and watching some youtube videos, that's it. So the first thing I did was, of course, check that the power cable going into the case wasn't loose. Then I took out one RAM stick and I managed to boot with 4GB. Then, I turned off the computer and put the other stick in and it worked fine. So, my question is, why does reseating RAM sticks (in fact, any component) sometimes solve troubleshooting issues? This is especially puzzling because I'm trying the figure out what would have caused the computer to stop working overnight. Solution Fully agree with Phillip Corcoran. In fact, this is the RAM sub-type of one of my most often-used troubleshooting tools. Connectors of almost any type are subject to slow oxidation of the metal surfaces, and the oxides formed are insulators. Eventually that process can create a bad connection point across one or more pins in the connector. If you GENTLY (to avoid damaging nearby stuff) disconnect and re-connect it several times WITH THE POWER OFF!!! that action can "scrub" away some of the offending oxide layer and restore the connections. The is an easy thing to do, costs nothing, and harms nothing if done right. If it does not solve your problem, go on the the next troubleshooting step. Sort by date Sort by votes

Dark Lord of Tech

Retired Moderator

Aug 18, 2009 128,859 1,892 159,590 Sometimes they just are a fraction off and it causes the PC not too boot. Have seen some failed sticks also cause a PC not to boot. Upvote 0 Downvote

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 Sometimes they just are a fraction off and it causes the PC not too boot. Have seen some failed sticks also cause a PC not to boot. Sorry if this is a dumb question but what do you mean by a fraction off? Upvote 0 Downvote

Dark Lord of Tech

Retired Moderator

Aug 18, 2009 128,859 1,892 159,590 Insertion of memory modules not complete. My oldest son bumped his setup last year with his elbow , then it wouldn't boot. Tried power connections first and nothing. Told him to reseat the modules and presto everthing fine. Upvote 0 Downvote

Phillip Corcoran

Titan

Moderator Sep 7, 2013 26,143 933 120,140 Often a problem can occur as a result of poor connectivity between the RAM edge-connectors & the connectors inside the slot. Reseating the RAM usually fixes that - - which is why we suggest it when cause of PC problem is not immediately obvious. It's just a basic troubleshooting step in the process of elimination (ie eliminating any simple causes before spending money on hardware replacement ). Upvote 1 Downvote

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 Ok, thanks guys for the answers. Really appreciated! Upvote 0 Downvote P

Paperdoc

Polypheme

Ambassador Oct 19, 2006 12,050 1,339 69,340 Fully agree with Phillip Corcoran. In fact, this is the RAM sub-type of one of my most often-used troubleshooting tools. Connectors of almost any type are subject to slow oxidation of the metal surfaces, and the oxides formed are insulators. Eventually that process can create a bad connection point across one or more pins in the connector. If you GENTLY (to avoid damaging nearby stuff) disconnect and re-connect it several times WITH THE POWER OFF!!! that action can "scrub" away some of the offending oxide layer and restore the connections. The is an easy thing to do, costs nothing, and harms nothing if done right. If it does not solve your problem, go on the the next troubleshooting step. Upvote 0 Downvote Solution

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 Paperdoc : Fully agree with Phillip Corcoran. In fact, this is the RAM sub-type of one of my most often-used troubleshooting tools. Connectors of almost any type are subject to slow oxidation of the metal surfaces, and the oxides formed are insulators. Eventually that process can create a bad connection point across one or more pins in the connector. If you GENTLY (to avoid damaging nearby stuff) disconnect and re-connect it several times WITH THE POWER OFF!!! that action can "scrub" away some of the offending oxide layer and restore the connections. The is an easy thing to do, costs nothing, and harms nothing if done right. If it does not solve your problem, go on the the next troubleshooting step. Awesome! So, is there any way that I could prevent or slow down the process of oxidation in the future? Or is it just inevitable? Upvote 0 Downvote

gdmaclew

Distinguished

May 20, 2008 1,546 92 20,240 UKickAss : Paperdoc : Fully agree with Phillip Corcoran. In fact, this is the RAM sub-type of one of my most often-used troubleshooting tools. Connectors of almost any type are subject to slow oxidation of the metal surfaces, and the oxides formed are insulators. Eventually that process can create a bad connection point across one or more pins in the connector. If you GENTLY (to avoid damaging nearby stuff) disconnect and re-connect it several times WITH THE POWER OFF!!! that action can "scrub" away some of the offending oxide layer and restore the connections. The is an easy thing to do, costs nothing, and harms nothing if done right. If it does not solve your problem, go on the the next troubleshooting step. Awesome! So, is there any way that I could prevent or slow down the process of oxidation in the future? Or is it just inevitable? You could run your PC in a vacuum. No oxygen = no oxidation. Upvote 0 Downvote

Karadjgne

Titan

Ambassador Dec 26, 2012 30,754 4,555 142,790 Do you remember the original Nintendo cartridges? They had that green board with all those gold strips. That went to a receptacle that had metal pins on springs. As the strips made contact, the outer layer of oxidation gets scratched off, allowing full contact between the pin and the strip. Exactly the same as ram. Depending on the air quality in the house, pollutants like smoke from cigarettes etc, moisture levels, case dust, pollen, dander, acid etc all those can affect speed of oxidation. And considering the size of the pins/strips it doesn't take much to interrupt just 1 pin flow. And no, even a vacuum does not work, you'd still need airflow for cooling purposes. You'd need to run the system inside an air proof, sealed, system using 100% inert gasses to simulate airflow or under liquid like the mineral spirits cases which have oxidation cleaning properties. Upvote 0 Downvote

gdmaclew

Distinguished

May 20, 2008 1,546 92 20,240 Karadjgne : Do you remember the original Nintendo cartridges? They had that green board with all those gold strips. That went to a receptacle that had metal pins on springs. As the strips made contact, the outer layer of oxidation gets scratched off, allowing full contact between the pin and the strip. Exactly the same as ram. Depending on the air quality in the house, pollutants like smoke from cigarettes etc, moisture levels, case dust, pollen, dander, acid etc all those can affect speed of oxidation. And considering the size of the pins/strips it doesn't take much to interrupt just 1 pin flow. And no, even a vacuum does not work, you'd still need airflow for cooling purposes. You'd need to run the system inside an air proof, sealed, system using 100% inert gasses to simulate airflow or under liquid like the mineral spirits cases which have oxidation cleaning properties. I stand corrected. Upvote 0 Downvote

Karadjgne

Titan

Ambassador Dec 26, 2012 30,754 4,555 142,790 No worries, as in most things ppl look at obvious fixes and for oxidation you'd be perfectly correct, no O²=no oxidation. It's what comes after that many miss, no heat dissipation=1 hot cpu and heat won't travel over a perfect vacuum as there's no medium for transference. That includes sound. Upvote 0 Downvote

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 gdmaclew : UKickAss : Paperdoc : Fully agree with Phillip Corcoran. In fact, this is the RAM sub-type of one of my most often-used troubleshooting tools. Connectors of almost any type are subject to slow oxidation of the metal surfaces, and the oxides formed are insulators. Eventually that process can create a bad connection point across one or more pins in the connector. If you GENTLY (to avoid damaging nearby stuff) disconnect and re-connect it several times WITH THE POWER OFF!!! that action can "scrub" away some of the offending oxide layer and restore the connections. The is an easy thing to do, costs nothing, and harms nothing if done right. If it does not solve your problem, go on the the next troubleshooting step. Awesome! So, is there any way that I could prevent or slow down the process of oxidation in the future? Or is it just inevitable? You could run your PC in a vacuum. No oxygen = no oxidation. Karadjgne : Do you remember the original Nintendo cartridges? They had that green board with all those gold strips. That went to a receptacle that had metal pins on springs. As the strips made contact, the outer layer of oxidation gets scratched off, allowing full contact between the pin and the strip. Exactly the same as ram. Depending on the air quality in the house, pollutants like smoke from cigarettes etc, moisture levels, case dust, pollen, dander, acid etc all those can affect speed of oxidation. And considering the size of the pins/strips it doesn't take much to interrupt just 1 pin flow. And no, even a vacuum does not work, you'd still need airflow for cooling purposes. You'd need to run the system inside an air proof, sealed, system using 100% inert gasses to simulate airflow or under liquid like the mineral spirits cases which have oxidation cleaning properties. Karadjgne : No worries, as in most things ppl look at obvious fixes and for oxidation you'd be perfectly correct, no O²=no oxidation. It's what comes after that many miss, no heat dissipation=1 hot cpu and heat won't travel over a perfect vacuum as there's no medium for transference. That includes sound. So what you're saying is it would not be possible to maintain a computer on its own in a vacuum due to the lack of heat dissipation to the surrounding particles (meaning the components would eventually fry)? If that is the case, then how would space stations function? Do they use stuff like coolants or some shit? Where would the heat radiated from the components on the station go if there is no atmosphere to radiate it to (as you can tell I don't know much about space and space stations)? Upvote 0 Downvote

Karadjgne

Titan

Ambassador Dec 26, 2012 30,754 4,555 142,790 It's like - 400° in the shade, and space isn't a perfect vacuum, it's just airless. Space itself is full of particles of nitrogen, hydrogen etc. Anything outside will freeze almost instantly if not protected, but that's only on contact or long exposure. Human flesh takes like a minute to drop to that temperature, but once your skin is that cold it travels fast. So a pc in space will not fry as cooling fins will become extremely cold very fast and cpus don't put out enough heat to overcome that. Upvote 0 Downvote

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 Karadjgne : It's like - 400° in the shade, and space isn't a perfect vacuum, it's just airless. Space itself is full of particles of nitrogen, hydrogen etc. Anything outside will freeze almost instantly if not protected, but that's only on contact or long exposure. Human flesh takes like a minute to drop to that temperature, but once your skin is that cold it travels fast. So a pc in space will not fry as cooling fins will become extremely cold very fast and cpus don't put out enough heat to overcome that. Man, you just dropped the KNAWLEDGE bomb on me. Appreciated though! I kinda wanna do some more research on this now. Upvote 0 Downvote

Karadjgne

Titan

Ambassador Dec 26, 2012 30,754 4,555 142,790 Lol. Upvote 0 Downvote

g-unit1111

Titan

Moderator Jul 27, 2011 42,963 898 104,940 Insertion of memory modules not complete. My oldest son bumped his setup last year with his elbow , then it wouldn't boot. Tried power connections first and nothing. Told him to reseat the modules and presto everthing fine. Mine was due to a faulty CPU socket. It's mainly a problem with AMD rigs as opposed to Intel rigs, and I assume that's due to AMD using the plastic socket design. I had a similar problem - I checked and rechecked all the connections and everything, wouldn't turn on. Only after removing the CPU from the socket did I determine that was the problem. So I RMA'd my motherboard and everything is fine again. Upvote 0 Downvote P

Paperdoc

Polypheme

Ambassador Oct 19, 2006 12,050 1,339 69,340 Thanks for Best Solution. Unfortunately, oxidation (and minor dirt contamination) happens to all systems, but only slowly. Upvote 0 Downvote

UKickAss

Distinguished

Jul 17, 2013 97 1 18,645 Paperdoc : Thanks for Best Solution. Unfortunately, oxidation (and minor dirt contamination) happens to all systems, but only slowly. Np bro! Upvote 0 Downvote D

dj_icarus

Reputable

Dec 8, 2014 1 0 4,510 fresh windows on a fresh ssd on my pc with a motherboard which has 2 ddr4 RAM slots. the next day i powered it on and it shut off seconds later over and over until i i literally popped out the second ram stick. good so far, mem diagnostic tool reported no problems. mind blown Upvote 0 Downvote Status Not open for further replies. Share: Facebook X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link

TRENDING THREADS

• Tom's Hardware Member System Gallery
  • Started by tecmo34
  • Apr 30, 2011
  • Replies: 5K
  Systems
• DiscussionWhat's your favourite video game you've been playing?
  • Started by amdfangirl
  • Aug 3, 2014
  • Replies: 4K
  PC Gaming
• NewsMicrosoft purges Windows 11 printer drivers, putting millions of devices on borrowed time — legacy printers face extinction as Microsoft stops dist...
  • Started by Admin
  • Saturday at 12:25 PM
  • Replies: 66
  News Comments
• NewsDutch authorities allegedly seize VPN server without a warrant — company claims that law enforcement will return it after analyzing the device fully
  • Started by Admin
  • Saturday at 7:15 AM
  • Replies: 33
  News Comments
• NewsCorsair fights back against RAM scammers and thieves with packaging shift — ditches iconic yellow boxes for transparent plastic and anti-tampering...
  • Started by Admin
  • Yesterday at 1:25 PM
  • Replies: 7
  News Comments
• A QuestionHelp needed with issue involving fiber optic HDMI cord ?
  • Started by Aussie_Wolfhound
  • Today at 5:17 AM
  • Replies: 0
  Home Audio & Theater
• NewsTachyum forced to shutter R&D office due to unpaid rent, wages, and taxes — firm still claims forthcoming Prodigy chip will have a 21x performance...
  • Started by Admin
  • 57 minutes ago
  • Replies: 0
  News Comments

Latest posts

• QuestionUnexpected motherboard/RAM issue after testing a different set of RAM sticks ?
  • Latest: Gururu
  • A moment ago
  Motherboards
• L QuestionMy AIO is dying, so I'm considering going back to air cooled ?
  • Latest: LeVzi
  • 6 minutes ago
  Cooling
• A QuestionHelp needed with issue involving fiber optic HDMI cord ?
  • Latest: Aussie_Wolfhound
  • Today at 5:17 AM
  Home Audio & Theater
• B QuestionPublic IP behind pfSense ?
  • Latest: bill001g
  • Today at 5:04 AM
  Networking
• DiscussionI've been hacked
  • Latest: BFG-9000
  • Today at 4:09 AM
  Antivirus / Security / Privacy
• QuestionMy PC keeps restarting ?
  • Latest: tatsuyasora
  • Today at 3:40 AM
  Graphics Cards
• L QuestionMy DisplayPort cable is a bit wiggly inside of my GPU ?
  • Latest: LuKaWin10
  • Today at 2:57 AM
  Graphics Cards

Moderators online

• 
• 
• 

Share this page

Facebook X Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link COMPANY Space.com is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. RESOURCES

• Advertising
• Cookies Policies
• Privacy
• Term & Conditions
• Topics

FOLLOW Facebook Twitter Instagram Top Bottom