Acer Veritron S661 Shuts down after installing more RAM!

saaqi
saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

Hello Everybody,

 

I recently bought a used Acer Veritron S661 Desktop PC. It has

 

Intel Core2 Duo E6550 2.33ghz Processor.

Intel Q35 Chipset

2GB of Ram

80GB of Hard Drive

DVD RW

 

Now after buying it I instantly replaced the hard disk with a brand new WD 1TB Green Caviar Hard dirve. And bought new 2gb Ram Module.

 

The hard disk is working fine but after installing the new Ram the system shuts down after a few minutes of loading windows.

 

Both Ram modules are okay because if I place only 1 ram in any slot it works. No problems at all. But when I install both rams the system just turns off. No warning no nothing just Blank.

 

Both rams are of same frequency 800. Both are 400Mhz. CPUID shows the same info.

 

I have tried memtest86 too. Same thing happens in there with only 1 ram all 10 tests pass no problems but when both rams are installed system turns off on the very first test.

 

Now I thought that the motherboard or PSU might be faulty. I took the system back from where I bought it. He had 4 more Aver Vertiron S661. And yes the same thing happened to all of the systems. Every single one of them.

 

Now I beg of you please I don't have a lot of money to burn so please help me someone. I shall be very grateful. Thank you

Answers

  • Furious
    Furious Member Posts: 9 New User

    To be able to diagnose what might be causing your system to crash, i need the dump files.Navigate to C:\Windows\Minidump. Drag and drop the file/files into a folder on you desktop and send it to a compressed zipped folder.
    How? Simply right click on the folder and in the dropdown list, select send to "compressed (zipped) folder.

    Upload the file/folder to a file sharing site (examples and instructions below) and make the folder "public" and share the link here so i can run them them through a windows debugger.

    How do I share folders with other people?
    Dropbox
    https://www.dropbox.com/help/19

    googledrive
    How to share.
    https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2494822?hl=en

    Onedrive.
    Share files and folders and change permissions

  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Thank you very much for the reply.

     

    There is no folder called Minidump in my C:\Windows\ only folders starting with M are Media, Microsoft.NET, Migration & ModemLogs.

     

    I am running Windows 7 Enterprise 64-Bit Edition. I have also tried Windows 8.1 Enterprise 64-Bit. I have tried Ubunutu 32-Bit. When I run memtest86 from DOS same thing happens.

     

    Do I  need to have a software or something to get the Minidump?

     

    Thank you again.

     

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    Can you check your BIOS version?

    the latest seems: R01.C0

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    After your suggestion I booted the system into DOS and updated the BIOS. Same problem happens. System shuts down if 2 Ram Modules installed but works fine with only 1 module.

     

    Is there any other suggestion?

     

    Thank you very much for the reply.

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    Ram voltage is the same of the old?

     

    Was the new ram placed on the correct slots?

     

    orange-orange

    purple-purple

     

     

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Yes sir, CPU-Z shows the same info for Rams.

     

    DDR2

    Module Size: 2048 MBytes

    Max Bandwidth: PC2-6400 (400 MHZ)

    Manufacturer: First (Samsung) / Second (Kingston)

    Part Number & Serial Number are different too.

     

     

    Frequency, CAS# Latency, RAS# to CAS#, RAS# Pecharge, tRAS, tRC & Voltage are exactly the same.

     

    Voltage for both is 1.80 V

     

    sshot-1.png

  • IronFly
    IronFly ACE Posts: 18,413 Trailblazer

    I'm out of ideas.

    I'm not an Acer employee.
  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Okay, Thank you for your time.

  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Can any one else pelase suggest something. I have to run 64Bit windows because some of my required softwares are only 64bit and 2GB of RAM is just not working for me. Thank you

  • techy
    techy Member Posts: 56 Troubleshooter

    it is possible that the two ram stick are just not compatible, they may have the same specs but they are two different brands, i have seen this issue before, you said you went back to where you bought this pc, have you asked them to remove a stick of ram from one of their pc and put it in yours, just make sure the brands match, if this does not help then the ram slot may be dead, but not likely, i would say it`s just the brand of ram is not compatible with each other

  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Did that too sir. The rams are fine. Installed Samsung Identical Rams still the same problem. I have an old pc with 965 chipset motherboard. It's Acer Veritron 3900pro. 

     

    Both rams work fine. No shut down no error in memtest86. It works fine.

     

    Maybe the motherboards in Vertiron S661 are designed to run only 2GB of ram.

     

    Here is the combination list I tried with the board and results

     

    2GB = Pass

     

    2GB + 2GB = Fail

     

    2GB + 1GB = Fail

     

    1GB + 1GB = Pass

     

    1GB + 512MB = Pass

     

    1GB + 1GB + 512MB = Fail

     

    1GB + 1GB + 512MB + 512MB = Fail

     

    512MB + 512MB = Pass

     

    512MB + 512MB + 512MB = Pass

     

    512MB + 512MB + 512MB + 512MB = Pass

  • techy
    techy Member Posts: 56 Troubleshooter

    the only thing i can add is the 965 chipset can address up to 4 gig of ram, but only in 256, 512, and 1 gig modules, looking at your test, it looks like one of your ram slots appears to be non-functional, when you boot the computer look in the bios to see if the memory is showing, if you get it to work you will need a 64 bit OS to be able to use the total 4 gig, 32 bit OS will not see it.

    Have you tried putting one ram module in one slot run mem test, then move it to the next ram slot and run the test again, until you have done all 4 slots, also make sure you run memtest multiple times as the error may not happen right away, also make sure your bios is up to date.

    looking at your test not sure how the 2 gig module passed, but max module should be 1 gig so only four 1 gig modules should only work to obtain max memory, also to note as you say system shuts down after adding memory, of which draws more power, this computer has only a 250 watt power supply of which may be on its way out and not be able to supply enough juice, this is also a worth issue to look at, if you replace it look at something of at least 350 watts, maybe an issue to find one for it`s age.

  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Checked all of that too boss. Installed three or four 512 modules it works fine no power issue.

     

    Installed SIngles and doubles on the combination of slots if the memory is lower than 2GB works fine on either slots. If it's above lights out. No error no warning just black out.

     

    And about bios like I mentioned before is full udpated first it was older I updated from Acer.

     

    And about 965 sir. 2GB modules only two installed working fine. Check this out.

     

    Image 1.png

     

    Image 2.png

     

    Image 3.png

     

    Image 4.png

     

    Image 5.png

     

  • techy
    techy Member Posts: 56 Troubleshooter

    okay, just looked over you cpu-z post, noted the bios reads an older version from whats on acers web page, as your version is from 2007, acers page is from 2010, try updating the bios to the current R01.CO

  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Don't worry about that. It's my older PC Acer Vertron 3900pro. This works fine. That is what I was telling you. The rams work fine with 2GB modules on 965 Chipsets. If it was Q35 motherboard Acer it would have been turned off until I could even open Chrome. 

     

    The problem is with Acer S661 Q35 Motherboard.  It's bios is R01.C0. I downloaded it from here

     

    http://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/BIOS/BIOS/BIOS_Acer_R01.C0_A_A.zip?acerid=634045663469509944&Step1=DESKTOP&Step2=VERITON&Step3=VERITON%20S661&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=AAP_10

     

    Then made a bootable USB, extracted the zip on the USB, booted into DOS.

     

    got into "USB\DosTools" and used "FLASH1M.BAT" to update the BIOS. Successfuly updated the BIOS but the problem is still there.

  • techy
    techy Member Posts: 56 Troubleshooter

    okay, just pointing out your cpu-z post shows bios as r03-a3 which differs from acers page of R01-C0, but if you say it is R01-CO then i am at a loss

  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Yeah I am at a loss too. I am not a noob I am dealing with computers for a very long time. I have done every thing I know. The conclusion I have reached to is maybe those motherboards are not designed to run more than 2GB of ram.

  • Snuffy
    Snuffy Member Posts: 150 Fixer WiFi Icon
    some mobos will not work properly unless the MEMORY is the same specs. 4 slots and can take 2GB ea slot... = 8 gb. http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-memory-for/Acer/veriton-s661
  • saaqi
    saaqi Member Posts: 11 New User

    Hello, Thanks for that suggestion. Unfortunately I don't have 4 modules of 2GB Ram. And I am not going to buy so much ram any way. I can just buy a new mobo in that price.

     

    All in all this is a pretty stupid problem. Smiley Frustrated I don't know why I have made it a challenge to solve. Smiley Mad

     

    Looks like my Acer S661 is going to collect dust.

     

    Thank you all for taking the time to help me. I am giving up on this one. Smiley Sad

  • Snuffy
    Snuffy Member Posts: 150 Fixer WiFi Icon
    Sorry to hear about the Dust Collector, i only offered the Crucial info that shows what your system will use. I did not recommend the purchase of memory from, just info. and since you know how to test memory, make sure the slowest memory is 1st read, and then down the line, always the slowest first in sequence and the fastest is last.... and plz remember "No question Ask is STUPID, to ask is never a bad thing, and as once i was told "The only STUPID Question is the one you never ask"
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