600 Freezing

[pulse]

Hello:

I'd like to say "hi" to everyone. I just found this fourm and am very impressed, this place is a goldmine of information.

I have an IBM 600x 2645-4EU. It has a new 40 GB HD with an 8 GB boot partition and 2 additional new 256 MB PC100 SODIMM's. Both memory sticks are the same FRU number (33L3070) but were manufactured in different years so one is a PC100 and one is a PC100/133.

It boots just fine. 90% of this time it runs very well. However, every other morning when I boot it up and try to launch IE, it will freeze. It only seems to freeze with IE and it's not a heat issue cause it can happen shortly after boot. I tried it with various memory configurations without success. I have not tried disabling the on-board memory yet.

I ran the Windows Memory Diagnostic and it came up with all kinds of errors, but I understand that that has been known to happen even on good systems.

So, has anyone seen this little problem before? Thanks.

[egibbs]

I don't know much about the 600X, and I don't know if it takes PC100 or PC133 - but I'd be willing to be it doesn't want both together. Pull one stick and see what happens.

Ed Gibbs

[JHEM]

Yank the PC133 memory out!

The 600X will only use lo-density PC100 256MB memory.

Are you saying the memory you have are both IBM branded sticks?

Or is one an aftermarket offering that says it's "equivalent to" 33L3070?

Regards,

James

[Rob Mayercik]

Yank the PC133 memory out!

The 600X will only use lo-density PC100 memory.

Are you saying the memory you have are both IBM branded sticks?

Or is one an aftermarket offering that says it's "equivalent to" 33L3070?

Regards,

James

Really? I've got a pair of unknown brand PC133, 128MB sticks in my 600 (2645-45U), and have no problems at all with them. If you like, I can post all the information I can get off of them tonight.

If IE is the only app that is freezing, perhaps one of its files is corrupted - you might want to try reinstalling it. I'd advise getting a second browser set up first (otherwise you'll be up the proverbial creek without a paddle if something doesn't go right). FireFox is popular 'round these parts (I use it almost exclusively - Windows Update, the lastest Outlook Web Access, and at work are the only times I still use IE), but there are other good ones around if you look.

Rob

[JHEM]

[Really? I've got a pair of unknown brand PC133, 128MB sticks in my 600 (2645-45U), and have no problems at all with them. If you like, I can post all the information I can get off of them tonight.

Not necessary Rob, it's only "critical" with the 256MB sticks, many 64MB and 128MB PC100/PC133 sticks are usable.

Hmm..... I'll have to edit my original post to reflect I was referring to 256MB sticks.

Regards,

James

[pulse]

Thanks for your replies.

The sticks have the same FRU number. They both say PC100, but the one that was manufactured later also says PC133.

I have tried running it on the one that says PC100 only with the same results.

[SeanM]

Pulse, heat goes both ways -- you can have a failure because the machine is cold or because it's hot. Does it only fail right after you boot it?

What are you using for viruses / spyware?

[pulse]

Hi:

Well, the room should neveer have fallen below 50 degrees F.

I was using Norton AV 2003, but I also rebuilt it a few times without installing AV at all with the same results.

It's a very strange problem that makes me think that it's the mobo.

[whizkid]

I would be more suspicious of Windows and IE than the hardware. Download PC-Doctor from IBM's support site for the 600X. Run the memory test overnight... or a weekend.

Also try memtest86. You can make a bootable floppy that will punish your RAM for days on end.

If those both say you're golden... then you are. Time to re-install software.