T42p RAM upgrade

[johnworley77]

I recently upgraded my T42p from XP to Windows 7 and ordered 2 1 GB PC2700 RAM strips to increase the current 1 GB (2x512). I first ordered some off E-bay and when I installed it, it would not boot - no IBM screen or anything. I put the old RAM back in and it booted just fine. I tried 3 or 4 times to make sure it was seated well, but no luck. I assumed it was bad or the wrong type, so I returned it and then ordered some from Buy.com that was specifically for a T42p type 2373 and when I got it, it did exactly the same thing. It will not work in either slot, but the old RAM works just fine. Any ideas of why it will not let me upgrade to 2 GB of RAM?

Thanks

John Worley

[ajkula66]

Welcome to the forum!

ThinkPads can be finicky when it comes to RAM, not that often, but they will every now and then. My experience has been to use only premium brands and not any "value RAM" offerings...

YMMV.

[rkawakami]

If you can post some information as to the eBay auction and the Buy.com module you purchased, we may be able to tell you what, if anything, might be wrong.

edit - Found this at the T42/T42p BIOS upgrade page:

<1.07 (1RET36WW)>
Note:
This BIOS version will only work with Embedded Controller Program
Version 1.02.

<snip>

- (Fix) Cardbus memory area conflict with 2GB system memory.

Don't know if this would lead to a non-boot situation, but what BIOS version do you have in your system? Latest is 3.23.

[johnworley77]

The seller on e-bay was memory labs and I have already sent it back, so I can't tell exactly what it said on the memory, but the information on e-bay said it it name brand - IBM certified. The Buy.com memory says: Trump D1SC0816D DDR 1GB-333Mhz SO DIMM.

The BIOS version is:

BIOS Version/Date IBM 1RETDMWW (3.18 ), 9/15/2005
SMBIOS Version 2.33

Thanks for any insight you can give me

[A31]

you need to update your BIOS.
what processor and system board does your T42p have?? Your system board may not be able to cope with 2GB RAM and may only allow 1.2GB or 1.5GB max (1x 1GB chip + 1x 256MB or 512MB chip). I have 1.5GB RAM in my A31 and it is fine, it isn't a lot slower than my 2.0GB RAM desktop computers, if anything, it is faster.

Make sure you buy the right DDR (NOT DDR2, just DDR), right speed (either PC2100 or PC2700) and right DIMM type (SODIMM). I see that you bought DDR SDRAM PC2700 SODIMMs, next time you get more RAM, make sure you buy off a genuine seller and it isn't dead cheap. Usually, the cheaper something is, the more likely it is to break/go wrong.

Isn't Windows 7 fine on 1GB RAM anyway, if not, what is wrong with XP?? XP on a laptop is brilliant