A quick memory test?

slipd · 19 Aug 2009 at 11:46

Hey guys,

I've got an xp machine which keeps chucking up random (or in most cases, when I'm running either an av or spyware scan...) application memory errors. The favourite ones are windows defender from startup and the windows desktop search bar thing at odd intervals.

In the past I've always used memtest but that's been know to take up to 12 hours in the past to confirm any suspicions I've had about flaky memory

Does anyone know of any 'quick' tests that don't take quite so long to return a result?

Cheers!

CaptainCrash · 19 Aug 2009 at 12:11

AFAIK you can have quick or you can have thorough, the two are pretty much mutually exclusive. You could run a short test, but if you suspect dodgy memory and it still comes up negative then you're really none the wiser.

If I were you I'd just start memtest86 before you go to work, or leave it running overnight.

Memphis · 19 Aug 2009 at 12:16

CaptainCrash said:
If I were you I'd just start memtest86 before you go to work, or leave it running overnight.

This. When it comes to troubleshooting, you either do it properly, or you're just wasting your time. By it's very nature, testing is not a quick process.

Mattus · 19 Aug 2009 at 17:52

Can always Prime95 it for a reasonable indication. If it fails quickly on the blend test but survives the small FFT test, memory is the likely culprit.