BSOD after RAM upgrade

mushtafa · 22 Mar 2021 at 19:14

I've got an old Toshiba Tecra A11 laptop. It's currently running 3GB of RAM and needs an update.

I bought 2x 4gb modules and installed them today. The laptop posts, but Windows fails to load. I get an instant BSOD 'KERNEL_SECURITY_CHECK_FAILURE'.

I get this with either single module fitted and both fitted.

The BIOS is showing the RAM correctly.

The laptop boots fine with the existing modules back in.

Is this a Windows issue? Would I be wasting my time attempting a re-install?

Any pointers please?

JohnG7 · 22 Mar 2021 at 19:18

Laptops and even oem PC's like dell etc back in the day can be very fussy about memory, last time I bought laptop memory it the seller would only sell it if the laptop was in the list of compatible machines.

mushtafa · 22 Mar 2021 at 19:39

I assumed that as it POSTs and shows it correctly in the BIOS it would work?

Perhaps I'll have to get some slower stuff then

KompuKare · 22 Mar 2021 at 20:16

Toshiba Tecra A11 isn't precise enough to find this on those memory compatibility sites, but one did list DDR3L for a A11-1ED.
So it might be a 1.5V vs 1.35V thing. Guess it depends on how fuzzy the OEM and BIOS.
I'm a firm believer in booting of a live Linux to quickly test out hardware. Some Linux distros still come with MemTest which is a bonus.

mushtafa · 22 Mar 2021 at 21:08

It's an A11-14M-SPX, part no. PTSE0E-01Q031PU

The current RAM is mixed modules;
1. Samsung 2GB 2Rx8 PC3-8500S-07-10-F2
2. Hynix 1GB 1Rx8 PC3-10600S-9-10-B1

New RAM (to me);
1. Samsung 4GB 1Rx8 PC3L-12800S-11-13-B4 (Has a Lenovo part no.)
2. Samsung 4GB 1Rx8 PC3L-12800S-11-11-B2 (Has a HP part no.)

I didn't actually realise they were different modules with different timings until I just took a closer look. They were sold as a pair. I saw they were both Samsung modules with the same speed and assumed they'd be OK.