A user complains that her computer is responding very slowly. She also says that when booting the PC, it reports a lower value for memory than she assumed is available. You investigate and consider the idea that one of the RAM sticks in her PC may have become unseated. Detail the steps you would take to determine how to diagnose and reseat the RAM.

In a situation where I suspected that a user’s memory sticks may not be fully seated, I would suggest the following. First with the system powered on I would have the user check ‘msinfo32’ under ‘System Summary’ to see if the amount of memory they suspect is installed in the system is listed there. Second, I would have the user open up task manager and select ‘Performance’ and then ‘Memory’ to see if the number of slots used in the system is correct. If the software was reporting back the incorrect amount of memory or number of slots used on the motherboard, I would have the user re-seat the memory using the following steps.

  First power the system off and unplug it from the power source. Then hold the power button for ten seconds to clear as much of the system power from the motherboard as possible. Next I would have them remove watches and rings from their hands and open up the case so they can reach the memory. If the user had any ESD straps I would have them ground themselves to the system. Then I would have them remove all memory modules from the system by pressing open the levers on ether end of the memory slots. Next, I would have them firmly reseat each memory module making sure the notch lines up with the notch in the slot and that it snaps in crisply. If this did not resolve the issue when the user reboots, then I would have them proceed with an RMA process or send the system to the company IT department depending on the situation.

***RESPONSE MUST BE A MINIMUM OF 100 WORDS***