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Asked: 2021-12-08T01:55:01+00:00 In:

Solved Laptop Won’t Load Win 7 After Memory Upgrade

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I have an Acer Aspire 5742-6458 laptop. I had 6Gb RAM installed and decided to remove 2Gb, and add another 4, for a total 8Gb. This is the max capacity. The previous RAM was one 2Gb stick DDR3 PC-10700, and a 4Gb DDR3 PC-10700 – both 533 MHz. After installing the new RAM I turned the computer on and got to a black screen saying:

“Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.

It gave me two choices:

Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
Start Windows normally

When I choose “Launch Startup Repair”, it goes to a black screen saying “Windows is Loading files” with a white progress bar, then it reboots and goes back to the same screen with the original two choices.

When I choose to Start Windows normally it reboots and first goes to the black screen with “Starting Windows”, then goes to the black screen with same two choices. It just runs in this loop.

I rebooted and went into the BIOS. It recognizes the 8Gb – showing 8192Mb. .

I looked at the new 4Gb RAM and it’s PC-10600. When I bought it this afternoon at our local computer store, I asked the rep if it was all the same for DDR3 (showed him the old 2Gb stick)and he said, “Oh yah” confidently. Now I’m not so sure Any suggestions on how I might get ti to load windows now, or do I need to return the RAM?

I no longer have the original paper hard copy manual. I have a drivers disk but it only has a generic manual. I went to Acer Canada and found my model – the Aspire 5742, not the full 5742-6458. All they had was a a generic user manual also with no mention of RAM. So I looked online at various specs and all 5742 models I found showed 8Gb max, so I’m operating under the assumption that mine will be also. I’m assuming also that because the BIOS recognizes it, that it would support 8Gb.

Any help \ input appreciated
Thx
Tim

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    1. Best Answer
      Yes, try the original memory configuration again, if that works, you can try booting to just the new memory. If it does not boot, it is not compatible or just a bad stick of memory. If it does boot by itself, it might work with the system, but is not cross compatible with your old memory. More specifically, the voltage or timings are not close enough for the computer to run both together. Especially for this reason, memory should be purchased as a matched set in order to get the most of the computer because the machine then can run in dual channel mode. There is a small possibility that switching the positions of the memory as in the new memory in the slot the older 4GB was in and the old 4GB stick in the slot that the 2GB stick was. This might work because the motherboard/BIOS often sets the voltage and timings based on the first slot and the one stick might be more able to run on the other’s settings than the other way around. A matched set is still better, but this might work and since you already have it, it is worth the try. You can always change them later, unless you can return the one and pay the difference.
      If you need to, you can go to a memory mfg’s site like www.crucial.com and let them scan your system and read the detailed specs on their recommended memory upgrade.

      You have to be a little bit crazy to keep you from going insane.

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