Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!codas!flnexus!pcsi!peora!rtmvax!bilver!bill
From: bill@bilver.UUCP (Bill Vermillion)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Brown Bag Memory Test--worthless?
Message-ID: <301@bilver.UUCP>
Date: 18 Nov 88 16:50:04 GMT
References: <4022@whutt.ATT.COM>
Reply-To: bill@bilver.UUCP (Bill Vermillion)
Organization: W. J. Vermillion, Winter Park, FL
Lines: 39

In article <4022@whutt.ATT.COM> tes@whutt.ATT.COM (STERKEL) writes:
><*>
>I see that Brown Bag's Shareware Ramtest 3.0 is being
>distributed.  In response to an urgent request to the
>network last month, I got two copies.  (BTW, thanks!)
..... deleted stuff ....
>
>Does this program *really* test memory?
 
I am looking for a good memory test routine also. In one of the groups I am in
one member has volunteered to write one.  If it gets done, it will be posted
here.

Re: memory testing. I got a call about a memory problem. Program dumped core. 
('286 running Xenix). Dump showed text portions jumbled.  Close look showed that
only every other character bad, and it was off by one bit.   L was M, etc.

Board in question had no schematics, but since it was a recent problem, I 
checked the last back of memory, and the 4 corner chips in that bank, since it
appeared that a low bit was stuck.  I found ONE 64k chip where a 256 should be.
System memory test and the board mfrs memory test both passed

Talking with a local repair tech he mentioned the memory test supplied for his
machines by the machine mfr would pass memory when one of the memory chips
legs was bent out from the socket.

It appears no one has a good test program.  Or at least the people I have
checked with, and there are some very knowledgeable, don't know of any either.

Years ago no one minded if it took 10 minutes to check memory in a 64k machine.
So if it takes 24 hours to thoroughly check a multi-meg machine, why not do it,
and do it right.

Can anyone recommend a reliable memory test.  (Talking '286 and '386 machines
here).

-- 
Bill Vermillion - UUCP: {uiucuxc,hoptoad,petsd}!peora!rtmvax!bilver!bill
                      : bill@bilver.UUCP