ram and xp not starting

[esa193]

ok i installed a 512 ram stick in my friends computer and the computer counted it up but windows wouldnt load
is it cuz the ram is not compatible or is there somthing i must do to windows
with out having to reformat my hard drive

 

[~mr mixx~]

if it's just a ram problem , you don't need to reformat anything..just make sure that the ram is seated properly into the slot. mixing two different company ram sticks can sometimes cause your computer to not do anything or boot.

-edit-
does your computer just have one stick of ram in it?

 

[Atomic Rooster]

Yup, make sure the memory is properly seated. Also check to see if any cables, video card, etc. are loose. Could be the memory is bad. Give memtest86+ a run to see if it turns up anything. There are versions available for a bootable floppy or CD.

 

[blackjack]

Are you adding another stick in or just replacing one, if your just replacing one then put the old one back in and check the spec of the new ram,
goto this website to scan your computer memory to see if you have got the right type http://www.crucial.com/