NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › HP, Compaq and Voodoo Forums › HP, Compaq and Voodoo Notebooks › HP Probook 4520s no windows boot after memory upgrade, but linux boots fine
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

HP Probook 4520s no windows boot after memory upgrade, but linux boots fine

post #1 of 15
1/20/11 at 2:58pm
Thread Starter 
Recently purchased the ProBook 4520s, running Windows 7 Home 32-bit. Upgraded the memory to 8GB Corsair (DDR3, 1333), and while it of course couldn't use all 8GB, it worked fine. Did a wipe and a clean install of Win 7 64-bit, updated drivers, and ran got a re-boot loop right after the BIOS screen. Ran a memtest using the BIOS utilities and came up fail, so I sent it back. Got new memory, this time from Crucial (DDR3, 1066). Memtest 86 showed memory was error free. Tried booting and same thing happened. Boots Windows fine with the 2GB that came with the machine, but not with any configuration that includes the upgraded memory in either slot with any combination of sticks. Tried the same thing with Ubuntu 64, and runs fine. Driver issue with Win 7 64? Any ideas what it might be and how I can fix it? Can't just run Linux cause I have some windows only apps needed for work. Already talked with HP support (unfortunately unhelpful) and Crucial (helpful but unable to identify issue) and came up with nothing. Any help would be appreciated.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 15
1/20/11 at 6:52pm
Sounded like ram compatibility than anything else to me. Try another type of memory other than Crucial and see.

cheers ...
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 15
1/20/11 at 6:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Sounded like ram compatibility than anything else to me.
But would a compatibility problem extend only to Windows, and not to Linux?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 15
1/20/11 at 7:00pm
Good question there - My only answer is always Linux can be much more forgiving than Windows in these weird scenarios (memory, drive).

Borrow a 4GB (non Crucial) stick somewhere and try it first.

cheers ...
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 15
1/21/11 at 2:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pheiner View Post
But would a compatibility problem extend only to Windows, and not to Linux?
Linux is far more relaxed with RAM errors than windows, it was specifically built into the kernel so that bad RAM could be used to save wasting it.. If you bought Crucial RAM and used their Memory Configurator, it will be guaranteed to work.. Are there any BIOS updates for the laptop....?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 15
1/21/11 at 2:23pm
Thread Starter 
Used the configurator. Also talked to the tech who said only a few customers with my comp model had problems with their memory. No BIOS updates either; the one the machine came with is the newest one HP's got posted. Someone on another forum suggested that if the Corsair RAM was bad (I think one of the sticks was good and one bad), it might have messed up the Win 64 install; he'd had that experience before. So later today I'll format and try a clean install and see if that changes things. Also trying to locate another stick of RAM to try.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 15
1/21/11 at 2:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pheiner View Post
Used the configurator. Also talked to the tech who said only a few customers with my comp model had problems with their memory. No BIOS updates either; the one the machine came with is the newest one HP's got posted. Someone on another forum suggested that if the Corsair RAM was bad (I think one of the sticks was good and one bad), it might have messed up the Win 64 install; he'd had that experience before. So later today I'll format and try a clean install and see if that changes things. Also trying to locate another stick of RAM to try.
That is very rare... If a stick of RAM is bad with windows, you will generally get a BSOD or a failure for files to load when installing.. If your install is running fine with the original sticks, it is fine... But....

Do a full windows update...
Update all the drivers to the latest version, esp chipset and graphics... The HP website NEVER has the latest, get them from the chip manufacturers, if it is Intel, get them from the Intel Download centre, ATI, get them from ATI (now AMD as AMD bought ATI out) and so on...
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 15
1/21/11 at 4:15pm
So this happened after updating the drivers? If you are updating them manually, and rebooting after each update, then that should tell you which one it is. I thought that all 64-bit drivers had to be signed/certified by MS, but maybe that's not the case.

What about safe mode, does that work?
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 15
1/21/11 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Honestly, I don't remember what the exact timeline looked like. I want to say that right after the initial install, it wouldn't boot, so I switched out the memory and it booted.
Can't even get to Windows boot options. As soon as it leaves the BIOS, it flashes and resets. Tried to turn off automatic restart at system failure in windows advanced settings, at someone's suggestion; changed nothing.
As far as chipset drivers are concerned, Intel doesn't have any for i3 mobile under Win 64. Downloaded their graphics update though. Haven't tried the memory again, but not sure if that'll make any difference.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 15
1/21/11 at 9:08pm
So what does work? Your old memory? Do either of the new sticks work by themselves?

From your description, windows was running with this memory before the driver updates. So, somehow this did it. Could it be a new storage driver that's being used to load the OS?
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 15
1/24/11 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 
My old memory does work. No new stick works by itself. I'm not familiar with it all, but could it be the Intel Rapid Storage Technology?
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 15
1/24/11 at 1:54pm
Personally thinking - no. Ram compatibility is the issue for me But I can be wrong.

cheers ...
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 15
2/7/11 at 3:41am
Did you ever get this resolved? I missed the followups.

I don't understand how you're using intel's raid thing if you have only one drive. Nonetheless, if you installed a different storage driver than the one windows wanted to install, then that could easily explain the problems at boot time (at windows boot, after bios). I'd stay away from those until you have a backup of a working install.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 15
12/11/11 at 4:53am

hi there. try samsung ddr3 or elite group ddr3 ram. it works fine for me. i also have the same model probook 4520s, and did upgrade my ram to 8gb ddr3 @1333mhz speed. no boot up problems. anyway thanks for the feedback on corsair hehehe im planning to switch brands but after reading your post here i think i'll stick with the ram i have.

Reply
Reply
post #15 of 15
12/11/11 at 8:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by exmeo52 View Post

hi there. try samsung ddr3 or elite group ddr3 ram. it works fine for me. i also have the same model probook 4520s, and did upgrade my ram to 8gb ddr3 @1333mhz speed. no boot up problems. anyway thanks for the feedback on corsair hehehe im planning to switch brands but after reading your post here i think i'll stick with the ram i have.

sensible decision, no need to change what's already working, unless one is sure that it will be better smile.gif

cheers ...
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: HP, Compaq and Voodoo Notebooks
NotebookForums.com › Forums › Notebook Manufacturers › HP, Compaq and Voodoo Forums › HP, Compaq and Voodoo Notebooks › HP Probook 4520s no windows boot after memory upgrade, but linux boots fine