Recently replaced RAM, now blackbook not booting(?)

Arjy · Mar 23, 2008

Earlier today, I replaced the RAM in my blackbook from the standard one that came with it to some crucial approved DIMMs. I followed the instructions, and put it in, and put the L bracket back in its spot. I noticed that it seemed to bloat where the dims were, where as when I first opened it it was completely flat. Still, my battery went in fine, and I proceeded to turn my mac back on.

When I hit the power button, it made the sound that it makes every time I turned it on or woke it up (my thought would be the hard drive spinning, but not sure, I am not talking about the dong that all macs make though). IT sat there with its light on, but nothing shows up on the screen, no dong or anything. went back and put the old ram in, still the same thing.

Now I noticed, that the dimms didn't click into place like they have for all the windows laptops I've worked with, rather they seem to just drop in to place, and are held there by that L bracket. Am I doing somehting wrong here? Is my problem I just havent installed something right, or have I really gone and screwed something up.

MM07 · Mar 23, 2008

I did mine awhile ago as well. You have to push them in a lot harder than you think. The L bracket should not be bowing at all.

Take it apart and try it again.

CanadaRAM · Mar 23, 2008

MR Guide to Installing RAM

They will go in about one inch and stop. Then you have to get both thumbs on it, and push it in another 1/8th inch or so. If you don't have dents on your thumbs you haven't pushed hard enough.

mcavjame · Mar 23, 2008

Arjy said:
Is my problem I just havent installed something right, or have I really gone and screwed something up.

When you put them in, swing the little arm all the way to the left and then push the RAM in. The arm will click back to the right quickly as the RAM goes in. Push to click RAM into place.

mperkins37 · Mar 23, 2008

I concur, Take the ram out & try again, it should be a noticeible connect/click when done properly. Surprised you didn't get the crash sound.

Arjy · Mar 23, 2008

Tried again, pushed SUPER hard, and they went in. Booted up fine. Thanks you guys!

MM07 · Mar 23, 2008

Arjy said:
Tried again, pushed SUPER hard, and they went in. Booted up fine. Thanks you guys!

Enjoy those 4G's!!

d_and_n5000 · Mar 23, 2008

Arjy said:
Tried again, pushed SUPER hard, and they went in. Booted up fine. Thanks you guys!

I hate that about these MacBooks. I scared myself ******** once right after the tech coordinator at school got one. I went to show her how to take the harddrive out, and I for whatever reason took the RAM out. The one went in fine, but the other one just wouldn't go in right! And we couldn't boot the thing. Like two days later one of the cadet teachers from the high school used a credit card to jam the padding around the L bracket in and that did it. Still had me freaking out on how I was gonna come up with a grand, though.

CanadaRAM · Mar 23, 2008

d_and_n5000 said:
I hate that about these MacBooks. I scared myself ******** once right after the tech coordinator at school got one. I went to show her how to take the harddrive out, and I for whatever reason took the RAM out. The one went in fine, but the other one just wouldn't go in right! And we couldn't boot the thing. Like two days later one of the cadet teachers from the high school used a credit card to jam the padding around the L bracket in and that did it. Still had me freaking out on how I was gonna come up with a grand, though.

It sounds like you were relying on the L bracket to push the RAM in the final 1/8 inch -- that's not correct.

When you put them in, swing the little arm all the way to the left and then push the RAM in. The arm will click back to the right quickly as the RAM goes in. Push to click RAM into place.

Couple of things: The arm really is not an indicator of whether the RAM is in all the way or not - it;s only there to eject the RAM. And the socket doesn't really click audibly - you have to go by feel.

d_and_n5000 · Mar 23, 2008

CanadaRAM said:
It sounds like you were relying on the L bracket to push the RAM in the final 1/8 inch -- that's not correct.

I realize that now, but the thing is that after I took apart a Compaq a while back, I've been really leery about breaking chips and such by pushing too hard. I never want to give my all in pushing something into a slot 'cause I think I'll snap it in half or something. At the time, it was the first one I had taken apart(I only knew how to do it by the Internet) and I didn't know that you had to really push the thing in. It didn't help that every time I tried to really push it, I evidently wasn't trying hard enough 'cause the thing would fall right back out.

And by the time I was really worried I didn't want to push it in hard because I figured I was already up s*** creek for not getting the RAM in there right, I didn't want to compound it by breaking the module in half.

mperkins37 said:
I concur, Take the ram out & try again, it should be a noticeible connect/click when done properly. Surprised you didn't get the crash sound.

The crash sound? They still have that? I thought they took that out when Apple switched to New World ROM back in the nineties. Who knew?

mcavjame · Mar 24, 2008

CanadaRAM said:
Couple of things: The arm really is not an indicator of whether the RAM is in all the way or not - it;s only there to eject the RAM. And the socket doesn't really click audibly - you have to go by feel.

Holding the arm to the left helps to keep the ejecting mechanism out of the way while you get the RAM in that first inch. Just from experience, I have found you don't have to push as hard after the arm swings back if you do this.

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Recently replaced RAM, now blackbook not booting(?)

Arjy

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MM07

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CanadaRAM

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mcavjame

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mperkins37

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Arjy

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MM07

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d_and_n5000

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CanadaRAM

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d_and_n5000

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mcavjame

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