4/mem - How much time before it crashes?

[Lillienne]

Hi everyone,

I bought my Macbook Air last year, in May, and last week, from one day to another, all the programs started to crash. I've run the program to localise the error and the system found a RAM problem. I don't have the warranty extension and having it repaired costs way too much. After having updated the software to the new OS X, my computer seems to work just fine. My question is if it safe to use it (of course, with doing the backups) and how much time I should count on before it stops working?

Thank you for the help.
Lillienne

 

[Mrbobb]

21.56 hours.


KIDDING!

Nobody knows. If it's indeed a ram prob it can crap out again anytime so be prepared.

Meanwhile I suggest (don't know why, completely guts) run the machine on quiet mode (not performance) and downgrade to an OS that doesn't use memory compression. Don't ask me step-by-steps, this is just my 1,000 feet ideas. You may also want to pay attention to the temperatures, but that may mean little if you haven't taken note of "your normal running temps."

 

[cycledance]

id call apple right now and tell them your story. maybe they can help. repairing the ram is an option you should not dismiss even if it's costly.

 

[motrek]

id call apple right now and tell them your story. maybe they can help. repairing the ram is an option you should not dismiss even if it's costly.

How can the RAM be repaired? It's soldered on.

 

[cycledance]

How can the RAM be repaired? It's soldered on.

dude. why do u get an instant upvote all the time...

the mba could get repaired that's all i am saying. obviously the ram would get replaced. possibly the motherboard replaced. but hey. whatever. throw it in the trash and get a new one.

 

[motrek]

...
the mba could get repaired that's all i am saying. obviously the ram would get replaced. possibly the motherboard replaced. but hey. whatever. throw it in the trash and get a new one.

Nobody ever said it can't be repaired or the OP should throw it out. Where are you getting that from? I'm just saying the RAM itself can't be repaired, which is what you said.

 

[cycledance]

Nobody ever said it can't be repaired or the OP should throw it out. Where are you getting that from? I'm just saying the RAM itself can't be repaired, which is what you said.

no you didn´t. you asked me. a pointless question. u were taking a stab at me. and continue to do so in your second post.

i dont see how u are adding anything to this thread. and for that u got instantly upvoted by your forum friends as usual.

 

[motrek]

no you didn´t. you asked me. a pointless question. u were taking a stab at me. and continue to do so in your second post.

i dont see how u are adding anything to this thread. and for that u got instantly upvoted by your forum friends as usual.

I guess we can examine this if you want.

Your post didn't contain any information at all, except that the RAM can be repaired (or presumably replaced). Which it can't. So you can complain about my tone and upvotes and forum friends all you want but that's ignoring the fact that your original post was 100% technically incorrect. You can't go around the Internet posting completely wrong stuff as if it were fact than then get upset when people call you out on it.

And this isn't inconsequential, either. What if the OP believes you and thinks the RAM can be fixed. He (she?) takes it to a shop and they say the entire motherboard needs to be replaced. Maybe he doesn't believe them because of your post and thinks he's being taken advantage of. Not a great situation.

 

[motrek]

Hi everyone,

I bought my Macbook Air last year, in May, and last week, from one day to another, all the programs started to crash. I've run the program to localise the error and the system found a RAM problem. I don't have the warranty extension and having it repaired costs way too much. After having updated the software to the new OS X, my computer seems to work just fine. My question is if it safe to use it (of course, with doing the backups) and how much time I should count on before it stops working?

Thank you for the help.
Lillienne

Since I've been called out for not being helpful, I'll throw in my 2 cents here, even though they won't be worth much.

It would be unusual for your RAM to get worse, but then again, it was unusual for it to develop a problem like this in the first place. So who knows.

It's possible that Yosemite uses that specific, faulty part of RAM for something specific and apparently unimportant so maybe the problem is gone indefinitely, or unless Apple changes what that area of RAM is used for.

It's also remotely possible that your RAM wasn't the problem in the first place and that you failed the RAM check because of a freak cosmic ray (which is unfortunately a real thing). It's probably worth running the RAM check again to see if you're still failing.

To fix the problem, you'd have to replace the motherboard. If you want cheaper options for that, it might be worth getting a quote from a 3rd party like The Mac Store. If you know people who are pretty handy with computers, you might be able to find the part yourself on eBay or Craigslist, or in a broken MacBook that's being sold for parts.

 

[Lillienne]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for the replies. I think I will still use my computer for everyday tasks and save regularly my files knowing it can crash anytime. I will update this thread when the MBA stops working just out of curiosity to know how long it takes.

Cheers,
Lillienne

 

[DmbShn41]

OP,
I would suggest, that if your close to an Apple store, make an appointment and at the very least, have Apple check it out. It's free, costs nothing but a few moments of your time. The possibilities of what could happen are endless, and you won't know until you try. You may find out that they could cover it, or you may find out that it's a lost cause. They may offer trade in credit towards a newer model. It may be something simple, and if you're tech savvy, you could repair it on your own for cheap.

At the very least, let them look at it. It won't change how you're using the laptop currently.