Disappearing Ram and Sleep Issues Macbook pro Lion sometimes recognize 4Gb not 8Gb

[KeithBSF]

I believe I have found a DEFINITIVE solution to an identifiable problem. I have a Macbook Pro 13" 2010, with 8 gb ram. In the last 6 months, I have had Bank 1 (4 gb) disappearing on me intermittently. In the last two months, I had consistent loss of 4 gb of ram, especially after restart. When I start cold (after 24 hours), it recognizes 8 gb, but if I restart, it recognizes only 4 gb. I would stick the macbook in the freezer for 10 min. Of course, I get 8 gb.
...

I opened everything and LOOSENED the four screws around the Ram HOLDER.....

8 gb ever since!

I believe with time, the awesome heat from the macbook pro eventually warps the circuit board. My macbook was just under 3 years old and started to have this problem. The four screws holding the ram holder in start to tighten up with heat and somehow it does not recognize one bank. That's why when I freeze the macbook, it gets the other bank back. By loosening the screws, it allows the circuitboard expansion with heat.

Anyways, I hope that helps.

quadturbo - your suggestion worked for me as well. I have not tried it extensively yet, but so far so good. I did not have much luck at all getting my two slots reliably recognized, so the fact that both were recognized the first time after loosening the screws was a breakthrough for me.
Good sleuthing sir, I would not have thought of that myself.

best regards,

 

[Spikeefix]

Tweak...

Well after loosening the screws as quadturbo suggested, I had a few months of peace. Then the problem returned. I loosened the screws a bit more, and the problem was worse than ever. So I tightened them back. Problem gone. Then a few months later, the problem returned. This time, I unseated the RAM, loosened the screws, jiggled the laptop, and then tightened the screws back up, and reseated the RAM. Problem gone again...for now.

Here's my theory as to what's going on. I think the way everything is laid out in the Macbook, when there is a combination of heat changes (very hot to cool, and back) it makes some of the connections of the RAM module to the logic board loose. Then when the macbook experiences any shift or bump one of the RAM modules will lose connection. Loosening and then retightening the RAM module gets thing back into alignment, but if you have an event in which the Macbook gets pretty hot (which seems to be what caused my problem first and what brings it back), the problem may return.

All that to say, I hope Apple has corrected the design for this in the newer models.


Thanks to everyone who has replied on this thread. As I stated before, I'm actually able to manage this problem that Geniuses at the Apple store just spent hours working on to no avail.

 

[Kogenesis]

Unfortunately, didn't work for me, but I might try it again.

 

[und3rtow623]

4 screw DDR3 fix

Just made an account to also say thank you to QuadTurbo... brilliant advice mate! One revolution on each of the 4 screws surrounding the RAM slots has proved more effective than multiple disassembles, meticulous alcohol cleaning and several desperate appeals to some higher power to exorcise my DDR3 demons.

My situation for other frustrated souls:
-Late 2011 Macbook Pro 13' 2.4ghz i5 4gb DDR3[2x2gb]
-OS[10.7.6] began to only read 2gb, 3 beep startup ensued randomly[definitely not every time]
-16gb RAM purchased via OWC, no change in spontaneous "3-beep" startup, a couple complete freezes while editing videos, attempts to isolate malfunctioning slot skew any remote guess as what could be the problem
-2x complete computer manicure with extra-light toothbrush, 91% Iso alocohol and duster yields no change while 3-beed startup become more frequent

7 weeks later, Occam's razor proves true yet again.
Quad, you have some serious karma coming your way.

Cheers!

 

[Jbob72]

Just thought I would post this for those of you that have this problem and tried the four screw fix but it didn't improve the problem for them. Upgrading my computer to OS X Mavericks has completely solved the problem for me. I realized it was a software issue in my case and not to do with the screws because I also have Windows 7 running on Boot Camp and I have never once experienced the issue of disappearing RAM or not waking up from sleep forcing a hard reboot while running my macbook pro on my Windows partition.

 

[beltone]

DUDE, you are indeed a genius. Thank you

I believe I have found a DEFINITIVE solution to an identifiable problem. I have a Macbook Pro 13" 2010, with 8 gb ram. In the last 6 months, I have had Bank 1 (4 gb) disappearing on me intermittently. In the last two months, I had consistent loss of 4 gb of ram, especially after restart. When I start cold (after 24 hours), it recognizes 8 gb, but if I restart, it recognizes only 4 gb. I would stick the macbook in the freezer for 10 min. Of course, I get 8 gb.

So what the ****?

I have gone through every thread google has to offer. No solution, except that the best explanation was that circuit board was getting old. It explains why Apple created new vents for the new Macbooks. I also believe they soldered in the ram for this exact reason.

So I got sick of it and opened up the macbook, unscrewed, removed, cleaned out the fan, unscrewed the circuit board removed the Ram. I even unscrewed the 4 screws around the plastic RAM holder. I cleaned everything out with 91% isopropyl alcohol and everything inside the RAM holder and the ram itself.

I tested each RAM in each slot alone and carefully turned the computer on. 4 gb as expected. Both banks worked. Both RAM functioned fine alone in each of the banks.

So what the ****?

I popped both back in.....8 gb. Restarted it. 8 gb. I did this 10 x. Every time 8gb.

So I thought it was because I did a great "cleaning" job. I screwed everything back in, circuit board, RAM "holder", etc. Restarted....7.75 gb. !?

Restarted again.... 4gb?! DId this 10x, 4 gb.

What the ****?

I opened everything and LOOSENED the four screws around the Ram HOLDER.....

8 gb ever since!

I believe with time, the awesome heat from the macbook pro eventually warps the circuit board. My macbook was just under 3 years old and started to have this problem. The four screws holding the ram holder in start to tighten up with heat and somehow it does not recognize one bank. That's why when I freeze the macbook, it gets the other bank back. By loosening the screws, it allows the circuitboard expansion with heat.

Anyways, I hope that helps.

Okay, the freezing def. works as a temporary solution - and the rest of your solution (loosening the screws) makes total sense.

For background: I also experienced the problem (loss of 4Gb of RAM) only on reboot. I took it into a local Mac shop and they reseated the RAM, which worked, so I thought it was a physical "seating" problem (bolstered by the fact that riding around in my bag with assorted drops and jolts often restored the 4G). Now I see that the issue was not re-seating, but machine temperature! Awesome sauce. Thanks again.

 

[Locationsound]

to: Qaudturbo

Again, like so many others it seems, I have formed an account here for the sole purpose of saying THANKYOU !!
After 2 years of struggling with this problem. Trawling Google for info.
Changed HD for SSD. Changed RAM. Changed SSD for new SSD. . Just about to bite the bullet and change Logicboard, when I found your post.
Loosened screws.....everything perfect ever since !
Would like to report this back to Apple. Is that OK with you ?

Locationsound.

 

[blackburn]

My gf computer has acting up, having kernel panics randomly and even passing all tests it still panicked.

After loosening up the ram slot screws it never crashed again, thanks!

Edit: It is a macbook pro 7,1

 

[Khronoschoty]

OMG I know! This trick worked. I made an account just like the others. One of those "too good to be true" but something about this message board convinced me this one was worth giving it a shot. I have a MacBook Pro 13" mid 2010 7,1

 

[sydLexico]

Alu MacBook also

This also works with the aluminium MacBook - late 2008 5,1

I just had to tell somebody!

This little corner of the web is a spot of pure genius - thank you so much

 

[kjetilbs]

What the ****?

I opened everything and LOOSENED the four screws around the Ram HOLDER.....

8 gb ever since!

Amazing! This problem has been bugging me for weeks - my mid-2009 MacBook Pro not waking from sleep properly and only recognizing half the RAM - and I've looked all over the place for a solution. That simply loosening four small screws can fix the problem is beyond me, but it works.

Made this account just to say thank you, quadturbo! Like many others have said, I owe you big time!

 

[ChuckSwa]

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[ChuckSwa]

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[ChuckSwa]

I just took your advice and loosened the 4 screws 1 revolution. It works. Bank 1 wasn't working at all. I knew it wasn't the RAM b/c each stick worked in Bank 0. Excellent advice, and sort of a weird fix. I went from having 4GB (only 2GB working) to 16GB. Woohoo. I thought all along it was malware or just time for a new computer. Now I regret punching the screen and getting pissed.

 

[ThiagodlT]

Hey everyone, after having this problem, i found out the problem might not be the soldering at all. read on...

I have a MBP 15" early 2011, had the logic board replaced in the apple program for the video chip, after that, i started to get kernel errors once in a while, all was pointing to RAM, but could never actually find a defective stick and tried many, after a while of seating and reseating the sticks and a fresh install os the macOs it stopped for almost a year with no problems i thought i was done; only to begin crashing, powering off and beeping this week.

i've been reading forums about this problem and after watching this video

I'm having exactly the same problem as this.

So I took it apart again, and what did i find... apparently, as i said, and for everyones happiness it might not be the soldering at all!!

It seem the CLIPS that hold the stick closest to the keyboard are worn and do not have enough pressure so they do not hold the ram in place all the time, a little bump and the RAM stick springs up like half a milimeter and the problem appears.

What did i do? Got a 1.5mm (.60 cal) piece of flat styrene about 3mm wide and 7 or 8 mm tall, put BOTH RAM sticks in place and with a little plastic tip/spudger push down the stick closest to the keyboard so the clip can make its full travel inward and insert the styrene pieces one in each side in the slots between the clip and where the screws for the bracket are and then push them towards the RAM contacts to make pressure inward so the clips are pressed firmly against the sticks (you wont be able to remove the sticks without removing this styrene pieces).

I did this, the MBP started with no problems, i can now shake it and won't freeze and/or beep at all.

I'll try to make a video or at least a photo guide showing what i mean and post the link (it will be my first YT video so be nice hahaha) so it shows the fault and fix clearly.