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Macbook White Only Showing Half RAM

H

Hakkera

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 13, 2009
48
0
Hi all,

I've had my White Macbook for the best part of about a year now, and I'm really pleased with it.

Recently though it's been getting a little sluggish, I checked the specs out and I have 1GB of RAM on board, I though fair play, and got a 4GB Kit.

I've just plugged it in and it's only displaying 2GB on board. I could understand if it maxed at 3 as I am only running a 32bit OS and it wouldn't be able to index the extra gig.

I'm now looking closer at the RAM Modules and its saying that they are 1GB each.

It seems as if one of my DIMM Slots isn't working, any ideas what I can do or is it back to the Apple store for a hefty repair bill?
 
Do you have Apple Care? If so, run the TechTool program that comes with it and see what your results are.
 
Which model of MacBook do you have? (go to About this Mac>More Info>Model Identifier) Some MacBooks are hardware limited to 2GB of RAM.
 
Thanks for the replies, I don't have applecare.

The Model is.... Macbook5,2
 
Hmm,

It's displaying the 2GB Stick in Bank 0, but absolutely nothing in Bank 1. Any ideas?
 
What 32-bit OS is it again?

Otherwise it sounds like a slot is dead. Try the old RAM again and make sure the RAM that you did install is all the way in.
 
Hakkera said:
Hmm,

It's displaying the 2GB Stick in Bank 0, but absolutely nothing in Bank 1. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Try reseating the RAM, but if that doesn't fix it, try swapping the RAM sticks around to see if it is dead RAM or a dead slot. If Bank 1 shows up the RAM after you swap it then I'd call for an RMA on the RAM if you can. If it doesn't, then it would be safe to assume that it is a dead slot.
 
iBookG4user said:
Try reseating the RAM, but if that doesn't fix it, try swapping the RAM sticks around to see if it is dead RAM or a dead slot. If Bank 1 shows up the RAM after you swap it then I'd call for an RMA on the RAM if you can. If it doesn't, then it would be safe to assume that it is a dead slot.
Click to expand...

I've put the old back in to try it, and that came back as a dead one, but I'll have a crack at this. Would it be worth keeping the old ram in, going to an Apple Store tomorrow and asking why the heck it doesn't work?
 
Hakkera said:
I've put the old back in to try it, and that came back as a dead one, but I'll have a crack at this. Would it be worth keeping the old ram in, going to an Apple Store tomorrow and asking why the heck it doesn't work?
Click to expand...

Definitely put the old RAM back in if you're going to the Apple Store. There's a very good chance they'll blame it on third party RAM if you leave the new RAM in.
 
Eidorian said:
Reset your PRAM and SMC before you go.
Click to expand...

I have no idea what that means. :)

Things have most definitely taken a turn for the worst. I changed the RAM slots over, but then when I booted the thing just keeps beeping at me. I've swapped them round, put in the old RAM, done everything, it's just dead. :'(
 
Update and Sorry for the double post.

I was about to take the thing to an Apple store today, so I went into town but couldn't find anywhere to park!

I came home, had another look at it, got a little annoyed and poked the metal plate covering the RAM down pretty hard, I felt it go in somewhat, slightly fearing that I'd screwed up one of the internal components I slapped the battery back in in the hope that I hadn't further buggered it up.

Lo and behold the machine booted up perfectly and I am now showing 4GB of RAM (Anybody know how this works as I understand 10.5.8 to be a 32bit OS?)

I guess the RAM must not have been in correctly the whole time, even from when I bought the machine. Might explain why I have always had stellar battery life from the thing...

Asides, I apologize for wasting everybody's time, but I thought you might like to know how it panned out.
 
Hakkera said:
Asides, I apologize for wasting everybody's time, but I thought you might like to know how it panned out.
Click to expand...

I just read this thread right now, and what happened to you is actually what people should have figured out right from the start. On the white MacBook, RAM takes really a lot of force to put in properly. Makes your fingers hurt. And when the RAM isn't in properly, it doesn't break or damage anything, nothing malfunctions, no crashes, it is just as if the RAM isn't there. It's just a millimetre difference between working and not working.

Hakkera said:
Lo and behold the machine booted up perfectly and I am now showing 4GB of RAM (Anybody know how this works as I understand 10.5.8 to be a 32bit OS?)
Click to expand...

No, 10.5.8 _is_ a full bit operating system. You could run 64 bit applications on 10.5; the difference is that in Snow Leopard, all Apple applications are 64 bit. But even 10.4 could handle more than 4 GB of RAM. Say you have 8 GB. All a 32 bit OS has to say is "Application 1, you get the first 3 GB, Application 2, you get the next 3 GB, Application 3, you get the last 2 GB". Just like much older versions could handle hard drives with more than 4 GB.
 
Thanks for that, I am used to coming from a Windows based environment with a 32bit kernel, so that explains it a little clearer.

If it makes your fingers hurt then it might actually be wise to do what I did and push them in using the metal plate...
 
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