Re-seating RAM

[wanda]

After taking my Macbook to the Apple store for diagnostics and calling Apple care 3 times for the same issue I've been told by an Apple care specialist I need to re-seat the RAM in my Macbook to fix an issue I have with it not waking up from sleep mode.

After looking at the guide it seems pretty straightforward but is all I'm supposed to be doing taking the Ram out then re-inserting it or just kinda wiggling it in their slots? This is my first Mac and i don't want to void the warrenty or break something inadvertantly.

 

[mad jew]

You can do either. I'd personally fully remove it and then put it back in but if you're not comfortable because you feel you're having to pull too hard but it's not coming, then just wiggle it back in such that it might have a better connection. I wouldn't worry too much about the warranty at this stage. It's a fairly straightforward process. Good luck.

 

[wanda]

Thanks. If i dont re-post for a while you'll know why.

 

[wanda]

well i've reseated the ram, totally removed it. on both cards there appered to be some white substance around the solder points on the top left corners of both cards. is that normal or is it corosion already? the only time its not in an airconditioned enviroment is going to or from work and purchased it the second week of august.

 

[elbirth]

the white substance was on the RAM itself?

it sounds like what you saw was the thermal compound that should only be used on heatsinks, which should not be around the RAM (well... RAM can have heatsinks too, but not this kind... and even then I don't think they use thermal grease).

 

[wanda]

it was a white almost powdery looking substance, kinda like the crud that grows around a car battery termial, but not on that kind of scale. just some powdery "stuff" and it was on the RAM cards up near the top left corners around some of the solder points.

i'm assuming the cards should be totally clean, with nothing but the circuits and stuff on them?

 

[elbirth]

yeah, there shouldn't be anything on them at all... I could *maybe* see dust getting down there, but it doesn't sound like that's what you saw.... if there's still some there, I'd say maybe take it to an Apple store and get someone to look at it and see if they can tell you what it is.