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Help! - serious weirdness

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m_s:
I think video drivers too, though I wondered whether any of the software I'm running might be doing something strange with the graphics card?  It's an nVidia GeForce FX Go5600 card, with 64mb graphics memory.  Since posting, I have downloaded and installed the recommended video drivers from the HP site - I think I was using newer versions previously - and it did the same thing again.  It also did the same thing in another document, JPFX - I was suspicious of the one it started with, because that was created on somebody else's computer, but the second one it happened on was clean, created on this machine.  I'll download one of those memory tester programs to see if there's anything up with the memory, and I'll look at printer drivers too, because I agree that Word and printers have a complicated relationship!  And I'm just now going to Microsoft Update to see if it offers anything regarding the graphics drivers, since I've effectively rolled those back...   :(

m_s:
Okay, I'm onto something here... I've taken out the 512mb memory stick that I bought a few months back (on eBay, dammit, so probably no chance of a refund), and replaced it with the original HP 256mb stick, and the problem doesn't happen.  What I realised was that it was managing to select about 4 screens worth of text before switching off - so I tested it with a PDF document, and lo! it did the same thing.  I'm just downloading Picasa again to try that and see if it works...  Can anyone advise me on how to test the memory for physical or other errors, or is there a chance I can just wipe it down, put it back and it'll work properly? (Naive about memory, it seems.)

m_s:
Picasa works fine with the old memory restored!  So, looks like a memory problem - can anyone advise how to test the memory?  Have written to Kingston - hope they'll reply soon.

Carol Haynes:
I'm not sure about testing memory 'in the hand' so to speak - just be careful you don't kill it by letting static electricity affect it!

There are loads of good soak test memory routines that you can run when the chip is installed.

Here is one http://hcidesign.com/memtest/ and another http://www.memtest86.com/

I haven't used one for ages so I'm not sure which testing software is best these days, but memtest86 runs from a bootable CD or floppy which means you can test memory without loading windows (or linux) and so you can test more of the installed memory.

There are a lot of links at http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=memory%20test

I have had a similar problem with my system which I have never been able to sort out. I bought 2 x 512Mb DDR memory when I built the system, and everything seems to work fine but then I start getting odd errors (random reboots, blue screens). I have soak tested the memory for days - even had it replaced under guarantee by the manufacturer - but I still can't my system to run 100% consistently with 2 cards installed. I suspect it is a timing issue. In then end I gave up and just use one card!

mouser:
memory stick issues are notoriously unpredictable and irrational.

i put together a machine once and i had to remove and reseat the memory like 10 times before the machine would start, but after that it was the most stable computer i ever used.  go figure.

what you could do is simply try reseating the memory sticks in different slots, and see if you can get it to work well.
you could also try checking the bios and making sure you don't have the speed settings too agressive, but i'm afraid that such settings are beyond me and i have no idea how to figure out what these should be set at.

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