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RAM - Random Access Memory - How to Choose the Right Kind of RAM Memory for Your Computer - Page 2Last updated on 12 May 2008
How to install RAM memory modulesThe Build a PC pages on this site contains information on how to build a computer from its components. Click here! to go directly to information on the first Build a PC page on this site about taking the precautions you must take against static electricity before you install a computer component. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page. The computer must be switched off or have the motherboard's power plug disconnected when installing RAM memory modules. If the motherboard is powered when installing memory, both the memory module(s) and the motherboard can be render useless. Click here! to go directly to the Disclaimer on the same page. It contains other important information that you should be aware of before working on a computer. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page. Assuming that RAM has been purchased that is supported by the motherboard, installing the DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module) modules, that have been used in all new computers since 1999, is merely a matter of opening the clips on each end of each DIMM slot and then pushing the module directly down into the slot as shown in the diagram below. Note that the notch(es) along the connector edge of the module must match the divisions in the slot. The two clips automatically close to capture the module securely in the slot. To remove a module, just open both of the clips (push down on both clips) at the same time to release the module. Depending on its architecture, there will always be at least one notch in a RAM module, but never more than two. The SDRAM module below has two notches, but a DDR DIMM module (below that) will only have one, and a RIMM module (used only in motherboards designed for Pentium 4 processors) has two closely-spaced notches.
Note that you should consult the motherboard's manual to find out if the slots have to be filled in a particular order of rank. Some motherboards require that Bank 0 be filled first, followed by Bank 1 and 2, etc., while some motherboards allow any bank to be filled, or certain banks to be filled by different numbers of DIMMs, etc. Note well that (if the motherboard supports it) to function in dual-channel mode, DDR RAM modules have to to be installed in pairs (preferably pairs matched by make and in size) . DDR400 RAM using dual-channel mode runs at an effective speed/frequency of 800MHz by having the motherboard's memory controller access both modules at the same time. DDR266 and DDR333 RAM using dual-channel mode runs at an effective speed of 533MHz and 666MHz respectively. If the motherboard supports both single-channel and dual-channel modes, which most of the dual-channel DDR motherboards do, the ordinary DDR modules might have to be installed in specific DIMM slots that are usually colour-coded to show which mode of operation they use. You should consult the motherboard's manual for the information on how to install DDR RAM in dual-channel mode. If you don't have a copy, download one in the PDF format from the motherboard manufacturer's website. MSI used to have a page on its site that had the title: Dual Channel, Double Power - The Accurate Way to Use 2 Channel Memory. It showed how to install DDR RAM in dual-channel mode on three of its colour-coded motherboards, and showed the benchmarks obtained for DDR RAM installed in single-channel and dual-channel modes by using the Sisoft Sandra utility. Two Pentium 4 motherboards - MS-6565 and MS-6730 - and one AMD Athlon Socket A motherboard - MS-6570 - were illustrated and benchmarked. If you want to read the information for a motherboard that supports DDR or DDR2 RAM in dual-channel mode, download a user manual for one of the latest products from MSI's site - http://www.msi.com.tw/. Note well that some motherboards can have DIMM slots for DDR and DDR2 memory. You will probably only be able to install one type, not both. Here is an extract from the user manual of a motherboard that has separate slots for both types of DDR memory but only supports one type at a time.
Any motherboard manufacturer's site should provide manuals for its motherboards that run Intel and AMD processors. Click here! to go to the information on DDR RAM on Page 1 of this article. If you need additional information on how to install RAM in a desktop PC and Laptop PC, visit these pages: Installing a DIMM in your desktop - http://www.crucial.com/uk/install/dimm.aspx The next item on this page deals with installing memory in a laptop PC. Using the search term dual + channel + DDR in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) will bring up plenty of links to sites and pages with information about this mode of operation of DDR RAM. Changing the search phrase suitably will bring up links to other types of RAM. How to install RAM memory in a laptop/notebook PCIn a desktop computer a memory module is called a DIMM (Direct In-Line Memory Module). In a notebook computer a memory module is called a SODIMM (Small Outline Direct In-Line Memory Module). SODIMM modules come in exactly the same types as standard DIMM modules and have one or two notches that key it so that only the correct type of module can be installed in the notebook's memory slots. The image below shows a Crucial SODIMM module that has one notch in its bottom edge that keys it so that it cannot be fitted into the wrong kind of memory slot.
Most notebook PCs have a removable panel on the bottom that allows access to the memory modules. The user manual that came with the computer will show you which panel to open, how to open it, and how to install the memory module(s). With some notebooks, the keyboard has to be lifted in order to reveal the panel that has to be removed in order to access the memory modules. Memory modules in a notebook computer lie flat in order to fit into the slender case. You usually have to hold the module at a 30 degree angle in order to insert it into a free slot. You then push the module down gently until it lies flat and the small clips on each side of the slot engage. Here are two illustrated articles on this subject: Installing a SODIMM in your [laptop] notebook - http://www.crucial.com/uk/install/sodimm.aspx Installing Laptop Memory - http://www.computermemoryupgrade.net/installing-laptop-memory.html You can find plenty of other guides by entering install + ram + laptop (as is) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).
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| RAM PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS Click here! to visit the page on this site devoted to RAM problems and their solutions. |
Crucial's UK and US Memory Advisors
Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."
The US and UK Memory Advisors (below) allow you to find out what types of RAM are available for your notebook computer, brand-name PC, or motherboard - and what the current prices are in the USA and the UK.
If a particular manufacturer isn't listed in the UK Memory Advisor, try looking for it in the US Memory Advisor, and vice versa. All you have to do is find out what the reference number is for a particular type and memory size of RAM that the system or motherboard supports and then order it from the US or UK site. Both sites will be able to supply all of the different kinds of RAM that Crucial sells, but one site might not list a particular make and model of computer or motherboard that the other site does list.
If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/.
The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista
Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP.
Crucial's UK and US Memory Selectors
| UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK
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| USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA
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Identify the RAM memory in your system
If you want a quick way to identify a PC's processor, motherboard, and RAM, the free CPU-Z is ideal. It provides plenty of information on those components in Windows 95/98/Me/XP/Vista. Download and install the program, and look under its Memory and SPD tabs.
RAM: Power consumption and heat issues
"More RAM, More Speed, More Power"
"It was not uncommon for an old 808x system to run off of a 95W PSU [power supply unit]. Today's computers are using at least 300W and for some duallies [dual-processor systems] 400W and up. While the CPU [processor] is the most obvious source of power consumption there is one other device in your system that can get greedy quick. RAM. More specifically, slots loaded with the latest, greatest, and fastest DDR you can get, or what your board says it will support."
The faster the RAM, the larger the capacity of the modules, the more power it needs to draw - and the modules from different memory chip manufacturers have different power requirements. Read the full interesting article here - http://www.overclockers.com/articles696.
DDR and DDR2 RAM never works as fast as the theoretical speed ratings. As with wireless network devices, a memory module always runs slower than its ratings indicate. Moreover, remember that it's possible to use faster memory than a system supports. E.g., DDR400 DIMM modules can be used in a system that only supports DDR333 modules. The DDR400 modules will operate at DDR333 speeds. Likewise it's possible to put DDR2-667 modules in a computer that only supports DDR2-533 modules.
Overclocking means setting the components in a computer to run faster than their official tested and specified speeds.
The RAM's clock speed expressed on MHz should be equal to the speed of the motherboard's FSB in MHz, otherwise the RAM is being underclocked or overclocked . So, if a particular motherboard has an FSB of 200MHz, it should use DDR400 RAM, which is designed to work with an FSB of 200MHz. But if DDR533 RAM, designed for use on an FSB of 266MHz, is installed, it will run on an FSB of 200MHz, and if the motherboard supports increasing the FSB, you can overclock the FSB up to at least 266MHz, depending on how high the motherboard's BIOS or jumper settings go.
Using RAM modules which have a higher speed rating than a system is designed to use obviously makes it easier to overclock the motherboard's system bus - the FSB - significantly, because increasing the FSB overclocks the RAM. If, say, the system had DDR333 modules that are designed to run on an FSB of 200MHz, the modules might or might not run on an overclocked FSB of 225MHz. But if DDR400 modules were installed, they would be more likely to run at the higher FSB.
The latencies - the properties of the RAM that delay or slow its operation down - are expressed as a string of numbers such as 2-2-2-5 (fast) and 3-4-4-8 (slower). You don't need to know what the latencies are; you only need to know that the lower the latencies are, the faster the RAM is. But the figures are in microseconds, so there isn't much noticeable difference in the speeds of RAM with the latencies provided above, and this is borne out in benchmark tests. However, if the RAM has low latencies it is likely to be more overclockable than RAM with higher latencies, because, increasing the latency settings in the BIOS (increasing the delay of the latencies) usually makes it easier to run the RAM on a higher FSB.
The BIOS: Serial Presence Detect (SPD)If your computer has low-latency memory modules, to make sure that they've been detected correctly, enter the BIOS setup program. The RAM settings are usually on a page in the BIOS called something like Chipset Features Setup. If there is an option called SPD (Serial Presence Detect), enabling it makes the BIOS set the optimal timings automatically. SPD refers to a small chip on each memory module that holds the latency settings information. Note that the BIOS doesn't always read the information properly. If you suspect that to be the case, you can set each of the values manually in the BIOS. The lowest presented settings are the fastest, not the highest, because the settings are for timings and the lower the timings the faster the memory operates. More information on the BIOS settings is provided further down this page. |
However, note that the hardware required to cool an overclocked system properly is often crucial in the success or failure of the endeavour. Therefore, a user must do the necessary research before indulging in overclocking experiments.
Most RAM specifically designed to be overclocked usually has a heatspreader fitted to each module. This is a metal cover that covers the whole length of the module. Manufacturers of such RAM are: Crucial (its Ballistix memory), Corsair, (its XMS Xpert and TwinX memory), and OCZ (its EL Platinum memory).
Note that for modules that don't have heatspreaders it's possible to buy heatsinks for them. For example, the CoolerMaster RAM Chip Cooler.
To find information
and vendor sites, enter the term (within double quotation marks) in the Google
search box at the top of this page.
Systems using certain versions of the Award BIOS and 768MB or more of RAM suffer a marked slowdown
Certain versions of the Award (now owned by Phoenix) BIOS installed by many motherboard manufacturers slow down the computers that use them very markedly when more than 768MB of RAM is installed. This problem affects BIOS versions prior to number 1004, so, if you have not done so, and you have or want to install 768MB or more of RAM, download and install the latest BIOS file from the PC/motherboard manufacturer's site.
Visit the BIOS page of this site for more information on the subject.
Too much RAM can cause problems with some versions of Windows
Note that if you're upgrading your RAM memory, a computer using Windows 95 or Windows 98 (first edition) won't recognise more than 256MB.
Moreover, RAM that Windows can't cache (recognise) will be accessed as slowly as the virtual memory swap file (win386.swp) that Windows creates on the boot hard disk drive to use when the amount of RAM runs out. Therefore, adding too much RAM can slow down a system considerably.
Unless you're using a non-Windows operating system such as Linux, and unless you employ the fix a link to which is provided below, your must have Windows 98SE (Second Edition), or run a later version, such as Windows 2000 or Windows XP in order to use more than 256MB of RAM.
Moreover, it has now become known the Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) has trouble with 512MB of RAM and more. Windows 95/98/Me systems were not designed to use large amounts or RAM. Most home users of Windows 95/98/Me are unlikely to require this much RAM in any case, so, if possible, it's advisable to install less than 512MB. If you need to use more, use Windows 2000, or Windows XP, both of which are based on the Windows NT architecture. Windows 95, 98, and Me are based on Windows 95 architecture.
If you have more than 512MB of RAM installed and this causes any problems, you can restrict the amount of RAM used to 512MB (or any other amount) by entering msconfig in the Start => Run box, clicking the Advanced button, and enter the appropriate restriction in the Limit memory to... box - and enable it with a check mark.
There is a configuration file fix that can be applied to make Windows 98 function with as much RAM as you are likely to throw at it. See this excellent article:
Windows 98 & Windows Me Memory Management -
http://aumha.org/a/memmgmt.htm
You can read more about this by accessing a Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) article 253912 called:
"Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed -
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=253912
Visit the Diagnostics page on this site to view the listed articles, or for more information on the MS Knowledge Base itself and how to use it.
Windows: RAM and virtual memory management information
Windows 98 and Windows Me information on the conservativeswapfile setting [in the system.ini file] and other memory tweaks: http://aumha.org/win4/a/memmgmt.htm.
You can try the "conservativeswapfile" setting on any Windows system that has 128MB or more of RAM, but it has no effect in Windows XP and Windows 2000. For information on memory settings that work in those versions of Windows, go to http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpvm.htm.
Windows 98 and Windows Me Memory Management -
http://aumha.org/a/memmgmt.htm
Windows Vista: SuperFetch and External Memory Devices -
"Windows Vista sports a new memory performance enhancement system called SuperFetch and a new way to extend the virtual memory by way of External Memory Devices (EMD)." -
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-6039379.html?tag=nl.e132
Motherboard and BIOS RAM settings (the FSB, timing settings, etc.)
The motherboard's manual should provide you with any jumper settings that might be used to set the RAM's speed - for 66MHz EDO RAM, PC 100 SDRAM at 100MHz, PC 133 SDRAM at 133MHz, DDR and DDR2 RAM, etc. - and the BIOS settings that might set the speed instead of motherboard jumpers, as well as set other optional settings such as the bank interleave and the timing settings.
For images of and information on the jumpers and DIP switches used on motherboards to enable various functions, click here! to go to the second of the three Motherboard pages on this site.
You can also visit this page of the PC Guide -
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/cache/char_Cacheability.htm
to read an article on RAM cacheability. There are also several other pages devoted to RAM on this site.
Unfortunately, the ability of Windows to use RAM does not always coincide with ability of a motherboard's chipset to cache RAM, so be sure to check your motherboard's manual before you upgrade. The motherboard's chipset determines how much RAM can be cached. If the motherboard has an elderly chipset, the amount of RAM it can cache might be limited to as little as 64MB.
If a motherboard can only cache 64MB of RAM, such as one with the elderly Intel TX chipset, and you install 128MB, even if it works, it will slow the system down significantly, because the excess RAM cannot be cached, and so will be accessed in the same relatively slow manner as the virtual memory swap file that Windows sets up on the hard disk drive.
The moral of the story - if you have an ageing PC, always find out how much RAM your motherboard can cache before upgrading.
If you're looking for a system with the fastest available RAM consider one with DDR RAM, or the latest development - the even faster DDR and DDR2 RAM running in dual-channel mode. At present, only the latest Intel Pentium 4 processors can make use of DDR2 RAM.
If you're buying RAM as an upgrade, purchase it from a supplier of quality RAM such as Crucial. The UK and US Memory Selectors at the top of this page can take you to the RAM information on Crucial's site that applies to your particular system.
RAM of poor quality isn't worth any savings you can make, because it can be the source of all kinds of system failures.
Motherboards that use EDO RAM supplied as SIMM modules are no longer being made, but you can still purchase EDO RAM from suppliers such as Crucial, or second-hand from computer auction sites.
Mixing brands of RAM can often cause problems
Using cheap no-brand, generic RAM can be a common a source of system failure, so make sure that you purchase RAM manufactured by one of the major manufacturers such as Crucial, PNY, Kingston, Samsung, Panasonic, Corsair, OCZ, etc.
Cheap, no-brand RAM can be especially prone to failure if the processor has been overclocked to a faster speed than its designated speed by increasing the system bus. The cheap RAM will probably not be able to handle the increase and cause Fatal Exception and Page Fault failures.
Because of the problems that can occur, it's never a good idea to mix modules of the same specification made by different manufacturers, or to use brand-name modules with generic, unbranded modules of the same specification. Using modules that have different specifications should also be avoided, because, if the system works, all of the RAM will run at the speed of the slowest module.
The motherboard's website or newsgroup may contain information or postings about troublesome brands or particular peculiarities.
Every computer or motherboard purchased during the last four years should be able to cache as much RAM as you're likely to install in it.
Overclocking RAM
Overclocking means setting one or more of a computer's components to run faster than the manufacturer's recommended official setting(s). A practice that should be fully researched before it is indulged in, because applying settings that are too high for a particular device can make the system unstable and prone to errors, or even damage or render it useless.
Click here! to go directly to the Overclocking section of the third of the four Links pages on this site.
If you increase the FSB speed of the motherboard - via the BIOS or by setting jumpers on the motherboard - you will overclock the processor, the RAM, the video card, sound card, and the IDE disk drives.
Of those components, only the processor is likely to find the increased FSB unacceptable, because it is the component that is overclocked the most if the FSB is changed from an official speed of say 166MHz to an overclocked speed of 200MHz.
Doing this can result in a significant gain in performance if the processor can operate completely normally at the the increased FSB setting. But if the stability of the processor is made erratic as a result, you won't usually be able to overclock the RAM.
For example, suppose that the processor is an Athlon XP 2800+ with a Barton core that is designed to run at 2.08GHz on a 166MHz FSB. If the motherboard supports both DDR333 and DDR400 RAM, and has DDR333 RAM installed, you could try increasing the FSB to 200MHz, which the motherboard supports because the DDR400 RAM it supports runs on a 200MHz FSB.
Doing this would overclock the DDR333 RAM to run at the speed (really the frequency) of DDR400 RAM. Most DDR333 modules made by a manufacturer of quality, such as Crucial, can be successfully overclocked to the higher speed of DDR400 RAM. But increasing the FSB would also overclock the processor to run at 2.5GHz. A twenty-five percent increase over 2GHz!
If the system runs with stability over a lengthy period, fine, you're in luck, but the chances are that the processor won't like the high speed it's running at, and you might have to decrease the FSB setting significantly (if the BIOS or the motherboard's jumpers allow a range of settings that are higher than the official setting) to make it run with stability.
The only other alternative would be to overclock the motherboard's memory bus while keeping the FSB constant so that the processor isn't being overclocked at all. But motherboards that support separate bus settings for the memory and FSB are rare. In any case, using this method of overclocking the RAM only results in a minimal gain in system performance of around 5% at most. The best gains are always achieved by increasing the FSB so that it overclocks both the RAM and the processor.
Personally, I think that the results obtained by overclocking are mostly in the mind, and, since it stresses the components beyond the tolerances they were tested for, I don't ever bother with overclocking. If you want the fastest available system, unfortunately, as usual, you have to be prepared to pay the high prices for all of the fastest, latest components.
But if you want to attempt overclocking the RAM on your system, you can use the free MemTest utility, which runs from a floppy disk (independently of the operating system), and which stresses the RAM running at a particular FSB speed in order to determine its reliability at that speed. It can be used to find out how far the RAM can be overclocked.
System Builder Marathon (Overclocking) Day 1 -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Overclocking,review-2355.html
Overclocking Marathon Day 2 - A Home Brew -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Overclocking,review-2358.html
RAM problems and solutions
Click here! to go to the page containing the following articles on RAM problems and their solutions:
1. - Articles on RAM memory errors and problems in the Microsoft Knowledge Base
2. - Can I install 4GB of RAM memory in my computer?
3. - Why is 1GB of PC6400 (800MHz) DDR2 RAM reported by CPU-Z as running at only 333MHz?
4. - The memory requirements of Windows Vista: How much RAM memory does Windows Vista really need to run optimally?
5. - Only three of the four 1GB DDR2-667 RAM memory modules (sticks) installed in my PC's motherboard work AND The amount of DDR2 memory has halved instead of doubled after I installed a 1GB module with two 512MB modules
6. - Should I install single memory modules or matched-pair modules on my motherboard that supports single-channel and dual-channel modes?
7. - My PC doesn't recognise [US: recognize] the new RAM memory I installed
8. - If you suspect you have faulty RAM memory, try using one of these free RAM diagnostic utilities
9. - How to identify the size of RAM memory modules
10. - Which DDR/DDR2 RAM memory?
11. - Some Crucial RAM memory questions
12. - Reported RAM memory does not match installed memory - Windows95/98
13. - Installing more RAM memory on a motherboard in a Windows 98 system causes problems
14. - Why does a double-sided DDR RAM memory module work in one DIMM slot but not in the other two DIMM slots on my motherboard?
15. - My Windows XP computer doesn't recognise 1GB of RAM memory when 4GBs are installed
16. - Which type of RAM memory do I have to install to upgrade my PC?
17. - A RAM memory upgrade won't work in my laptop computer
Click here! to go to the page containing the above articles on RAM problems and their solutions.
Excellent advice
Note that if you are sending a computer in for repairs, it's an excellent idea to make a note of the details (make, model, etc.) of all of the components, including the RAM, that is installed. It is a simple matter for a crooked technician to replace high quality components with cheaper ones.
You could put a small white dot of Tippex, or other non-removable mark, somewhere on the component so that you can check that it is still there when the system is returned. Taking close-up photographs of the system that have been verified by witnesses might provide proof of theft in a court case. However, the outfit responsible could accuse you of replacing the components yourself in order to receive compensation or better components in exchange for inferior ones, so you might not be able to obtain any redress. But at least you'll know never to deal with the place again. However, if you appeal to the chief executive there, and you look honest, you might have the matter put right.
Flash memory (flash RAM):
High-speed, high-capacity USB flash drives
Flash memory, sometimes called Flash RAM, was invented by Intel. It is now very fast when reading data or having data written to it, but unlike RAM, which loses its data when its source of power is switched off, it retains the data when the power is switched off, or the flash-memory device is removed from a system.
Devices that employ flash memory and which use the USB interface are called by several names - USB flash drives (UFD), thumb drives, memory sticks, memory keys, pen drives, jump drives, etc.
All memory cards, such as CompactFlash and SD, use flash memory. Flash memory is also used in solid-state drives (SSD) that can be used in desktop and laptop computers instead of conventional hard disk drives. An SSD drive uses much less power than a conventional hard drive, and it can withstand shocks (when a laptop is dropped, etc.), better than conventional hard drives. At the time of writing (May, 2008), the capacities of SSD drives have reached 128GB, although only 32GB SSD drives are currently in a price range that makes them a viable alternative to hard disk drives.
Sony's name for its pen drives is Micro Vault. Sony's site at http://www.sony.com/ has information on them that you can find by conducting a search of the site.
It is also capable of storing much more data than its advertised capacity, because it has inbuilt on-the-fly compression and decompression routines. Sony claims that this boosts the data storage capacity by up to three times. The drive is very small - a quarter of a centimetre thin, and roughly three by one-and-a-half centimetres in length and width.
It is also possible to buy a Flash drive that is waterproof and has the cap attached to the drive so that it can't be lost. An example is the Integral 256MB Splash Drive.
September 26, 2006. - Happy 50th, hard drive. But will you make it to 60?
"Threatening HDD, flash memory will soon be available in 64GB capacities -- with larger devices coming..." -
http://www.computerworld.com/action/...articleId=9003646&pageNumber=1
August 22, 2006. - USB flash drives get to work - Drives can encrypt, store PC settings and will soon have 64GB of memory - http://www.computerworld.com/...articleId=9002563
Computer Shopper reviews of USB flash drives
Click the make/model link to go to the manufacturer's site
In March 2008 (issue 243) Computer Shopper gave the following flash drives five-star ratings:
1. - Sandisk Cruzer Contour 8GB - 8GB capacity (7.63GB when formatted to use NTFS file system) - Best Buy award - Very stylish - Comes preloaded with many useful applications - The USB connector is hidden behind a door that protects it from dust - Priced at £37 in March 2008.
2. - Corsair Flash Voyager 4GB - 4GB capacity (3.74GB when formatted to use NTFS file system) - Budget Buy award - Nowhere to store the rubber cap when it is removed - Fast data transfers - Priced at £18 in March 2008.
3. - OCZ ATV 32GB - 32GB capacity (29.80GB when formatted to use NTFS file system) - Cap attaches to a dangling tab when not needed - No software is preloaded, but free encryption and application software can be downloaded - priced at £100 in March 2008.
The reviews of the above flash drives are not available on the Computer Shopper site. You can make use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to locate additional information and vendors on/for a particular make/model.
Microsoft's Flash Drive Manager
Microsoft provides a free program called Flash Drive Manager that makes working with several flash drives easy. You can even use it to set up a wireless network quickly and easily.
Each computer that you want to connect to a wirless network has to be configured manually with the required settings, but you can simplify the process by using the Flash Drive Manager to copy the settings from one computer to another.
The Flash Drive Manager isn't provided by Windows XP/Vista, but it can be downloaded from this page on the Microsoft website that also provides information on it:
Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager (Standard) -
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?...
Flash drive problems
Visit the USB/FireWire Problems pages on this site if you are experiencing a problem with a flash drive. The most common problems are dealt with there.
USB flash drives: A travelling tipAt the start of the security screening at airports, etc., place your USB flash drive in the tray with your keys and coins. Bypassing the electronic screening devices will probably save the drive from being wiped by the powerful magnets that surround them.
You can use a generic USB driver for USB storage devices for Windows 98 that were written by a German programmer called Maximus Decim. It works with a wide range of USB storage devices. There is no home page and no support. To find download sites, you have to enter the man's name in a search engine, such as the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). I found the following page that might not exist when you click on its link. If so, try entering the man's name in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). Windows 98 USB Mass Storage Device Drivers - http://www.technical-assistance.co.uk/kb/usbmsd98.php Click here! to go to more information on this website on using USB 2.0 in Windows 98 and Windows Me. |
USB thumb drives are inserted into a computer's USB ports, which are usually on the motherboard, but can also be on a PCI adapter card, some monitors, at the front of some computer cases, and even on some keyboards or monitors. But the most prevalent use of flash memory is in the form of cards that are inserted into devices such as cameras, MP3 players, notebook computers, PDAs, etc., which are read by a computer that doesn't use them itself via a memory-card reader.
USB flash drives - UFDs - can be used as fast, light, removable hard disk drives, and provide the possibility of creating alternative methods of booting a computer for use and for system-recovery purposes. Plugging in a UFD an alternative bootable drive allows for easy operating system deployment, system recovery, and the ability to run diagnostic and partitioning/formatting utilities that cannot be used easily or should not be run from the drive or partitions that they can work on.
If you want to use a USB flash drive with Windows 98 and Windows Me, you need to obtain the correct driver for that version of Windows from its manufacturer, which might not be easy to identify.
Using ReadyBoost with a flash drive in Windows Vista to improve performanceUsing Windows Vista's ReadyBoost feature with USB 2.0 a flash drive can improve its performance. "Windows ReadyBoost introduces a new concept in add-on system memory. You can use nonvolatile flash memory devices, such as universal serial bus (USB) flash drives, to improve performance without having to add memory "under the hood." The flash memory device serves as an additional memory cache—that is, memory that the computer can access much more quickly than it can access data on the hard disk drive." ReadyBoost - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReadyBoost Bootable USB flash drivesComputers running Windows XP will only boot reliably from a USB flash drive that can be configured as a USB hard disk drive (USB-HDD). However, note well that many USB flash drives can only be configured as USB removable drives and will therefore not function as USB-HDD. A flash drive that can be configured as a USB-HDD can also be difficult to identify. Many flash drives are generic devices that have been re-badged and different batches of drives can contain different components. If you want a bootable flash drive, the own-brand drives supplied by vendors should be avoided unless you know who the manufacturer is. When choosing a bootable drive, visit the manufacturer's website. If a particular model of flash drive is bootable, it will be mentioned as a feature. The manufacturer may also provide a utility that installs an operating system on the flash drive. The utility software may not be very good, but the fact that it exists indicates that the drive is designed to be bootable. Windows itself cannot yet boot from a USB flash drive, but there are tools that may enable you to use some Windows applications from a bootable flash drive. How to boot your PC from a USB flash drive - http://www.maxpc.co.uk/tutorials/default.asp... You may need to use the following utility to make a flash drive bootable: MKBT, Make Bootable - http://www.nu2.nu/mkbt/ Carry an entire operating system in your pocket - "Running applications from a USB flash drive on a public computer is convenient but exposes you to malware and other limitations of the host PC. By installing a Windows-like version of Linux on a flash drive, you can take a complete operating system wherever you go and work in a safe, secure environment, even in an Internet café." - http://windowssecrets.com/2008/03/20/02... Booting a complete copy of Windows XP or a system rescue setup from a USB flash driveIf you have a flash drive that is bootable and your computer's BIOS allows booting from one, it is now possible to boot a full version of Windows XP from a USB flash drive. An ideal way of recovering Windows XP would be if you could run a complete copy of it from a USB flash drive. The following free tutorial tells you how to do it. "WinUSB is a tutorial which allows the user to run a complete Windows XP version on an USB device/stick. This tutorial is some kind of manual which you have to follow, in order to let your modified Windows XP run on your USB device. Therefor you have to regard some requirerments which are also important to the avoidance of any infringment of the copyright of microsoft. You only have to click on the tutorial menu-button in order to read more..." "Copyright advice: The following tutorial requires a valid licenced copy of Windows XP. Microsoft does not authorize the owners of Windows XP licences to run the licensed Windows version on more than one computer at a time. The registration of Windows XP also prevents running Windows XP on multiple systems. Due to that, you are allowed to use your licenced copy of Windows XP on only one computer. That does not prevent the use of WinUSB on another computer after shutting down the first system." - http://www.winusb.de/index_en.html EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT BOOTING FROM AN USB PENDRIVE ... AND DARED TO ASK - http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.net/Projects/USB/USBfaqs.html Windows XP: booting direct from USB Options - http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=14181 Carry a flash drive instead of a laptop - http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071011/ Alternatively, it is possible to boot to a recovery system - a 'preinstalled environment', such as BartPE - from one. You can add all kinds utilities to it that are able to diagnose hardware problems and/or aid in the recovery of a system. The following articles tell you exactly how to do it, including how to format a bootable flash drive. Note that not all motherboard BIOS setup programs, especially the older ones, support booting from the USB interface. If the BIOS doesn't support it, then you can't use a USB drive of any kind to boot the system, but if it is supported, the option to enable such a system boot exists in the BIOS. However, even though the BIOS supports booting from a USB drive, there may be other incompatibilities that prevent it from being possible. The following two articles go into the details in depth. Windows In Your Pocket - http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/windows-in-your-pocket,review-1427.html [Windows] XP On Your Thumb Drive - http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=177102101 If you find the option to print the second Information Week article, you are provided with it on a single page that you can save to read instead of having to visit several pages. It is also possible to boot some versions of Linux from a flash drive. HowTo: Linux bootable USB key - http://openfacts.berlios.de/index-en.phtml?...HOWTO More information can be found via this customised Google search: http://www.google.com/search?q=linux+bootable+usb. If you require more information, try entering bootable + usb + "flash drive", as is, in the Google search box at the top of this page with its Web radio button enabled. How to run portable programs and applications from a flash driveIt is possible to run entire portable application programs from a flash drive. You can use them to work from any computer that has a USB port, save the files to your own application programs on the flash drive, and then save any documents you create to your main computer. At http://johnhaller.com/jh/ you can download portable flash-drive versions of many office and multimedia applications - email clients, browsers, Open Office, Winamp, FTP programs, HTML editors, Instant Message (IM) programs, and personal management calendars are available. With the new U3 standard - visit this page for information on it - http://www.everythingusb.com/u3.html - it is even easier to use a flash drive as a portable computer. Suitable software can be found here - http://software.u3.com/ - much of which is free. Carry a flash drive instead of a laptop - "You can avoid lugging a laptop everywhere by installing your favorite apps on a USB flash drive and running them on any computer you want. I'll guide you in selecting a flash drive that's best suited for portable software and tell you which apps you should install..." - http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071011 Free software on USB enables portable computing - http://windowssecrets.com/comp/071018/ Portable OpenOffice.org 2.0 runs from a flash driveIt is now possible to run a full free office suite from a flash drive. You can download the Portable OpenOffice.org 2.0 Beta 3 from http://www.openoffice.org/. It contains a wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database, and drawing and presentation tools. Note that it is beta software that isn't yet the finished product. |
The smaller of the high-speed USB flash drives (64MB, 128MB, 256MB), known by several names such as thumb and pen drives, have enough permanent flash memory to make them a viable on-site and off-site back-up option for data files. The drives with the highest capacities now have enough flash memory to store an entire system made up of the operating system, the applications it runs, and the data files that the applications generate. Current drives offer capacities between 1GB and 4GB, with 8GB capacities on the way, with, of course, the promise of still larger drives in the future.
Flash drives are believed to work for up to 10,000 write/erase operations. However, some sources indicate that flash drives can survive for up to ten million operational or write/erase cycles.
Crucial, Corsair, Kingston, and other memory manufacturers have brought out lines of inexpensive second generation USB 2.0 thumb drives that are smaller, faster, and weigh less than the previous generation. The pen drives are no wider than their USB 2.0 connector, which is accessed by removing the drive's cap. Take care not to lose the cap if there is nowhere on the drive to attach it.
Visit the US http://www.crucial.com/ site or http://www.crucial.com/uk for the UK site to see examples of the flash drives Crucial sells.
To lose data on burned CD/DVD disks only requires the disk to be damaged or scratched, and it is known that recorded disks have a limited shelf life that can be as low as two to five years for cheaper makes of disk.
However, flash drives are very durable, and the data stored in one will remain intact as long as the drive can be accessed, which is effectively for as long as there are computers that have USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 ports, because the drives can work on the earlier and slower USB 1.1 ports. It is known that the drives can survive and still be accessed after having gone through a full washing cycle in a domestic washing machine.
Scratches and dust can render the previous forms of portable storage such as CDs and floppy disks unusable, but this is not the case with flash drives. Because of their durable solid-state design, they often survive casual accidents - impacts, being dropped, being put through a washing machine, or even being dropped in a liquid. This makes them ideal for transporting files from one location to another, such as from home to school or the office. Almost universal USB support on modern computers allows the drives to be used in most places.
Tha data reading and writing rates vary from drive to drive, but they are fast. For example, Kingston's Data Traveler Elite has nearly a 20MB/s (20 megabytes per second) reading rate, and up to 12MB/s writing rate, and has integrated data protection by providing optional 128-bit DES hardware encryption. Corair's flash drives have a reading rate of almost 20MB/s, a writing rate of 14MB/s. Moreover, the rubber cladding around them makes them waterproof and well suited for outdoor use.
A flash drives should have an LED light that indicates when data transfers are taking place, and have a write-protect switch that is enabled to prevent the drive from being written to in the same way as a floppy disk has a slider that prevents the disk being written to if it is manually moved into the position that leaves an open gap that the floppy disk drive reads and interprets as a write-protected disk. If a message comes up unexpectantly saying that your flash drive is read-only, then the switch has somehow been enabled. The switch is located on one of the long thin undersides of the drive.
If your computer only has USB ports at the back of its case. If the back of the case is usually inaccessible, you can buy an inexpensive USB hub that connects to a USB port and allows you to plug in the flash drive without moving the case.
A basic USB extension cable is a very cheap solution at around £4/$7 each. I use extension cables with all of my USB devices. They reduce wear on the connections, and make crawling on the floor to connect the devices to the back of the PC case unnecessary.
How to install a flash drive
Using a flash drive is very simple in a system running Windows XP, because it loads the device drivers automatically when you plug the drive into a USB port. After the drive is plugged in, the drive's LED light should light up and you'll hear Windows make a sound. A message should come up saying that Windows has detected new hardware and is loading the drivers. Then another message comes up telling you that the drivers have been installed. You can now copy files to the drive immediately, because the drive doesn't need to be formatted.
It is listed as a drive in My Computer. Just copy some files, locate the newly listed drive in My Computer, click on it to open its window, right-click in the right-hand window and paste the files.
If the drive already has files copied to it, when you plug the drive into a USB port, Windows XP installs the drivers and brings up a window containing a list of the files, or the window appears that also presents itself when you insert a recorded CD/DVD. It provides a list of the options that you can choose to run. To view the files, all you have to do is click on the Open folder to view files option.
To save new or updated files to the drive just use the Save as option in your application program that you would normally use to save files to the hard drive, and select the drive letter or named drive that represents it from the drop-down menu. It is sometimes called a Removable Disk or an Unknown drive. The drive letter that the drive has been assigned should appear in My Computer. You can also select a group of files, right click on it with the mouse and use the Send To option to copy them to the flash drive.
If you unplug the drive while the computer is running, Windows unloads the drivers. Before you unlug the drive, click on the new icon that Windows should have placed in the System Tray (Notification Area). It looks like a green tree growing out of a grey base. Click on Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device. Windows then displays this message: Safe to Remove Hardware.
Note well, don't use excessive force when plugging a flash drive into a port, because if its USB plug loosens or breaks, the device will be rendered useless. Likewise, take care when unplugging the drive. When a drive is plugged into a USB port at the back of a laptop computer, take care when lifting the computer, because if you lift the front up first you can bend the flash drive and render it useless.
Most USB flash drives use a mass-storage class of drivers that are provided by Windows Me, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. However, in order to operate under Windows 98 SE, a USB flash drive requires a driver that can usually be obtained from its manufacturer's website.
For
the versions of Windows 95 with USB support the driver situation
is dire. Drivers are almost completely unavailable, but you might be able to find
a generic driver that works by performing a Google search.
THE SECURITY OF DATA IN FLASH DRIVES
Crucial no longer provides security software with its flash drives because of having to devote too much time to support issues. There are many flash drives that come with encryption software, but you usually have to pay extra for them. However, there's no need to worry if a flash drive you've purchased doesn't come with it. If you want to keep the data on a flash drive secure, you can make use of a third-party encryption utility, many of which are free. If the data on the flash drive is scrambled to a high degree it's secure because only expert hackers could crack the encryption, which none of them would bother to do.
TrueCrypt from http://www.truecrypt.org/ is a free open-source application that can create encrypted drive volumes on any kind of removable storage. It supports Windows XP and Windows Vista. The encrypted drives are password-protected and appear in Windows Explorer, which means that they can be used in the same way as any normal drive. For example, using TrueCrypt, you could create, say, a 250MB encrypted drive on a flash drive. Everything you copy to the drive would be encrypted.
There are utilities, such as WinZip, that can compress and encrypt files by using up to 256-bit AES encryption so that they take up about half or less of their uncompressed space, making them secure from everyone who isn't an expert hacker. WinZip isn't free, but there are many free standard encryption tools, most of which don't provide compression, that are nevertheless very easy to use.
Click on http://www.google.com/search?q=free+file+folder+encrypt to run a Google search for them, or make use of the Google search box provided at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled) to conduct your own search.
Here is an excellent paid-for utility that encrypts the data on a USB flash drive, and only costs £8:
Stompsoft Portable Vault - http://www.stompsoft.com/
Software protection is not as good as hardware protection. You can now purchase a self-locking USB stick with a built-in numeric keypad. Visit the following link to read a review of the device.
Review: Corsair 2GB Flash Padlock USB Stick -
http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/93.htm#review1
Password protect flash drives
Crucial Gizmo hi-speed USB flash drives allow the drive to be divided into public and private areas by using Secure-D Software.
"The Secure-D software is an application that allows you to password-protect secure files on your USB drive. Secure-D allows you to divide your USB drive into two different areas. The public area, which comes up automatically when you insert the USB drive into a USB port on the computer, is accessible by anyone using your drive. The secure area is password-protected and no one can open, copy, or write files to it without entering the password first. CAUTION: When you use the Secure-D software to create or change the size of the public and secure areas on your USB drive, all of the information on the drive is overwritten. If you plan to use both public and secure areas on your USB drive, you need to install Secure-D and create the areas before you save information on your drive. If you've already saved information on your USB drive and you want to create areas, save the existing contents elsewhere before you create the areas, and then copy the information back onto the drive afterward."
Flash drives: Some useful webpages
Where USB and Firewire problems are covered on this siteClick here! to go to Page 1 of USB and FireWire Problems & Solutions. |
12 USB Thumb Drives Keep Your Data Secure -
"Keep your important files mobile but safe with these USB thumb drives -- most under $100 -- from Kingston, SanDisk, Lexar, Imation, and more, which offer enhanced protection via encryption, biometrics, and self-destruct mechanisms." -
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml...
Four-Way USB Stick Shootout – Miniature Storage Giants -
"They are small, elegant, and many computer users have several of them. USB sticks, of course. When they were still new, their capacities of 64 MB and 128 MB perfectly bridged the gap between the floppy disk and the CD-ROM. Nowadays, USB sticks have developed into outright storage behemoths with capacities of up to 64 GB, easily outstripping even optical media..." -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Flash-Sticks-USB-U3-ReadyBoost,review-29856.html
Flash memory cards: information - http://www.answers.com/topic/memory-card
Sony PlayStation2 Flash memory cards and card ports -
The memory cards used by hardware such as Sony's PlayStation and by digital cameras use Flash memory.
http://www.answerbag.com/c_view.php/2559
Magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM)
Magneto-resistive RAM (MRAM) is not available yet. It is said to be a thousand times faster than the DRAM (dynamic RAM) used in computers, and, like flash memory, it retains its data when not powered.
In the near future, Flash RAM of this kind will probably be incorporated into the processor and render HDDs redundant. The operating system will be able to shut down and start up immediately from where it left off.
Memory card readers
Memory cards are constantly becoming smaller in size, larger in capacity, and cheaper. They are ideal for storing digital photos, for use with Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), particular MP3 players, and digital video cameras.
If you use several different kinds of devices that use their own kinds of memory cards, you can purchase memory-card readers that can read the different cards.
For instance, an MP3 player uses MMC cards, a PDA uses Compact Flash cards, and a Sony Vaio notebook computer uses it own Memory Stick cards.
You could spend a long time transferring files from the devices to a desktop computer by using, say, USB cables. But if you buy an inexpensive memory-card reader, you can eliminate the need to plug and unplug lots of different USB cables.
Most memory card readers are inexpensive devices priced at around £30 or less. There are several types that can be used with a PC by using an internal or external USB connection.
The 6-in-1 Media Reader requires a 3.5" drive bay of the kind that houses a floppy disk drive. It reads Multimedia Cards (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick, PC Card (PCMCIA), Compact Flash, and SmartMedia card formats. You can copy the contents of one type of card to the desktop computer's hard drive, insert a different card, and copy the contents to it, or you can just copy the contents to the hard drive.
The USB 2.0 6-in-1 Flash Reader, is an external USB device that can be connected to either a notebook or desktop computer. It also has a USB 1.1 port that enables you to connect a printer or scanner to it.
CompactFlash.org - http://www.compactflash.org/
CompactFlash FAQs - http://www.compactflash.org/faqs/faq.htm
Some photo printers can read the memory cards used by digital cameras
Some photo printers have the capacity to read data directly from the memory cards used by digital cameras. Such printers usually offer advanced layout and quality options, and can also be used as a memory card reader when connected to a computer. Just make sure that a photo printer with such a facility supports the same memory card format as your digital camera.
How to install an external and an internal memory card reader
Installing an external USB memory card reader is a very simple matter. You merely have to install the device drivers that should be provided on a CD that came as part of the package, and plug the reader via a USB cable in to a USB port.
An internal memory card reader is relatively simple to install in a 3.5" bay of a PC case in which a floppy disk drive (FDD) is usually installed. Card readers that have an inbuilt FDD are available, so, if you need to have one, you can replace the existing FDD with the combo device.
An internal memory card reader must have a USB header on the PC's motherboard. The information about the location and and order of the pins on the header are illustrated and explained in the PC's motherboard manual, a copy of which can be downloaded from its manufacturer's site. If you need to identify the motherboard in a PC, the free CPU-Z utility is ideal. You can then locate the manufacturer's site by using a search engine such as Google.
USB headers on a motherboard have nine pins, but memory card readers only use four of them. If any other device is using one row of pins, you can install the reader on the second row.
Instructions on how to install the memory card reader should have come with the device. It will tell you if you have to install the device drivers before installing it. Windows XP and Windows 2000 should detect and install the drivers automatically when the PC is started after the device is installed. The manufacturer's drivers are required if you are installing the card reader in a Windows 98 or Windows Me system.
In any case, it is a good idea to install the manufacturer's drivers, because they provide information in My Computer that explains which drive letter relates to which card format. That is useful if the reader supports several types of cards.
How the card reader is installed in the PC case depends on the type of case. Some cases come with rails (runners) that you screw to the drive. When you push the drive through the open 3.5" drive bay, it clips in. To remove the drive, you just have to release the clips in the front of the drive and slide it out. See the image below of runners fitted to the side of a CD drive. You can see the clips on the end clearly in the runners in the foreground of the image.
Other cases have fixed drive bays; you insert the drive so that it is flush with the fascia of the case and screw it to the bay with four screws. If you are replacing a FDD with a combo card reader/FDD, you can install it in the same bay. But, you'll probably have to remove the face plate of the spare 3.5" bay that most cases have if you are installing just a card reader and want to keep the existing FDD.
The physical installation is done in the same way as installing a FDD. Click here! to go to the page on this site that deals with installing a FDD. It provides information on troubleshooting if the FDD doesn't work.
You have to know how to install a FDD if you are installing a combo device. You must attach the cable(s) to the drive before you install the drive so that you can feed the cable(s) into the bay before the drive itself is inserted. It is usually very difficult to attach the cable(s) after the drive is installed.
After a memory card reader has been installed successfully, several new drive letters should appear in My Computer - usually one drive icon for each of the different card slots that the reader has. The card reader will also appear in the Device Manager. To see it in Windows XP, right-click My Computer with the mouse and click Properties, followed by the Hardware tab and the Device Manager button. Click the + beside Universal Serial Bus controllers.
If the internal card reader doesn't appear in Windows, make sure that you connected the USB header properly - that you used the correct header on the motherboard and that the cable is plugged in the right way around.
If an external memory card reader doesn't appear in Windows, you can verify if the external USB port is working by attaching a USB mouse to it. You can unplug and plug in USB devices while the PC is running, because USB and FireWire devices support such 'hotplugging'. If the mouse works, the card reader's drivers have probably not been installed correctly and should be reinstalled.
The internal card reader doesn't require a power cable to be attached to it from the PC's power supply because internal USB devices are powered via the USB cable. But, if you have a combo unit, and its FDD doesn't work, then make sure that a FDD power cable from the power supply is connected to the drive's power connector. If the FDD's light stays on all the time, its data cable is the wrong way round. The wrong end of the cable is attached to the drive.
RAM websites
Anandtech.com - RAM memory reviews - http://www.anandtech.com/memory/
Talk
to an Expert Online. Visit http://www.crucial.com/,
select your country from the Choose country drop-down menu, and look for
the link that allows you to have your questions answered by one of Crucial's online
memory experts.
How
Flash Memory Works - http://computer.howstuffworks.com/flash-memory.htm
Google searches
To conduct your own search of the web for information on RAM, or flash memory, or specific products mentioned on this page, you can make use the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).
| This article consists of two pages. Click here! to go to Page 1 |
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PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2008. All rights reserved.
