Finished!

[bjarvis]

After 2+ weeks of attempting to upgrade the memory in various computers at home, the last piece has finally fallen into place.

The original workflow was to be:

1. Purchase RAM: two 512 MB PC-133 DIMMs for the XP box, one 512 MB SoDIMM for the iMac and 1 GB PC3200U DIMM for the Linux box;
   
2. Install RAM into XP box, iMac and Linux box;
   
3. Live happily ever after.
   

The actual workflow went like:

1. Purchase RAM as above.
   
2. Test RAM upon arrival.
   
   
   • One 512 MB PC-133 DIMM faulty: return for replacement; install good 512 MB DIMM in XP box.
     
   • SoDIMM is labelled 512 MB but iMac sees only 256 MB: return for replacement.
     
   • 1 GB DIMM generates system errors in Linux box. Get pissed. Dash out to Best Buy to purchase 512 MB DIMM for Linux box for $70. Still get errors. Determine motherboard is fried, not the DIMMs. Place 1 GB and 512 MB DIMMs in kent4str's XP box 'cause what the hell, his could use an upgrade anyway.
   
   
3. Purchase refurb Compaq Pentium 4 off eBay for $200 as new Linux box.
   
4. Discover alternate memory upgrade for iMac isn't as difficult as I had been lead to believe: purchase additional 512 MB PC-133 DIMM off eBay for $60.
   
5. Spot same model of motherboard on eBay for old Linux box. Purchase for $50.
   
6. Install Novell SuSE Linux on newly arrived refurbished Compaq.
   
7. iMac's PC-133 DIMM arrives. Install.
   
8. iMac's replacement SoDIMM arrives. Install.
   
9. Replacement Linux box motherboard arrives. Install.
   
10. 512 MB DIMM for XP box arrives. Install.
    
11. Question sanity.

The RAM in (10) arrived today. My XP box is maxed out at 1 GB, my iMac is maxed out at 1 GB, I have a new Linux box and my old Linux box is resurrected with a new motherboard and upgraded from 256 MB to 512 MB using one of the spare DIMMs liberated from the other machines. Two weeks over deadline and $320 over budget.

Step (11) is still in progress.

Comments

[ohwolfman.livejournal.com]

Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway every Saturday. 'Course the seats were originally brown leather now they're a pitiful red. It's a 1949 Buick Roadmaster. Straight 8. Fireball 8. Only 8,985 production models. Dad lets me drive slow on the driveway. But not on Monday, definitely not on Monday.

[furrbear.livejournal.com]

SLED, SLES, or OpenSuSE?

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

SLES.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

*chuckle*

You sound like a total geek to me my dear. :-)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

The illusion is complete. :-)

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

That goes without saying.

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

It's not an illuson!

[cuyahogarvr.livejournal.com]

Let me second that. Oh and BTW, I agree with step 11 on soooooo many levels. : )

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Let me help with Step (11). I've been working on it for some time now...

[chrishansenhome.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough, my last experience with RAM was fine on our iMac. I bought one for GBP 80, and discovered that I needed more than 128 MB RAM in it to run anything interesting. Bought some on eBay for a relatively small amount (which I can't recall), and managed to disassemble the iMac and install it. Also put a new 80 GB harddrive into it, which means taking everything out of it to get to the harddrive.

If you wish assistance in going mad, try installing Microsoft Office on your XP machine over a previous installation.