Laptop Memory/Computer Memory Quandary

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Laptop Memory/Computer Memory Quandary

Postby Zio_Falz » Sat May 2, '15, 4:06 am

I hope that there are some people here more suited to answer this than me, because it boggles my mind.

Recently my laptop, a mid-2012 MacBook Pro has decided to ignore the fact that each of its memory slots has a 8 GB DDR RAM and each of them, and instead reports that only the gigabytes of RAM is installed in this computer. I have opened this machine up once already today, after noticing a lag which was atypical of normal function. And I made sure that both memory units were firmly placed inside of the memory slot for each memory slot. And then I go back to my computer's hardware settings area, and it still only reports one of the slots has an 8 GB unit in it.

It totally puzzles me, and my question really is:

Is there anything that can cause this off the top of anyone's head? And is it possible for memory to just "stop working?"

Or better yet for a functional computer to stop reading memory in one of the slots?

Finally, much like batteries, can this occur if the memory inside of 2 slots, are of different manufacturer, can it cause errors were only one memory unit will register?


I've always been a computer oriented person, and take things in a systematic approach, like any diagnostician or doctor would. Wink wink of cough. But I really dread having to do troubleshooting, just because MacBooks are in my opinion more tedious to take apart than your average laptop computer. Or maybe I just hate dealing with so many screws.

the next step is to take out one unit of memory, turn the computer on check and see if it registers still with the one remaining unit, and then the computer back up again and do it with the other memory unit to see if that one registers.

If both register individually but not together, then my next step is to try them each individually inside of each separate memory slot make sure that each memory slot works.

If even that still doesn't really answer it, then my next step is to take an 8 GB RAM out of my Windows laptop, and then try that inside of my MacBook inside of each separate slot individually and then together with one of the other 8 GB RAM units inside of the MacBook.

If that then renders me still to only have 8 GB of RAM registered only, then the next step would be to try and see if 2 8 GB units from my Windows laptop which are the same brand, unlike the memory in my laptop which is of a different manufacturer each, and see if that works.


By now I hope you see how cumbersome it is to have to disassemble, switch memory or take memory out, then reassemble and power the computer back on to see what's going on and then repeats all process any number of times it can be exceedingly boring.


I would like to have to avoid doing that so if anyone knows a quick fix or has encountered this, I’d be grateful. Thanks for reading my woes.
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