RAM gets corrupted eventually due to faulty hardware components, a corrupted operating system installation, a computer virus/malware, excessive heat, a bad power supply, etc.
It gradually deteriorates over time. Eventually, the machine gets frequent freezes, reboots, or BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) instances but after a boot, it seems to be re-energized.
Read on to know more if you are wondering why RAM gets corrupted and how to resolve this issue, without consulting an expert technician.
In This Article
KEY TAKEAWAYSÂ
- Random reboots can be caused by a faulty power supply.
- Dirt and dust can also cause problems similar to memory problems.
- Ram can be corrupted due to virus infections.
5 Reasons Why RAM Gets Corrupted (with Fixes)
1. Voltage & Power Supply
Supply voltages can damage most computer components, including RAM.
Connect your computer and other expensive electronics to a surge protector. Make sure you know the difference between a surge protector and an extension cord.
Before handling computer parts, be sure to ground yourself by touching a grounded metal object to discharge static electricity. Electrostatic discharge can damage your computer.
RAM and other components can get damaged over time due to excessive heat. Individual components can overheat, or heat from one component can damage adjacent parts.
If you incorrectly overclock a computer part, it can cause damage in the form of overheating.
Your memory module may have a defect that has passed quality control and has gotten worse over time.
It is also possible that your memory module is good, but one or more memory slots on your motherboard are faulty, reducing RAM performance.
However, this error can even be so bad that it damages your entire memory stick.
Solution:Â
The easiest way to diagnose RAM errors is to use the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool. Windows provides it.
First, open your computer’s control panel. After that, find Windows Memory Diagnostic and open it.
If you have two memory sticks, you can delete one memory stick at a time. This is an ideal way to check for memory problems.
After removing one of your RAM sticks, you can restart your computer.
If your computer is working properly, one of your RAM sticks is not working properly. It is also a good idea to consolidate your drive every few months. You can replace it.
2. Heavy ProgramsÂ
If your computer’s performance slows down over time, your computer likely has memory problems.
Your computer starts at a normal speed, but after a while, it slows down. This problem is mostly caused by slow RAM.
Try using heavy programs like Photoshop or playing heavy games like PUBG. If your RAM is not working properly, your computer’s performance will drop unexpectedly.
Sometimes these problems are also caused by memory leaks. Therefore, many people do not know how to resolve this problem.
To determine what is causing this issue you can try restarting your system; however, this time do not open any app on your computer after restarting.
If you still have similar problems without any heavy software running, there is a problem with your RAM.
Solutions:Â
You can quickly check the RAM capacity of your system. If you are using Windows, you can check your system’s RAM as follows:
- Open the Control Panel on your computer.
- Go to the System section of your control panel.
- You can see the amount of RAM installed in your systems.
If you are using a Mac, you can check your system RAM by following the instructions below.
- Click the Apple icon and then open it on Mac.
- After that click on the Overview tab.
- You can see an overview of your Mac’s statistics, including the amount of RAM installed in your system.
- If your system shows less RAM, your laptop may have memory problems.
- Your system freezes
If your windows computer freezes for minutes at a time, your system may have a problem with RAM. It may take even 3 minutes to open a browser like Chrome.
You can reinstall with higher capacity or compatible memory. 64-bit installation whitethorn to 512GB and 4GB maximum for RAM on 32-bit Windows installations.
But make sure your BIOS is configured perfectly.
3. Viruses
There are numerous reasons why your computer can crash, however, determining its exact cause is not easy due to the number of issues.
If these crashes happen randomly, there is a problem with your RAM.
If your computer crashes when opening heavy applications, for example, your hardware is probably faulty or viruses.
But if these crashes happen without warning, your RAM gets corrupted eventually.
Solutions:Â
Your computer may also have a virus. Note that many people automatically assume that their computer problems are caused by a virus, and many repair shops often diagnose hardware problems as viruses.
Make sure you have a good antivirus program and run regular scans.
4. Corrupt FilesÂ
If you suddenly see that your data files are corrupted, then your system has a RAM problem. This problem will worsen over time.
You will see more and more files getting corrupted. Therefore, this problem only gets worse with time.
The main reason for this problem is that your RAM is changing the structure of your hard drive. This has degraded old files on your hard drive.
Before long, your computer will not start as these files on your primary drive have become corrupted.
Solutions:
You can simply use a cleaner and detect the corrupt files and try to format the computer after diagnosing the RAM.
This is the simplest and easiest option if you don’t want to install other tools because everything is built into Windows.
However, you have to give it some time; this tool itself claims that it “may take a few minutes” to use, but in reality, it may take almost an hour and you will not be able to use your device normally during that time.
Step 1: Open Windows Memory Diagnostic by searching for it in the Start Menu search bar. Then click “Restart now and check for problems”.
Step 2: Your computer will shut down and you will be blue for a few minutes while Windows Memory Diagnostics looks for RAM problems.
You can walk away and do something more productive because your input is not needed at this point, although it’s worth checking now and then because this tool detects a problem and immediately informs you about it.
Step 3: After passing this test, you will be returned to your desktop screen. Windows Memory Diagnostic should probably show results automatically at this point. Fortunately, you can find a summary in Windows Event Viewer.
Step 4: Right-click the Windows icon, and then click “Event Viewer.”
Step 5: In the Event Viewer, go to Windows Logs > System in the left pane, and then look for an event named “MemoryDiagnostics-Results” in the “Source” column. It shows test results in detail.
If you see the files’ RAM is okay then delete the files and if the result shows negative then you can replace the RAM.
5. Faulty Hardware & Unclean MachinesÂ
If you have ever turned on your computer, you’ve probably heard a loud beep.
This loud beep indicates that your computer has detected your media and video hardware.
If you do not hear this beep during startup, your computer has RAM problems. After booting, your operating system will also display a message on your screen.
If your computer only has this problem, it is not guaranteed that your RAM is malfunctioning.
Sometimes these problems can be caused by faulty graphics cards. On a Mac, a triple beep at startup indicates a RAM problem.
Dirt and dust can also cause problems similar to memory problems.
Solutions:Â
You can remove the faulty hardware. Sometimes even the RAM bought can be duplicated or malfunctioned previously. You can simply look for a replacement.
Computer dust should be cleaned at least once a year, more often if you have furry pets near your system. Clean the system, especially the RAM slots, and then reboot it.
ConclusionÂ
All errors related to memory cannot be fixed, so now that you know why RAM get corrupted, and whether it can be resolved, you can avail services of an expert to replace your RAM or do it yourself.