Upgrading My Memory – I Only Wish!

Upgrading my memory?  Well, not exactly, it’s for my laptop!  Wouldn’t it be great though, if we could increase our own memory capacity just as easily as a computer’s? Maybe someday, in the not too distant future, that will actually be possible. But, for now, I’ll just have to be content with increasing the RAM in my 3 yr. old Dell Inspirion, from 1GB to it’s maximum allowable total of 2GB. 

Step 1.  Unplug AC power cord and remove the battery to prevent accidental startup

After I ordered Paulette’s new Dell Windows 7 laptop, with 4GB RAM, I knew my machine would seem like “Up the Lazy River” compared to that baby.  So, I thought that a memory upgrade might jack mine up a bit and squeeze some more horsepower out the old Dell.

Step 2:  Remove screws and open plastic cover on memory module compartment

A quick check online determined that I would have to replace the current 2 x 512MB memory modules with newer, faster 2 x 1GB units. I found that I could get the 2 x 1GB memory modules for the ridiculously low price of $29 – why have I been plodding along with 1GB of RAM for so long?  Ignorance is bliss, I guess!

I ordered the memory modules from GetPartsOnline in Huntington Station, NY for $29 plus $22 for FedEx shipping and handling. I found it was still cheaper to buy online and pay the shipping charge than it would be to buy the memory locally.  It took a week, but the memory modules arrived here Friday morning.

Step 3:  Push spring latches outward to release memory modules, then remove

So, now the job of installing the memory in my laptop.  The first thing to do was, of course, to unplug the AC power cord.  Next, I removed the battery from the unit as well (see Step 1).  The last thing I needed was for the laptop to wake-up and start while I was in the middle of installing the memory - that could result in frying the modules.  It’s always a good idea to disconnect all power sources before working on the inside of any computer.

Step 4: Seat the memory modules and push down until spring latches catch

After that, I got out my trusty little screwdriver kit, found the right one and removed the plastic lid covering the location of the memory modules(See Step 2).  Next, I carefully released the spring catches holding the 2 modules in place and removed both(See Step 3).  The new modules just snapped back in(See Step 4), I replaced the cover, reinstalled the battery and I was done.

Now, the big test – did it work?; Did I now have 2GB of RAM?  Only one way to find out – let’s power up!  I plugged in the AC adapter and pushed the power on button.  During startup, the computer stopped to display a message saying the memory in my computer had been altered and “did I want to continue(F1) or go into Setup(F2)?  That was what I wanted to see, so I hit F1, the laptop booted and Windows loaded up with no problems.

All that hard, difficult work sure works up an appetite for Tim Horton’s!

Once in Windows, I quickly checked the system tools display and confirmed that I was now operating with a full deck – or 2GB of RAM anyway – perfect!  It seemed quite a bit faster too but I won’t really be able to tell for sure until I start loading up multiple tasks and giving it a real good workout – I’m sure it will be faster though.

With that task accomplished successfully, it was time to head over to one of our local Tim Horton’s for a coffee and a donut to celebrate a job well done! 

Have a great Saturday, and thanks for visiting.