My Dell Inspiron kept crashing to the blue screen of death. I was advised to try removing one of the two 1GB memory modules and turning back on. Apparently excessive heat can cause failure of the modules eventually. I removed one of the two modules and the laptop now works ok (slower of course). However I find that if I go into my files I am now unable to delete any and when I re-name a file and click ok it reverts back to the original name. Any ideas out there.

TomUK, April 2013

Just an update. The problem remains. Two replacement RAM modules installed and laptop performs quickly. Restored to earliest point possible (Vista only allows about one month earlier).
Opened User Account. It shows Windows Defender icons in front of each of the option buttons and clicking produces no action. Tried to close Windows Defender but get message error 0x800401e4. Invalid syntax. Windows Defender seems to be preventing any changes to user account. Except I can change my Admin. Password and Picture.

TomUK, May 2013

If removing one RAM module solve the crash but make the computer slower, it probably mean that you have dual channel memory and one module is defective.
You may try replacing BOTH RAM modules. If possible, get modules that are as big as the motherboard can support and in your price range.

Dual channel memory normaly gives you about twice the data bandwidth and partly circumvent the addressing latency. It's similar to a hard drive raid 0 setup, but for the actual RAM.
Higher bandwidth means faster access to the content, and make the computer faster. It's the most obvious when you access large amount of data.

For the problem deleting or renaming files, do you get any error message?
If it say that you don't have the authorisation to proceede, you probably lost the ownership of your files.
In some cases, a memory problem CAN cause that problem. It's also the case when you take a drive from one computer and transfert it into another one, or you do a reinstall of the operating system in any multi-drive or multi-partitions setup.

In Windows 7 (similar in XP, but the content and buttons are different and not in the same locations, don't know for Vista).
Right-click a folder for whitch you have your problem and sellect "Properties".
Chose the "Security" tab.
Click the "Advanced" button.
In the new window, chose the "Owner" tab.
You should have a "Take ownership" button or underlined link. Click it. Sellect Yes/OK.
It can take a while if there are a few thousands of files in many sub-folders.
Close this window.

Next, click the "Modify" button.
If there are any "user" identified by a string of leters and numbers, you should delete those. You NEED to be logged in as ADMINISTRATOR do perform that task.

Repeat the process for any folder presenting the problem.

Electro, April 2013

If it were my machine I would return to a RESTORE POINT

I but this in capitals because it's a probable fix - when the memory failed it may be that the failure caused some kind of corruption that's causing your current problem - returning to a restore point may be a solution for you.

I am aghast that your machine runs faster (appears to run faster) with two lumps of memory rather than one - how do you observe this faster running - what application/s? - Doing fewer disk/memory swaps obviously - I am delightfully frozen in time.

BTW - Slow Start up can be cured by pruning the stuff in your startup list - and Google Chrome appears to run quicker than Internet Explorer - but these have no bearing on your current problem.

Good luck...

I am not a computer expert but I used to fix them years ago with a soldering iron.

Peccavi, April 2013

Thanks Peccavi,
I have now obtained two Hynix DDR2 memory modules off e-bay. Fitted them and laptop works great and faster. However I still get no respons when I try to delete, rename or send a file to a memory stick. From control panel I went into User Accounts. there is a facility to 'Turn User Control on or off' but it doesn't react when clicked. The only things I can do in there is change my administrator password or picture. I will investigate the Hidden Administrator possibility.

Tom, April 2013

A delayed response -

Memory issue - from what you say now it seems that one of your memory banks might be causing a system problem - you can check this by putting it back again and seeing the result.

More memory Will allow a machine to run faster IF an application (big database programme) was memory-bound i.e. limited in execution because of not enough memory - memory is swapped back & forth to the disk to make the machine appear to have enough memory - these disk transfers are very very limiting and slow things down - adding memory overcomes this. The general case is that it makes no difference.

Inability to rename or delete files?

Something of a mystery - you might look at YouTube for help in enabling the Hidden Administrator Account - yes there is one and unless you invoke it you are NOT the administrator! Become the administrator and see what happens.

Frankly something has gone wrong with the machine's S/W - deleting files or renaming them is a regular thing to be doing - but who can say exactly what has gone wrong with what? A return to a restore point would be my first step.

Good luck...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vevQaGuqqBk

Peccavi, April 2013

Thanks for that. I should have explained more fully. I took out one of the two memory modules and the blue screen problem remained. So I put it back and removed the other one and the laptop has worked ok since. I have always assumed that adding memory to a computer makes it work faster so removing memory would slow it. My main problem remains that I am unable to delete or rename files all though I can open and work on them and then save them. What could cause this? My OS is Vista Home Basic.

TomUK, April 2013

My own (W7) Dell Inspiron has the CPU running at about 51 - 47 degrees - The hard drive at about 34 degrees. The CPU and the hard disk are the main heat sources - on a gaming machine the graphics processor too.

A memory bank will not contribute very much to the heat profile. Taking one bank out may have caused the change you observed but I doubt it - putting it back again and or swapping one bank for another might give you some diagnostic information.

With CPU & Disk creating most of the heat then the Fan is useful in cooling things off - you may have a slow running fan - The free utility Speccy will advise you of temperatures inside the machine.

You say the laptop now works "slower of course" since
removing half of the memory - I find this difficult to comprehend unless you're running an application that consumes lots of memory and the machine is having to do lots of disk/memory swaps to compensate.

Your machine will be running just as fast as it was on the day you bought it - any apparent slowness will be down to having to do extra work - or - waiting for an external event to happen.

You might consider reverting to a Restore Point of a few days before the problem was first seen.

You might consider "speccy" to get a handle on the temperature thing and a possible fan problem.

The internal temperature and how much memory in the machine have little to do with one another - and there is no evidence that you have a temperature problem in the first place.

You do not mention your operating system.

If you can cause the fault to happen by inserting both lumps of memory and make the fault go away by removing either one of them then it is possible that memory induced heat may be the cause of your problem - in which case look to the efficiency of the cooling fan.

Good luck...

Peccavi, April 2013