当您的 PC 开始随机卡顿或冻结时(stuttering or freezing up randomly)，是时候戴上侦探帽并开始调查它了。测试您的 RAM 是否存在任何内存错误应该是此旅程的第一步，因为内存不足是此类问题的最常见原因。
有多种方法（和工具）可以测试RAM，从内置的Windows 实用程序(utilities)到第三方软件。我们将详细介绍本深入指南中的每个选项，以帮助您选择最佳方法。
您应该在有或没有预引导的(Pre-Booting)情况下测试内存吗？
多年来，人们一直认为计算机内存必须使用预启动工具进行测试。这是因为在旧系统中内存非常有限。操作系统占据了系统资源的最大份额，这并不罕见，只剩下很少的内存需要实际测试。
在现代计算机中，这不再是一个问题。PC 拥有比以往更多的RAM容量，而操作系统只使用其中的一小部分。这使得无需预启动即可运行的内存测试工具与传统测试软件一样好。
此外，预启动工具使用的测试算法在模拟现实生活中的使用模式方面并不那么准确。虽然这些算法可以找出大的逻辑问题，但许多较小的错误可能未被发现。因此，建议您也使用可在Windows中运行的应用程序测试您的内存。
使用Windows 内存诊断工具(Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool)测试您的 RAM
最容易上手的工具是Windows 内存诊断(Windows Memory Diagnostic)工具 - 因为它内置于Windows中。您无需创建可启动 USB 或下载任何应用程序。
它还擅长捕捉明显的内存错误，帮助您轻松发现坏的RAM模块。唯一的缺点是该工具相当陈旧，并且不能很好地发现更细微的内存错误。
- 要运行Windows 内存诊断(Windows Memory Diagnostic)工具，请在搜索框中键入内存诊断，然后按Enter。
- 运行该应用程序会显示一个带有两个选项的提示。您可以安排在下次重新启动计算机时进行检查，也可以选择立即重新启动并检查问题。(Restart now and check for problems.)
- 电脑重启后，会自动启动Windows 内存诊断工具(Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool)。您的 RAM 将经过多次测试，如果发现任何错误，状态将更新。
- 测试完成后，计算机应正常启动。根据该工具，您应该会收到有关测试结果的消息，但在实践中，它很少出现。要查看结果，您必须在事件查看器(Event Viewer)中找到该消息。右键单击开始(Start)按钮并选择事件查看器(Event Viewer)。
- 事件查看器(Viewer)具有复杂的界面。它显示在计算机上执行的所有操作的日志，包括系统任务。现在，从左侧列表导航到Windows 日志(Windows Logs )>系统。(System )
- 这将显示所有系统事件的列表，但手动查找正确的事件是一项艰巨的任务。从右侧的操作中选择查找...。(Find… )
- 进入MemoryDiagnostics查找测试事件的记录。关闭该框以在中间窗格中查看详细信息。
使用 Passmark 的MemTest86检查您的 RAM(Your RAM)
内置的Windows实用程序并不是最好的 RAM 测试工具。它很旧了。虽然它可以发现基本错误，但许多高级问题通常会被它忽视。
为了全面测试你的记忆力并排除问题，我们推荐MemTest86。一个众所周知的工具，它是一个预启动应用程序，可以彻底检查您的RAM是否存在错误。
- 前往官方网站(the official website)下载该软件的免费版本。
- 由于应用程序需要从笔式驱动器启动，因此设置实际上是一个图像写入程序。用它来准备一个带有MemTest86的(MemTest86)USB驱动器。
- 现在，当您重新启动计算机时，MemTest86将从USB启动。您可以按初始屏幕上的任何按钮来暂停启动并首先配置选项。不过，在您第一次尝试时，我们建议您保留所有选项的默认值。
- 在此之后MemTest86将开始在RAM上运行测试。您可以在屏幕上查看进度，包括发现的错误数量。
- 完成该过程后，您将获得一个结果(Result)摘要，其中概述了测试发现的主要问题。
- 系统将提示您在USB记忆棒上保存HTML报告。按y这样做。
- 此HTML报告可在您的计算机正常启动后访问，位于笔式驱动器上。它包含对测试和结果信息的更详细介绍。
MemTest86+ 有什么不同吗？
您可能听说过该软件的名称略有不同：MemTest86+。它只是同一应用程序的另一个分支，具有大部分相似的功能。您通常不必同时使用它们。选择其中任何一个版本并使用它。
使用 HCI Design 的MemTest进行无需预引导的测试(Pre-Booting)
到目前为止，我们看到的所有应用程序都在没有运行操作系统的情况下测试内存。这曾经是标准方法，因为Windows本身可能会占用很大一部分可用内存，从而阻止软件测试完整的RAM。
如今，内存容量远远高于操作系统的要求。此外，预启动测试在模拟实际RAM使用方面很糟糕，并且经常会错过关键错误。
因此，建议使用可以与Windows一起运行的测试工具来测试您的RAM。而 HCI Design 的MemTest是最好的免费应用程序之一。
- 首先，从 HCI Design 的网站下载 MemTest 。(download the MemTest)
- 无需安装。只需(Simply)解压缩您下载的文件夹并运行该应用程序。
- 您现在可以输入要测试的RAM数量。(RAM)默认情况下，它会测试所有未使用的RAM，这是最好的选择。在点击开始测试(Start Testing)按钮之前，您应该退出所有其他正在运行的程序。
- 随着测试的进行，应用程序将在底部显示覆盖百分比和检测到的错误数量。建议让应用程序运行几个小时，直到达到至少 100% 的覆盖率。
使用 RAM 测试进行快速内存检查
HCI Design 的MemTest很棒，但速度有点慢。如果您正在寻找更快的操作系统内RAM测试，那么您可能需要考虑Karhu Software的RAM 测试(RAM Test)。
由于它是高级应用程序，您需要购买许可证才能使用它。对于需要定期测试多台 PC 的人来说，这是最佳选择，因为在这种情况下，高速确实有帮助。
- 要下载 RAM 测试，请从 Karhu Software 的网站购买许可证(buy a license from Karhu Software’s website)。
- 运行应用程序后，您会看到一个像这样的窗口，类似于以前的工具，但更详细。您可以查看可用内存量、总内存，并指定并行运行的线程数。
- RAM 测试(RAM Test)运行时，您可以在底部查看覆盖率和错误计数。理想情况下，您应该让应用程序运行数小时以找出所有错误。
如何诊断计算机(Computer)上的RAM 问题(Problems)
每当您在运行计算机时遇到任何意外错误时，问题都可能源于内存不足。毕竟，正在运行的应用程序在执行过程中会被加载到RAM中，内存扇区中的任何错误都会妨碍它们的顺利运行。
幸运的是，检查 RAM 的健康状况并不是一项困难或技术含量高的任务。您可以使用可启动和不可启动工具测试计算机的内存，快速确定问题的根源。
我们建议每个类别至少使用一个工具，因为这可以全面消除各种内存错误。如果您的内存最终出现故障，唯一的解决方案是用正确类型的内存替换(the right type of memory)RAM。
How to Test for Bad Memory (RAM) in Windows
When your PC starts stuttering or freezing up randomly, it’s time to don the detective’s cap and start looking into it. Testing your RAM for any memory errors should be the first step in this journey, as bad memory is the most common reason for such issues.
There are multiple methods (and tools) to test RAM, ranging from built-in Windows utilities to third-party software. We’ll go over each option in this in-depth guide to help you choose the best method.
Should You Test Memory With or Without Pre-Booting?
For many years it was held that computer memory had to be tested with a pre-booting tool. This is because in old systems memory was quite limited. It wasn’t unusual to see the operating system corner a lion’s share of the system resources, leaving very little memory to be actually tested.
In modern computers, this is no longer a concern. PCs have more RAM capacity than ever before, and the operating system only uses a small chunk of this. This makes memory testing tools that function without pre-booting just as good as traditional testing software.
Moreover, the testing algorithms used by pre-booting tools are not that accurate at simulating real-life usage patterns. While these algorithms can ferret out big logical issues, many smaller errors can go undetected. For this reason, it’s recommended that you also test your memory using an application that can run within Windows.
Test Your RAM With the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
The easiest tool to get your hands on is the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool – because it’s built into Windows. You don’t need to create a bootable USB or download any app.
it’s also good at catching glaring memory errors, helping you spot a bad RAM module without much hassle. The only downside is that the tool is quite old, and doesn’t do that well at finding more subtle memory errors.
- To run the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, type memory diagnostic in the search box and press Enter.
- Running the app brings up a prompt with two options. You can either schedule a check for the next time the computer is restarted or opt to Restart now and check for problems.
- After the PC has restarted, it will automatically initiate the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool. Your RAM will be put through several tests, and the status will update if any errors are found.
- Once the test is complete, the computer should boot normally. According to the tool, you should get a message about the results of the test, but in practice, it rarely appears. To view the results, you must find the message in the Event Viewer. Right-click on the Start button and select Event Viewer.
- Event Viewer has a complicated interface. It displays logs of all actions performed on the computer, including system tasks. For now, navigate to Windows Logs > System from the list on the left.
- This will show a list of all system events, but finding the right one manually is an uphill task. Select Find… from the actions on the right.
- Enter MemoryDiagnostics to locate the records of the testing event. Close the box to view the details in the middle pane.
Use Passmark’s MemTest86 To Check Your RAM
The built-in Windows utility isn’t exactly the best RAM testing tool out there. It’s quite old. While it can spot basic errors, many advanced issues can often go unnoticed by it.
To comprehensively test your memory and rule out problems, we recommend MemTest86. A well-known tool, it’s a pre-booting application that thoroughly checks your RAM for errors.
- Head to the official website to download the free version of the software.
- As the application needs to boot from a pen drive, the setup is actually an image writing program. Use it to prepare a USB drive with MemTest86.
- Now when you restart your computer, MemTest86 will boot from the USB. You can press any button on the splash screen to pause the boot and configure the options first. On your first try though, we recommend leaving all options on their default values.
- After this MemTest86 will start running tests on the RAM. You can view the progress on your screen, including the number of errors found.
- Upon completion of the process, you’ll get a Result summary outlining the main issues discovered by the tests.
- You’ll be prompted to save an HTML report on the USB stick. Press y to do so.
- This HTML report can be accessed after your computer starts up normally, located on the pen drive. It contains a more detailed look at the tests and the resulting information.
Is MemTest86+ Different?
You may have heard of the software by a slightly different name: MemTest86+. It’s just another branch of the same application, with mostly similar features. You generally shouldn’t have to use both of them. Pick any one of these versions and go with it.
Test Without Pre-Booting With HCI Design’s MemTest
All of the applications we have seen so far test the memory without the operating system running. That used to be the standard method, as Windows itself could hog a big part of the available memory, preventing the software from testing the complete RAM.
Nowadays, memory capacities are much higher than operating system requirements. Furthermore, pre-booted tests are bad at simulating actual RAM usage, and can often miss critical errors.
For this reason, it’s recommended to test your RAM with a testing tool that can run alongside Windows. And HCI Design’s MemTest is one of the best free applications to do that.
- To begin, download the MemTest from HCI Design’s website.
- No installation is required. Simply unzip the folder you have downloaded and run the application.
- You can now enter the amount of RAM that you want to test. By default, it tests all unused RAM, which is the best option. You should quit all other running programs before hitting the Start Testing button.
- As the test progresses, the app will display the coverage percentage and the number of errors detected at the bottom. it’s recommended to leave the app running for a few hours until at least 100% coverage is achieved.
Fast Memory Check With RAM Test
HCI Design’s MemTest is great, but it’s a tad slow. If you are looking for faster in-OS RAM testing, then you might want to consider RAM Test by Karhu Software.
As it’s a premium application, you need to buy a license to be able to use it. It’s the best option for those who need to test multiple PCs regularly, as the high speed really helps out in that case.
- To download the RAM test, buy a license from Karhu Software’s website.
- Upon running the application you get a window like this, similar to the previous tool but much more detailed. You can view the amount of free memory, the total memory, and specify how many threads to run in parallel.
- When RAM Test is running, you can view the coverage and the error count at the bottom. Ideally, you should keep the app running for many hours to find all errors.
How to Diagnose RAM Problems On Your Computer
Whenever you face any unexpected errors while running your computer, it’s possible that the issue stems from bad memory. After all, running applications are loaded into the RAM during execution, and any errors in the memory sectors can hamper their smooth functioning.
Fortunately, checking your RAM’s health is not a difficult or highly technical task. You can test your computer’s memory using both bootable and non-bootable tools, quickly determining the source of your issues.
We recommend using at least one tool of each category, as this comprehensively irons out all kinds of memory errors. And if your memory turns out to be faulty after all, the only solution is to replace the RAM with the right type of memory.
