"I had a temporary memory lapse!"
May 12 '01
The Bottom Line Adding more memory is easy. There are instructions that come with the memory module and should also be in your computer's User Guide.
My Toshiba laptop computer came equipped with only 16MB of memory, but it was plenty for a rank beginner. My previous computer had been a Commodore 64, so anything modern would be wonderful, as far as I was concerned. I limped along for a few years with the 16MB, but the computer was getting slower and slower as time passed and as I accumulated more programs. Finally, three weeks ago, I ran into a real roadblock.
Please wait for an interactive experience???
Epinions started displaying a new banner ad. The ad started out saying, “Please wait for an interactive experience.” When that message appeared, my computer would lock up for exactly five minutes while the advertisement loaded. Then some jolly little balloons or dollar signs would float around on the banner ad, and my computer was then freed up to obey my next command. I would enter my rating on an epinion, and again the banner ad would say, “Please wait for an interactive experience,” and an unavoidable five minute wait was the next step. It took 15 minutes to rate a single epinion. After three days, I gave up. I had enough “interactive experiences” to last a lifetime.
Help is on the way!
I had in my possession a $100 Toshiba Freecard, which I received as the result of a class action lawsuit against Toshiba. I decided to buy some memory. There were limited places to spend the $100. The only retail outlet that could accept my Freecard did not carry the only brand of memory module that was eligible for my card, so I searched elsewhere.
Toshiba offered Kingston memory direct, but their price for a 128MB module was $398, and it wasn’t offered on their website. The information I received with my Freecard gave two other internet sources. I was thrilled to find that cdw.com had the 128MB memory module for only $199.07, and I promptly ordered it. Although they did not have it in stock at the time I placed my order, the merchandise arrived at my door a week later.
With my Toshiba User’s Guide in hand I gingerly sat down with my computer.
Here’s how a complete neophyte managed to install more memory in her Toshiba Satellite Pro 445 CDX laptop. (Your computer might have a different set of instructions.)
First shut down the computer.
Unplug the computer.
Close the display and unplug all cables.
Turn the computer upside down and remove the battery and the SelectBay module. (CD or floppy disk drive). (I forgot that I had a CD in my SelectBay, so I had to turn the computer right side up and manually open the CD drive to remove the CD before I damaged it in any way.)
Remove three screws from the bottom of the computer: from the battery socket, from the SelectBay and one in the center. This was the hardest thing for me to do. A small Phillips screwdriver was needed for this job. The screws were located at the bottom of small holes and my regular Phillips screwdriver did not fit. I had a set of small jeweler’s screwdrivers, so I found a screwdriver that would fit, but I could not get a good grip on the small handle and could not get the screws to turn. Hmmm, let’s see, lefty loosey, righty tighty, yes, I was turning them in the proper direction. Do they use that rule in Japan? I finally got the two outside screws loose and found that they were very tiny. I kept working on the center one, and succeeded in nearly rounding out the Phillips slot that should turn the screw. I finally got a pair of pliers and held the screwdriver with the pliers while really pressing down on what remained of the top of the screw, and managed to loosen it at last.
Remove the hard disk drive cover. (That’s what it says in the user’s guide, but I don’t remember doing this. I just turned the computer over to make sure I could lift the palm rest and get to the memory socket.)
Turn the computer right side up.
Open the display panel. Pull the palm rest forward slightly and lift the front and rotate it back. It took a little adjusting to get it to lay back out of the way.
Locate the memory socket.
If you are installing a full-size memory module, remove the two screws from the brace at the center of the slot. Here we go again. Screws. I located the proper screws from the picture in the User’s Guide, and although one of them was very, very tight, I got them out.
Holding the memory module at a 45-degree angle, insert it into the memory socket. First, be sure you don’t have any static electricity lurking around. Touch a grounded metal surface to discharge any static electricity you may have built up. I went and embraced my water heater, being sure to touch the pipes. Later I thought it would have been easier to touch a faucet. I made sure which side was up on the memory module and tried to fit it in the socket. It didn’t want to slide in, but I rocked it gently and all of a sudden it snapped in. There was no mistaking it, you could hear a definite snap.
If you have installed a full-size module, replace the two screws. The screw that was difficult to remove was difficult to replace.
From here on in, just reverse the procedure that was used to open the computer:
Replace the palm rest.
Turn the computer upside down.
Replace the hard disk drive cover. (I still don’t remember removing this. I don’t even know what it is.)
Replace the three screws. (I replaced the stripped screw in an easier location, in case I must drill it out the next time I have to access the interior of my computer.)
Replace the battery.
Replace the SelectBay.
Turn the computer right side up.
When I turned the computer on after completing the memory installation, it seemed like I had a brand new computer. It was so energized and fast, it amazed me. I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner.
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Epinions.com ID:
patsyv
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Member: Pat
Location: Florida
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 194 members
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