Knowing what kind of memory to purchase and install is not as difficult as one might think. On the surface, this is an imposing task for someone without much computer experience. There’s a lot to find out before I make my purchase. What kind of memory do I need to purchase? How many open slots do I have for memory? How much is too much memory? How much is too little memory?
However, like any new task, an easy-to-follow set of instructions and a willingness to learn go a long way. This is a task worth learning for anyone who wants to boost the performance of a computer by adding memory. Plus, it isn’t that difficult to find out how much memory is currently installed, what memory module sizes by the computer, and how much memory is already installed on the computer.
Whenever I want to upgrade the memory for one of my computers, I usually go straight to the hard case. Obviously, the computer needs to be turned off for this task. Once the case is open, I can easily identify how many empty modules I have as well as discovering how many I already have installed.
Unfortunately, if all of the slots are full, I will need to remove some of the memory modules in order to install larger modules. However, I need to refer to my operating system manual and find out the maximum amount of memory that my computer can hold.
Installing more memory than the machine can handle is not going to give me access to the extra memory. In fact, it can create processing problems for me if I install more than my computer can use. My computer might not even be able to recognize that I have sufficient memory to complete a task if I have installed more memory than my computer can handle. In most cases, the manual for the operating system will list a recommended memory allotment as well as the maximum memory allotment. I can also examine the operating system of my computer to get this information.
If I consult the manual for my computer system, I will be able to identify the type of memory that I need to install. Additionally, I should be able to locate specific information on the minimum, maximum, and recommended memory for my specific computer model.
On a system with Windows, finding some answers to the above questions can be as simple as going to the start menu. From start, navigate to the control panel and locate the system properties or information. From this location, I should be able to pick up some information on my computer’s memory. For a custom made computer, it will be necessary to check the manual for the motherboard in order to determine the specifications for the type of memory utilized.

Every once in a while, my computer refuses to shut down completely. Sometimes, it simply freezes up and does nothing. Other times it starts to shut down and then suddenly restarts. 