Windows 11/10 has an inbuilt Memory Diagnostic Tool. Most of the time, Memory Diagnostic won’t detect bad RAM. If you want to check the stability of RAM, we suggest you use an open-source memory test software called Memtest86+ instead.
Memtest86+ Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool
Memtest86+ is a stand-alone memory tester for x86 and x86-64 architecture computers. It provides a more thorough memory check than BIOS memory tests. The tool can be loaded and run either by a PC BIOS (legacy or UEFI) or via an intermediate bootloader that supports the Linux 16-bit, 32-bit, 64-bit, or EFI handover boot protocol.
It is designed to test and stress test an x86 architecture computer’s random access memory (RAM) for errors. This tool is helpful when you can’t boot the OS and think it might be a bad RAM.
How to test RAM with Memtest86+
- You can run the Diagnostic in three different methods – Using the Floppy drive, CD ROM, and USB.
- You could download the ISO image or any other format from their website and burn it to disk.
- Then boot the Computer using that disk to start the Diagnostic.
- It’s recommended to run the tool overnight i.e. the Memory test should run at least 7 to 8 passes to get the actual results.
- Even if you get a single error means we have defective RAM.
Remember, MemTest86+ doesn’t run on Windows; it’s a tiny Linux as it is with a GUI.
Memtest86+ download
You can download Memtest86+ from its Home Page.
You might want to check out some more PC Stress Test free software for Windows too.
Can RAM suddenly go bad?
Any hardware can go bad with time or if there is a manufacturing fault. The same applies to RAM. If everything looks good, the memory test can reveal if there is an issue with the RAM. If there is a fault, replacing it with a new RAM would be best.
Is Windows Memory Diagnostic tool any good?
It’s an excellent program and a free tool for checking if there is anything wrong with your RAM. If the tool shows any symptoms of an issue, you can further check with another program. Along with the standard checking tool, it also offers checks such as ERAND, Stride6, and CHCKR8 to find problems with the installed RAM.
