It is possible to damage system memory by the OS??
 

I have a new lenovo thinkserver hardware. I was configuring my newly installed kernel (slackware 13.1 - kernel 2.6.33.4) maybe to weeks now. I was testing the configuration of the kernel parameters.

Suddenly out of the blue my BIOS started to report memory error. I have 6 Fully buffered memories in pairs. Four has no advanced ECC and two supports ECC.

It is possible to damage the memory by some wrong kernel configuration???
I cannot believe that this is possible but I cannot see any other explanation how can a two weeks old hardware get wrong.

:(

Errors : Also present when the equipment is "first time tested".

The manufacturers test will remove say 99% failures with 97% certainty.

I guess, you have some warranty. Better go get a new unit.

You should be aware that if you add non-ECC memory to a system with ECC memory, the error checking capabilities of the ECC memory will be disabled. Also, make sure that each ram module you are using is compatible with your motherboard. Mixing different types of ram can cause problems on certain motherboards even when each ram stick by itself is compatible.

To answer your question, I don't see how a kernel configuration could damage your ram. There may be certain kernel configurations which may cause the ram to malfunction but this would not result in permanent damage. I think it is more likely you have a ram compatibility problem. If you have altered your bios ram settings from auto/default or have overclocked, you may want to set your bios back to its default settings.

Not as far as I know.

Most (all?) hardware is tested before it leaves the factory.

Then there is "Burn in", when it fails within days or weeks. Manufacturers know this.
Then there is "It just works".
Then there is "Burn out", when it fails after years (sometimes many years - I still have a 20y old HDD running fine, but it is backed up, and not important).

Looks like you have a "burn in" problem, and knudfl's advice is good.

I don't know exactly what error you see but..

I have been around computers for a while. I am not an engineer but I have never ever heard of any way to damage memory by any code of any sort. I dare someone to prove it can be done. You'd have to understand the way it connects. No amount of code can change the electric situation and cause it to be damaged. It is only remotely possible that if you ran memtest on a box with no fans for a day or week in a very hot room it might be thermally damaged. Remember they go on a wave solder and that is 360 degrees or so or more so in an oven to melt paste.

They tend to fail based on ESD damage in maybe 90% of cases of pre-mature failure. The other were mixture of design and other factors like heat or mechanical damage. This is from a factory report.

In fact almost no hardware is tested at factories any more. Sony was the fist to introduce the customer being the single test. It used to be that at IBM, the PS/2/s were run in hot and cold chambers for 24 hours. By the time IBM sold to lenovo almost no tests were being performed other than samples and a few bed of nails tests. I doubt lenovo has done any line testing. No company other than very high end enterprise level system do any burn in tests. Only the very highest end systems and supercomputers get tested anymore. Consumer junk it simply too low of a profit margin to do any real testing.

No. But if you use a different OS and you have a faulty memory it may show up, while it doesn't with other OS-es or versions.

jlinkels

Thank you for your answers.
I was expecting hardware problem too but I thought that it is normal only in the desktop-hardware environment. I mean that the manufacturer ships non-tested hardware only for desktops.

Thanks for this, it is very helpful.