How to Stabilize Vista and Run a Memory Test

I'm reluctant to say this, because I've never been a big fan of Microsoft's products, but Vista is a pretty good operating system. I've not had a single serious security problem with it since installation -- no viruses, trojans, or other pesky spyware or malware. Still, it could do a better job of overall stability. Too many crashes, and for no apparent reason. Turns out Vista is especially susceptible to hardware memory problems. Here's how to run a memory diagnostic to make sure you're on the up and up.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Press your Start button (the Windows icon in the lower left corner of your screen) to open up the options menu.

2. In the text box that says "Start Search", type in memory. This should immediately bring up a link to the Memory Diagnostics Tool Click on it (or just hit ENTER).

3. Your computer will ask you if you want to run the test now or later. NOW means an immediate reboot. LATER means the test will start up the next time you restart your computer.

4. The diagnostic test will run in normal mode on the next start-up, which is recommended. However, you can press F1 to access advanced options, if you're that sort of user.

5. Be patient. The test takes quite a few minutes to run, and at times, may not appear to be doing anything.

6. On your next reboot (Yeah...sorry...another restart), the Memory Diagnostic Test will either give you a "No problems" indication, or will provide a detailed trouble report.

7. If memory problems are found, they can be a severe source of Vista instability. Follow the steps given to resolve any issues that are identified.