I have a Toshiba laptop computer. I've been told I cannot add RAM to this laptop. Awhile back I saw an advert saying I could increase the RAM on my machine using software provided by their company (for a fee). Does anyone know if this works and if it does which one should I use?

What Toshiba laptop is it? You might want to list the model number. It seems that most of the newer laptops can be upgraded.

Dave

cannot add RAM to it? But...that's like the most basic upgrade anyone can make to their laptop...

If it's a REALLY old laptop then you probably cannot upgrade to a certain memory limit. I know older laptops may have a 1 or 1.5GB limit. Today, however, 2GB and some good custom ones can go beyond that. Plus those with 64-bit processors and hardware and OS, the motherboard on that laptop SHOULD be able to address up to 4GB.

Another thing is the size of the sticks used in each module. Some may not able to take a 1GB stick so you'd have to use 512MB. The slots and total memory size should all be proportional anyway. Ah i said too much^^;

You should be able to upgrade your RAM. The problem will most likely be the number of slots available (usually there are only ever 2 available) and the amount that the system can handle (these days it's 2gigs like 64-Bit Man said). If you have 2x256 megs, for example, you won't be able to add another stick since 2 slots are already taken. But you could buy a new 1gig stick and just throw out one of the 256meg sticks.

And no, software cannot increase your RAM. They are probably trying to sell you a 'RAM cleaner' or something that removes data from memory every so often -- but these don't really work (not to mention there are free ones available).

Yeah the slots are a factor, and so are the propiertary nature of the memory in a lot of laptops. I have an old slim Sony Vaio, and it has 64 megs of ram. I can upgrade it to 128 megs of ram for $100.00

Considering current memory prices, that is of course ridiculous.

sheesh, 128MB notebook RAM? That will be uber cheap^^;

It's the mid to newer generation of RAM (DDR400 to 500 to DDR2) that's expensive. My old dekstop of 4 years old is a P4 that used PC133 RAM lol.

If you want to talk about old See how much technology has improved for computers?

Originally Posted by triumph

Yeah the slots are a factor, and so are the propiertary nature of the memory in a lot of laptops. I have an old slim Sony Vaio, and it has 64 megs of ram. I can upgrade it to 128 megs of ram for $100.00

Considering current memory prices, that is of course ridiculous.

That IS ridiculous. I remember when I upgraded the RAM on my PC from 64 to 128, it cost me less than half of that. And this was about 4 years ago . . . (I had to upgrade right when I got it because my mother ordered the computer as a gift without taking into consideration what I actually needed from the machine)

Originally Posted by triumph

Yeah the slots are a factor, and so are the propiertary nature of the memory in a lot of laptops. I have an old slim Sony Vaio, and it has 64 megs of ram. I can upgrade it to 128 megs of ram for $100.00

Considering current memory prices, that is of course ridiculous.

That is the problem though, it is not the cost of the ram, it is the cost of the proprietary design. You can't use any 64 meg dimm or simm. It is a particular sony chip that only works in the laptop.

It is a big scam.

Yea some of the newer models are upgradeable, try that.