When memory's in error

By J. D. Biersdorfer, NEW YORK TIMES  |  January 5, 2009

Ever since I increased the amount of memory inside the box, my Windows Vista PC has been crashing off and on. Is there a way to tell if the new RAM chips are causing the problem, as opposed to, say, a virus?

Faulty memory chips inside the computer can cause all sorts of erratic behavior, including random program crashes and fatal operating system errors (known in Windows lore as "the blue screen of death"). Without updated antivirus software, computers can get viruses, which can also cause all sorts of unexpected behavior.

But if RAM was added to the system just before the crashing began, the odds are that the problem may be with the new chips.

The Web is host to a number of programs that test for defective or failing computer memory, but the Vista system itself includes the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, which tests the hardware and reports problems.

To use it, go to the Start menu and type "memory" in the search box. This should bring up the tool.

It offers the choice of restarting the PC right there and running the tests or performing the diagnostic the next time the computer starts up.

The TechRepublic site has an illustrated guide to using the software at snipurl.com/941gb. Microsoft also has instructions and a link to download the Windows Memory Diagnostic software for Windows XP at oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp.

Some users in online forums have reported that the Vista memory tool can be a little quirky, and there are other memory-tester programs for Windows. MemTest (hcidesign.com/memtest) and Memtest86 ($10.95 at www.memtest86.com) are two.

For the Mac, the Memtest OS X utility (www.memtestosx.org/joomla/index.php) tests memory. Memtest OS X uses typed instructions from the Mac's command line, but the Rember program (www.kelleycomputing.net/rember) gives it a graphical interface.

Is there a way to turn off the iPhone's automatic spelling correction? It gets in the way when typing.

Early versions of the iPhone's system software did not include a way to turn off the automatic correction feature that pops up and replaces words it assumes are spelled or typed incorrectly. However, Apple recently added an onscreen switch to disable the automatic correction.

You need to download and install version 2.2 of the iPhone system software at www.apple.com/iphone/softwareupdate if you haven't done so already.

Once the iPhone is updated, tap the Settings icon on the Home screen. On the next screen, tap General, scroll down and tap Keyboard. At the top of the Keyboard screen is an on-off button to tap for the Auto Correction feature. Tap the button to off.

Several other settings for the iPhone's keyboard can be adjusted here, as well.

The News Feed feature on Facebook, which displays recent status updates, comments, and posted photos, is a great way to see what your friends have been up to. But some friends may be a little more active and dominate the feed. Facebook allows its members to tinker with the mix. On the News Feed page, hover over a friend's name or update with the cursor until an Options link appears on the right side of the line. Click on the link to get the choice to see fewer (or even more) updates from this particular pal.

J.D. Biersdorfer writes for The New York Times.