memtest86+ RAM check

Blue screens of Windows 11/10 or other OS versions, spontaneous "crashes" of various software are often associated with problems with the operation of RAM modules. And if you suspect the possibility of RAM errors, it makes sense to check the memory for them.

Memtest86+ is one of the best and highest quality tools for checking RAM for errors, free and open source. More about it in the instructions below.

Using memtest86+
Despite the fact that Windows has a built-in memory test tool, it often does not find problems even if there are problems with RAM. Memtest86+ conducts more diverse and intensive tests, allowing you to determine the presence of errors with greater accuracy.

Using the tool will be easy even for a novice user. The only thing to note: be prepared for the fact that conducting a full test with reliable results can take a long time, up to several hours - prepare yourself for this, and in the case of a laptop, connect it to the network.

The general procedure (an example for Windows, but using this OS is not required) is as follows:

Prepare a USB flash drive for recording memtest86+, the data will be deleted during the process (this is not required, but if you are a novice user, other options may be more difficult).

Download the EXE installer memtest86+ from the official website https://www.memtest.org/ if you want to automatically create a bootable USB flash drive with the utility.

When using the installer, it will be enough to run the installer, select your USB drive, set the formatting mark, click the "Create" button and wait for the process to complete.

You can also download the ISO image of memtest86+ and burn it manually in your OS, including the usual Rufus or Ventoy.
Boot your computer from the created drive in the desired mode, using the Boot Menu or changing the boot order in the BIOS. When booting into UEFI, you may need to disable Secure Boot.

The test will be launched automatically, you can monitor its process in the utility's text interface. Depending on the version of memtest86+, a different number of tests are performed (indicated as Test #N), for each the process is displayed in percent. The "Pass" field displays the process for a full pass through all tests.

If errors are detected, they will be registered in the "Errors" field, and memory addresses will be added to the screen, and if the full set of tests is successfully passed without errors, you will see a green "Pass" inscription.
For checking, it is recommended not to limit yourself to one pass, but to wait for at least 4 to be successfully passed: RAM errors may not appear immediately.

You can stop the tests by pressing the Esc key.
The program's parameter settings are available by pressing the F1 key: test configurations, excluding unnecessary ones, and others. However, if you do not know what we are talking about, it is better not to change them.
How to interpret the results? General approaches:

No errors during several passes of all tests - most likely, there is order with the RAM and the problem should be looked for somewhere else.
There are single errors (even if only 1) - indicate failures in memory cells, sometimes - problems with the memory controller, slots, bus. The exact cause is not determined, only the fact of the presence of errors.

What to do if errors are detected in the RAM:

Try to check the memory modules one by one (when removing, disconnect the power from the computer). Perhaps this will allow you to identify the one that causes the errors to be registered. The same approach, but by changing the slot for connecting a single module can help diagnose problems with the connector.

When using XMP profiles, try disabling them. The site has instructions for enabling XMP, do the opposite. Then run the test again. Sometimes the RAM may work unstably when overclocked.
If the RAM modules pass the tests without errors one by one, but they appear when both are connected, the problem may be caused by their poor compatibility, RAM settings.

In addition to the open memtest86+, there is a proprietary PassMark Memtest86 Free Edition, available at https://www.memtest86.com/ - its operating principle is similar, but there are also advantages: more convenient setup and interpretation of results, support for the Russian interface language.

For some time, the development of memtest86+ was suspended, while PassMark Memtest86 acquired new functions, support for new tests and memory types. However, in recent years, updates have been released again (the current version is 7+), support for UEFI, new memory types (DDR4 / DDR5), XMP profiles has appeared and therefore this product should not be discounted.