Validating host memory

Products

• VMware
• VMware Desktop Hypervisor
• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article guides you through the process of determining if problems encountered on a virtual machine's guest operating system or on a host computer where a VMware product is installed are related to a memory problem on the physical host.

Note: This article does not address memory problems unique to an ESX host.

Symptoms:

A guest or host operating system:

• Has failed
• Has stopped responding and displays a blue screen with a stop code
• Has experienced a core dump
• Has experienced a kernel panic
• Has stopped responding
• Keeps rebooting for no apparent reason

Resolution

VMware products may behave unexpectedly if there is a problem with the memory being used on the physical host computer.

To ensure that host memory is healthy:

Note: If you perform a corrective action in any of these steps, determine if the problems initially encountered are still being experienced.

1. Ensure that the RAM in the host computer is seated correctly.
   
   Note: The computer must be powered down and its case removed. Proper maintenance procedures based on the manual provided by the hardware vendor must be performed.
   
   
   
2. Verify that the memory has not been overclocked. Overclocking is the process of forcing a computer component to run at a higher clock rate than it was designed for by its manufacturer. Overclocking improves performance but may result in instability. VMware does not recommend overclocking.
   
3. Conform to memory compatibility guidelines provided by the server or system vendor. Where the server or system vendor does not provide specific guidance, or in the case of a user-assembled system, VMware recommends that all memory be from the same manufacturer to ensure compatibility and maximum stability.
   
4. Run a memory diagnostic utility that was provided by the hardware vendor.
   
5. Run a third party memory diagnostic utility:
   
   Note: This is required if the computer is a clone system or a computer where a memory diagnostic utility was not provided by the hardware vendor.
   
   Note: VMware cannot endorse or recommend any particular third party utility, nor can it take responsibility for anything that may occur as a result of its use.
   
   Note: This list is not meant to be exhaustive. Any inclusion or exclusion of a particular third party utility from this list is not an implicit or explicit indication of VMware's recommendation or lack of recommendation for that utility.
   
   

   DocMemory	Simmtester.com
   PassMark	PassMark
   Ultra-X Memory Diagnostics	Professional PC Diagnostic Tools
   Windows Memory Diagnostic	Diagnosing memory problems on your computer
   Memtest 86+	Memtest86

   
   

Note: The preceding links were correct as of June 5, 2015. If you find a link is broken, provide feedback and a VMware employee will update the link.