A laptop crashes randomly with blue screens, sometimes MEMORY_MANAGEMENT, sometimes something else. No software pattern.
Random crashes without a software pattern often point at RAM. MemTest86 is the standard to confirm hardware fault before calling the vendor.
Try this first
- 1Download MemTest86 free from memtest86.com. Build a bootable USB with the included image writer. UEFI boot supported directly.
- 2In BIOS, temporarily disable Secure Boot (re-enable after the test). Boot from USB, MemTest starts automatically.
- 3Run at least 4 passes. On 16 GB that's about 4 hours. Many laptops only fail on pass 2 or 3, so a single pass isn't enough.
- 4One or more errors on a pass = RAM is faulty. Report to the hardware vendor or IT partner. Under warranty RAM is usually replaced free.
- 5If you have two modules: pull one and run the test with only module A, then only module B. Isolates which is faulty.
- 6For a Mac with soldered RAM (Apple Silicon): MemTest86 doesn't work. Apple Diagnostics is your tool: shut down, hold the power button until 'Loading startup options', then Cmd+D. It returns a PPN code on failure.
When to bring us in
If MemTest86 finds no faults but crashes continue, the cause is CPU, PSU or mainboard. Run a CPU stress test (Prime95 or a Cinebench loop) and watch for instability. No reproduction? Then it's OS, driver or a specific app.
See also
- My laptop is suddenly slowThree main suspects: a runaway background process, near-full disk, or a Windows update in progress.
- One specific application is slow for everyoneIf an app is slow for one person: local. For everyone at once: server side or vendor side.
- Opening files from the file server takes minutesOften the server itself is fine and the issue is network routing or stalling DNS resolution.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.