On 30 Dec 2003 at 11:48, Mike Lanspa wrote:

> My wife and I (both rank computer tech amateurs) are going to finally break down and add 128mb of memory we bought several months ago.  We've been putting it off strictly out of apprehension, but now we are hurting memory wise and need it bad.  The question I have is this: is it advisable to unplug everything from the CPU after shutting down, before we open it up to install the memory card?
> Also, any tips, advice, warnings, or phrases beginning "Be sure you don't..." would be greatly appreciated...
>
> Michael Lanspa

  It should not be necessary to unplug things from the machine, and you may
find if you do that reconnecting everything the way it was provides some
extra challenge.

  In particular, leaving the power cord connected will provide a ground for
the case/frame, which you should touch before handling the memory.  This is
a simple way to reduce the risk of damage from static electrical discharge,
which components like RAM can't handle.

  The new RAM should look very similar to some that's already present in the
same area.  If naything, err on the side of caution -- if it doesn't fit
fairly easily, it may not be the correct type of RAM for your system.
Double check before forcing it.

David Gillett

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