A single pass with no errors does not guarantee 100% reliability. Some intermittent faults require thermal cycling or extended looping ( /l ). 6. Limitations and Comparison | Aspect | Windows Memory Diagnostic | MemTest86 (Professional) | |--------|---------------------------|---------------------------| | Test algorithms | 7 basic patterns | 13+ advanced (including row hammer) | | Error reporting | Event log only | On-screen with address/bit mapping | | ECC support | Reports corrected errors | Reports corrected + location | | USB bootable | No (requires Windows bootloader) | Yes | | Loop time | Unlimited ( /l ) | Configurable | | CPU cache control | Limited | Full enable/disable |
| Code | Meaning | Recommended Action | |------|---------|---------------------| | No errors | No faults detected | Consider other components (CPU, storage, drivers) | | Single-bit error | Correctable ECC error (server RAM) | Monitor; may be cosmic radiation | | Multi-bit error | Uncorrectable fault | Replace the specific DIMM | | Address error | Faulty memory controller or motherboard slot | Test individual DIMMs in different slots | windows memory diagnostic mdsched command
| Parameter | Function | |-----------|----------| | (no args) | Opens the GUI dialog with two options: Restart now and check, or Schedule on next boot. | | /l | Runs the diagnostic in loop mode (continuous testing until manually stopped). | | /s | Shuts down the system immediately before starting the diagnostic. | | /r | Restarts the system immediately before starting the diagnostic. | | /c | Runs the diagnostic in extended cache mode (more thorough, longer duration). | | /? | Displays help. | A single pass with no errors does not