Aside from using memtest86+ (as outlined in article number 30988), Vista has a built-in utility that can check your RAM for you. It will let you kow if there are any errors in your RAM thatned to be addressed. RAM errors can lead to such things as lockups, freezes, restarts with no warning, blue screens, and failures to boot the PC. To access Vista's RAM diagnostic tool, go to Start > Control Panel (make sure you are in Classic View) > Administrative Tools > Memory Diagnostics Tool. Alternatively, you can type in "memory Diagnostic" in the Start search box. You will have the option to restart immediately and check, or check the next time you restart. Once you do restart, the memory diagnostic tool will begin.

The memory test is subdivided into Basic, Standard, and Extended tests. The test are progressively longer and more thorough. When the test finishes, Vista will boot automatically and display a notification balloon with the results of the test.