A systems administrator recently added more memory to a database server. A week later, end users were reporting memory errors when running large queries, even though these queries worked before…

Reseating the module addresses physical seating issues, but errors that only appear under load on large queries suggest a configuration problem rather than a loose module.

Increasing virtual memory uses disk space as a substitute for RAM and does not resolve errors caused by the OS failing to properly recognize newly installed physical memory.

Hard drive errors are unrelated to memory errors triggered during large in-memory database queries.

When new memory is installed, the BIOS may require adjustment to recognize the full amount of installed RAM, configure memory remapping, or enable settings like memory hole remapping that allow the OS to address all installed modules. Without this configuration, the system may not properly expose the new memory to the OS, causing errors under high memory demand. Adjusting memory settings in BIOS is the correct first step before escalating to other causes.