Issues with bottom RAM-slot MBP 2012

Hey everyone, after having this problem, i found out the problem might not be the soldering at all. read on...

I have a MBP 15" early 2011, had the logic board replaced in the apple program for the video chip, after that, i started to get kernel errors once in a while, all was pointing to RAM, but could never actually find a defective stick and tried many, after a while of seating and reseating the sticks and a fresh install os the macOs it stopped for almost a year with no problems i thought i was done; only to begin crashing, powering off and beeping this week.

i've been reading forums about this problem and after watching this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpagfXra...

I'm having exactly the same problem as this.

So I took it apart again, and what did i find... apparently, as i said, and for everyones happines it migh not be the soldering at all!!

It seem the CLIPS that hold the stick closest to the keyboard are worn and do not have enough pressure so they do not hold the ram in place all the time, a little bump and the RAM stick springs up like half a milimeter and the problem appears.

What did i do? Got a 1.5mm (.60 cal) piece of flat styrene about 3mm wide and 7 or 8 mm tall, put BOTH RAM sticks in place and with a little plastic tip/spudger push down the stick closest to the keyboard so the clip can make its full travel inward and insert the styrene pieces one in each side in the slots between the clip and where the screws for the bracket are and then push them towards the RAM contacts to make pressure inward so the clips are pressed firmly against the sticks (you wont be able to remove the sticks without removing this styrene pieces).

I did this, the MBP started with no problems, i can now shake it and won't freeze and/or beep at all.

I'll try to make a video or at least a photo guide showing what i mean and post the link (it will be my first YT video so be nice hahaha) so it shows the fault and fix clearly.

Sounds like the original owner had the same issue. After you do what Dan says, if it is still doing it.

Try this: We've had reports that loosening the RAM bracket holder screws a quarter turn each has worked.

I tried the credit card solution but I wedged the plastic in between the two ram slots and that has fixed my problem! Well for now…. I was testing the slot by applying pressure to multiple spots and nothing has crashed!

Running 2x 8GB sticks like a charm now.

Will update if anything acts up.

I had the same issue with my Macbook Pro mid-2012 13-inch. The symptoms would gradually progress like this:

• after taking laptop out of my, it would be frozen (black screen, breathing light stuck to 'on')
• when picking up the laptop while open, screen would display those horizontal stripes / blocks
• shortly after that, it would progress to the three-beeps situation and not being able to find the RAM
• there were side effects, like a confused Wifi and MS Outlook crashing its identity, but those were symptoms not causes

After taking it to the repair folks, it would often work without problems again for a long time, even though they had no clue what the cause was. Strangely, taking the RAM sticks out and plugging them back in was not always effective. Or not for long. But sometimes it was.

I was so happy to read Santiagodelatorre's analysis. *That* finally made sense to me. And his solution seems to work for me too.

At the end of the RAM clips, there are little round protrusions that fit in a round opening in the side of the RAM stick. But those are not actually what holds the RAM sticks in place. You need to look even more closely for small plastic 'wings' that extend from those round protrusions.

Photos in a public Google photos album.

(Note on the photos: there are two photos that are almost similar. Except in one, the RAM stick is being held down below the plastic wing, whereas in the other, that's not quite the case. Hard to see, but very real)

Those wings (same material, same color as the rest of the clips) are meant to be flat at the bottom. So that the RAM stick rests against them: flat surface to flat surface.

As you can see in the photos, these wings have become degraded: they're not smooth like the rest of the plastic parts of the RAM clips. It almost looks like the plastic is just falling apart by itself. It doesn't look like wear and tear. Perhaps the sticks get too hot for the plastic.

In my case the protrusion on one side was no longer perfectly flat at the bottom. This was the wing for the bottom RAM stick. Since the RAM sticks are actively pushed upwards and the wing wasn't quite on top of the RAM stick, the stick would gradually push the clip aside, and thus the stick would move upward just a little.

Presumably that causes the memory problem.

This is why shocks (like the laptop receives when I put my bag down) would cause the problem to start. And why the problems gradually got worse. And why there are moments, near the end of that cycle, where the laptop will work fine while flat on a surface, but will crash as soon as I gently tilt it away from me.

I solved the problem similarly to Santiagodelatorre, except with a bigger segment of cut-up credit card, and only on one side.

Solved! Had all the same problems. The display would be covered with checkerboard test patterns or the computer would beep on boot indicating bad memory. Other times it would boot fine, then freeze up. I even found that if it did boot without beeping and displayed a normal screen, if I squeezed the left front of the bottom case just to the left of the track pad, the screen would show the same test pattern blocks and then hang.

So I followed what was tried above and found that by folding up a 3x3 sticky pad and trimming it to the proper width (same as the memory mod.) I was able to press it between the back edge of the bottom memory module thus forcing it forward into the memory slot. Now my machine boots every time with no beep, no more artifacts on the display and I can squeeze it as hard as I can without duplicating the previous display issues.

It all comes down to a weakened bottom memory module retention clip. By pressing something, anything non-conductive at the back of the simm module to keep it pressed forward in the slot all is good again.

Hello everyone. I had quite the same problem. Bottom ram did not work. I did try to place plastic strips on the bottom and the edges and worked just for one day (?). Next day it did not work again. I did try to unscrew a quarter of the ram brackets but that solution didnt work.

So when i connect the computer power while i press the on/off button, it turns on, but the loading bar doesnt complete and the system reboots itself.

I run a macbook pro 17 inches i7 with 2x8gb ram.

any ideas?

I had an issue where movement would cause ram error and sometimes computer wouldn't boot it would just beep 3 times. I managed in isolate it to the bottom slot on 13" 2012 MBP. My computer was 10 years old so had accumulated a lot of dust and dirt over the years. I tried the spacers suggestion above without success so I tired the full overall approach. I completely dismantled MPB and removed the logic board so that I could clean it. I lot of dust and dirt had accumulated on the bottom side which compress air (e.g. from bike pump) cleared. I also noticed that there are lots long pins under a plastic cover for the bottom RAM slot (which connects into PCB behind the top ram slot) and there was lots of dust stuck between these. I carefully cleaning with plastic pointer and Electronic Cleaning Solvent.

After re-assembling (ensuing keyboard ribbon cable with completely mated) the issues seem to have gone away.

Had the same problem with a 2012 13" MacBook Pro. Bottom slot has a bad connection to the logic board. With both RAM slots, in use the symptoms are as follows: displays stripes on LCD, freezing, reboots often, 3 beeps, etc. The computer will work fine if only the top memory slot is used. The only other solution is a logic board replacement.

I had this same issue happen with my mid 2012 macbook pro a1286. The issue turned out to be the apple serial number sticker on top of the ram slot bracket. For whatever reason, this is a layered sticker with foil, and I guess that the sticker had maybe shifted or degraded slightly with time and heat and shorted the ram contacts. I ended up removing the sticker entirely, laying down some heat resistant Kapton tape in its place, and putting the serial number sticker back on top of that to be sure there was no chance of the sticker shorting the contacts again. Problem solved.

I basically solved the issue by doing the below, basically, cutting up an old credit card, doubling up on each side and inserting in-between the clasps for the memory on either side. My daughter was able to use the laptop for about an hour before it crashed again. I might need to move it around some more to pack it in, but I am certain that this is the issue and this is the resolution to that issue.

I had the same issue in my MacBook Pro mid 2012, It was working fine when I insert only one RAM in the top slot but when I insert RAM in bottom slot it was restarting improperly again and again, Then I loosen the screws surrounded the RAM slot a little bit and it’s working fine now.

Thank you so much..I fixed my MBP RAM problem with this method...

Thank you Gludie. Managed to fix my macbook pro 2012 with this hack. 24 hours and no issues so hopefully solved.

OK here’s my 2 cents…read a bunch of these comments, finally decided to just replace the RAM, took out 4 GB, replaced with 8GB. Installed RAM………bummer, same problem: loss of cursor control, 3 beeps, repeat, weird lines on display, auto shut down. Tried holding top RAM down gently while operating, no go. Finally, just removed the bottom RAM, left top in , good to go so far.

One very strange clue was that if I moved the MBP at all, it was instant loss of everything, so I knew it was mechanical. In one iteration, the moment I used the left click, it failed instantly. Apparently, replacing the bottom RAM slot is out of the question, but how to make it stay in contact is essential to the issue. The loosening of RAM mount screws is something to look at. I also think that holding the bottom RAM at the right angle may be an option as a work-around. That may be achieved by using a piece of dense foam above it or under it to alter the angle of insertion, I’m trying that next.

2010 MPB A1286

Hi everyone, I have the same mid 2012 macbook 13” with both RAM memories mentioned above and with the same problems. I have done each and every possible tips mentioned by all with same results, it works fine and then fails and starts with three beeps.

Worthless to say it works beautifully with only one RAM at the top slot. I fixed a big problem that caused it to restart when you picked the laptop with the left hand by inserting one or two credit cards below the RAM slots and the bottom.

Finally with both RAMs installed I can use the mac normally for a long time without any problem, but when I let it sleep some times it would turn off by itself and when trying to turn it on again the three beeps will appear or the strips then I keep the start pressed to turn it off and again I try to start it and it would normally.

Bottom line, I can live with this problem or buy an 8gb RAM at the top slot to compensate for the speed.

@psims Im going to try this. Sometimes, my mid-2012 13” MBP turns on but man, I better not even look at that thing or move it ever slightly or press hard on the touchpad or keyboard because it will freeze, turn off, and do the three beeps when I try turning it on. I just took it apart yesterday but minimally and did some cleaning and stuff and put it back. It turned in and was working but when I pulled out this USB stick, it turned off and I get three beeps again.

To confirm, do these three beeps have anything to do with the disc reader on the left when flipped upside down or is it the RAM cards that people keep referring to here? I have a bone stock MBP.