G
Guest
That's the only conclusion that I can reach at this point. After many
inquiries made by me, the manufacturer of my computer (Sonica Audio Labs) and
several unanswered posts to MS web forums, I can only conclude that there is
no way to make Windows XP Pro run on a machine with an Intel Core 2
processor. People say that they can, but if you ask them how to do it they
can't -- or won't -- tell you. And I am finding posts all over the Web from
other users with the same problem.
Basically, what happens is that, intermittently, whatever Windows app you
are running (even Windows itself sometimes) suddenly starts gobbling up all
CPU cycles and locks up for long periods of time.
I have installed 2 MS hot fixes that are supposed to fix similar problems
with dual core processors. Neither has worked.
I have exhaustively debugged all the other possible causes for this and I am
getting no help from MS or Intel, though the computer maker says they see
this from time to time and have no idea why it effects some machines but not
others with identical specs. My guess is some serious bug in Windows or poor
quality control from Intel. If I can't get this resolved, I figured I should
at least get the word out so other consumers don't spend $3k on a new system
like mine and find that it runs slower than their $300 PDAs.
For the record :
The same behavior (CPU usage 100%) occurs REGARDLESS of the application I am
running. If I am running Internet Explorer, it happens there. If I am trying
to install a program from a CD-ROM, it happens then. If I am copying a file
in Windows
Explorer, this is the application that will grind to a halt and lock up.
- Task Manager & Process Explorer show no suspicious services.
- Whatever application I am working is the one that shows the spike in CPU
usage. (If I am running Cakewalk Sonar, Sonar shows very high CPU usage and
the
remaining entries show zero or single digit figures. If I am running Internet
Explorer, then Internet Explorer is the one that has a high figure for CPU
usage, etc.)
- I have scoured this system with two antivirus programs and three
antispyware applications. I have found no viruses, spyware, malware, etc. I
had my HiJack This log analyzed and there is nothing suspcious.
- Though I never allowed more than one resident antivirus screener and one
real time antispyware app, I took this pc off line and uninstalled all
protection, on the theory that a resident program might be hogging resources.
This had absolutely not effect. I am now back to one antivirus program (with
real time screener) and no antispyware apps in memory (except that I have
"immunized" the system with Spybot S&D).
I have two other computers running XP Professional as well. (All are updated
to SP2 and all the critical updates and hotfixes as of this writing.) The
other two are a PIV and an AMD notebook computer. I also have a Mac mini
with an Intel Duo dual core processor. I have never an issue like the one
that I am seeing on my new computer with any other machine.
inquiries made by me, the manufacturer of my computer (Sonica Audio Labs) and
several unanswered posts to MS web forums, I can only conclude that there is
no way to make Windows XP Pro run on a machine with an Intel Core 2
processor. People say that they can, but if you ask them how to do it they
can't -- or won't -- tell you. And I am finding posts all over the Web from
other users with the same problem.
Basically, what happens is that, intermittently, whatever Windows app you
are running (even Windows itself sometimes) suddenly starts gobbling up all
CPU cycles and locks up for long periods of time.
I have installed 2 MS hot fixes that are supposed to fix similar problems
with dual core processors. Neither has worked.
I have exhaustively debugged all the other possible causes for this and I am
getting no help from MS or Intel, though the computer maker says they see
this from time to time and have no idea why it effects some machines but not
others with identical specs. My guess is some serious bug in Windows or poor
quality control from Intel. If I can't get this resolved, I figured I should
at least get the word out so other consumers don't spend $3k on a new system
like mine and find that it runs slower than their $300 PDAs.
For the record :
The same behavior (CPU usage 100%) occurs REGARDLESS of the application I am
running. If I am running Internet Explorer, it happens there. If I am trying
to install a program from a CD-ROM, it happens then. If I am copying a file
in Windows
Explorer, this is the application that will grind to a halt and lock up.
- Task Manager & Process Explorer show no suspicious services.
- Whatever application I am working is the one that shows the spike in CPU
usage. (If I am running Cakewalk Sonar, Sonar shows very high CPU usage and
the
remaining entries show zero or single digit figures. If I am running Internet
Explorer, then Internet Explorer is the one that has a high figure for CPU
usage, etc.)
- I have scoured this system with two antivirus programs and three
antispyware applications. I have found no viruses, spyware, malware, etc. I
had my HiJack This log analyzed and there is nothing suspcious.
- Though I never allowed more than one resident antivirus screener and one
real time antispyware app, I took this pc off line and uninstalled all
protection, on the theory that a resident program might be hogging resources.
This had absolutely not effect. I am now back to one antivirus program (with
real time screener) and no antispyware apps in memory (except that I have
"immunized" the system with Spybot S&D).
I have two other computers running XP Professional as well. (All are updated
to SP2 and all the critical updates and hotfixes as of this writing.) The
other two are a PIV and an AMD notebook computer. I also have a Mac mini
with an Intel Duo dual core processor. I have never an issue like the one
that I am seeing on my new computer with any other machine.