Dual processors and XP

[LaserDragon]

I have a machine that was running fine then it had to have everything
restalled from scratch (software no change in hardware). I'm pretty sure it
had XP Media on it. I used the CD that came with the machine to reinstall.
It is XP Home version.

These are the things I have discovered while trying to get speed back:
Gateway BIOS Nvidia 42302e31 XP Home 5.1.2600 service pack 3 (was
that a bad idea?) AMD Athlon 64 2x

So XP Home doesn't like dual processors. (Why they put two processors in a
machine they send out with an OP systems that won't use them - I DON'T know.)

I read that XP Pro will do dual processors. How to do I upgrade? (I do not
consider Vista an UPgrade.) What problems does XP Pro have? I use Rhino 4,
Modela 4, T-Splines, Rhino Gold, Office, Outlook Express and IE6, DAK Wave
Editor, Final Draft, Web Studio 4 and other miscellaneous stuff. I've listed
the important ones. It's Modela 4 (from Roland DGA) that is sooooo
sloooooow. Rhino isn't as fast as it was.

Help ! Got any ideas or advice?

Thanks

 

[John John (MVP)]

There is a big difference between Dual Processors and a Dual Core
Processor, which do you really have? Dual processor machines are not
very common for home use, these are usually limited to high end
workstations and servers. Dual core processors on the other hand are
now quite common on all kinds of machines.

You say that you are sure that the machine had Windows XP Media Centre
on it yet the restore disk is for XP Home, the PC vendor is obligated to
provide a method of restoring the Windows Version that was sold with the
computer, if you think they gave you the wrong restore disk call them
and ask for the right disk.

Windows XP Media Centre Edition can run dual processors or dual core
processors. Windows XP Home Edition cannot run dual processors, it can
run only one processor but the processor can be a multi-core processor,
XP Home can run a dual core processor.

John

 

[Daave]

I have a machine that was running fine then it had to have everything
restalled from scratch (software no change in hardware). I'm pretty
sure it had XP Media on it. I used the CD that came with the machine
to reinstall. It is XP Home version.

These are the things I have discovered while trying to get speed back:
Gateway BIOS Nvidia 42302e31 XP Home 5.1.2600 service pack 3
(was that a bad idea?) AMD Athlon 64 2x

Do you perhaps mean AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core?

So XP Home doesn't like dual processors. (Why they put two
processors in a machine they send out with an OP systems that won't
use them - I DON'T know.)

I read that XP Pro will do dual processors. How to do I upgrade? (I
do not consider Vista an UPgrade.) What problems does XP Pro have?
I use Rhino 4, Modela 4, T-Splines, Rhino Gold, Office, Outlook
Express and IE6, DAK Wave Editor, Final Draft, Web Studio 4 and other
miscellaneous stuff. I've listed the important ones. It's Modela 4
(from Roland DGA) that is sooooo sloooooow. Rhino isn't as fast as
it was.

If you are indeed referring to the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core CPU, then
XP Home can run on it just fine, and XP Pro is not necessary. It is not
an instance of "dual processors." It is a single processor, which is
dual-core.

If you have performance issues, you should look at:

http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/slowcom.htm

and

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Maintenance

I would hold off on SP3 for the time being. When your performace is
satisfactory, you may then apply the service pack. See:

http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/cebfb0ad86a85e2a