How to Configure WinXP32 for Dual-Core?

[Guest]

I have a PC configured with XPpro32 with SP2 and a lot of apps, etc. Today
the PC uses an AMD 64 3000+ single core processor. I am planning to upgrade
to an AMD Athlon X2 dual core processor.

Will XP recognize the change to dual processors automatically or must the OS
be patched in some way?

I need a link to a TechNet KB article or similar for a procedure.

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Changing to dual core may also mean changing the motherboard. You will need
to do a re-install of XP, or a repair install of XP on top of the installed
version. This will then fix the access to the dual core processor but you
will need to re-activate the XP.

 

[Guest]

Re-activation is not an issue. I understand that by installing the Dual Core
processor then opening device manager,then clicking on computer, then
updating the uniprocessor hal is all that is required?

 

[Yves Leclerc]

NO. You may have to re-install the XP because the hardware configuration
would have changed enough for the Activation token(s0. Usually, you would
need to re-install XP to re-set these tokens, just like when you replace the
motherboard.

BTW: The HAL may already be as a multi-processor, if the process is/was using
some type of Hyper Threading feature.

 

[Guest]

I checked and there is currently a uniprocessor HAL installed. If I installed
the new dual core processor, and updated the driver, wouldn't XP detect the
two cores and automatically install the multiprocessor HAL?

 

[Thomas Wendell]

Repair install should be enough.

Presumably the OP has a scoket939 processor now and want to change to a S939
dual core processor.
It depends on mobo and BIOS version if it's doable, and then getting the
right (multiprocessor) HAL installed...

Changing to dual core may also mean changing the motherboard. You
will need to do a re-install of XP, or a repair install of XP on top
of the installed version. This will then fix the access to the dual
core processor but you will need to re-activate the XP.

--
Tumppi
=================================
A lot learned from these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
(translations from/to FI not always accurate
=================================

 

[Guest]

Yes, the current socket is 939 and the new dual core proc is also 939. The
MoBo is an MSI Neo2 K8N, which according to my research is dual core
compatible?

Is there a good white paper on upgrading to d-core withWin XP SP2 from
Microsoft or others?

Marsh. Jenkins

 

[Chuck]

http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?catalog=LCID=1033&spid=1173&query=HAL&adv=

Not a white paper, but will explain the HAL and other related issues.

 

[Thomas Wendell]

Yes, the current socket is 939 and the new dual core proc is also
939. The MoBo is an MSI Neo2 K8N, which according to my research is
dual core compatible?

Is there a good white paper on upgrading to d-core withWin XP SP2 from
Microsoft or others?

Marsh. Jenkins

Where did you get that this mobo is X2 compatible??

From MSI's website:
"
MSI Part No: MS-7025-030


CPU
. Supports 64-bit AMD® AthlonT 64FX/64 processor (Socket 939)
.. Supports 3000+ (D0), 3200+ (D0), 3500+, 3800+, 4000+, FX53 and FX55


Chipset
. nVIDIA® nForce3 Ultra Chipset
- HyperTransport link to the AMD Athlon 64/Athlon 64FX CPU"




--
Tumppi
=================================
A lot learned from these newsgroups
Helsinki, FINLAND
(translations from/to FI not always accurate
=================================

 

[Guest]

If I install the dual core processor without the upgrades, will Win XP Pro
SP2 "think" the machine still has a single core proc and run as normal? This
might be an interim solution until I do a full upgrade to Vista? If I have to
do a reinstall of the OS I might as well go the whole way to Vista? Besides
Vista "gold code" is not that far away?!

 

[frodo]

If I install the dual core processor without the upgrades, will Win XP Pro
SP2 "think" the machine still has a single core proc and run as normal? This
might be an interim solution until I do a full upgrade to Vista? If I have to
do a reinstall of the OS I might as well go the whole way to Vista? Besides
Vista "gold code" is not that far away?!

_IF_ that mobo's latest bios supports the X2 family then you can put the
new processor in; it will then detect the 2 cores and tell that to XP; if
the bios does not support that family it will simply not boot, and it
could fry (not knowing what voltage to apply).

But xp will NOT change the hal automatically, you need to perform the
repair install to get it to switch hals. then install all the sp+updates
again. [there are sites out there that will tell you you can replace the
hal manually; I suppose it may be worth a try, but prepare for the worst
just in case. Personally, I'd do a complete clean install since you are
esentially upgrading the mobo. And FIRST, do a memtest to be sure that
it's working right w/ the new processor before trying to get into XP.].