Problems getting XP to recognize hyperthreading

[Guest]

Hi -
I'm working with a 3.4 GHz P4 running windows XP, sp2. When installing the
processor, I swapped out the motherboard (Chaintech SPT800) without
reinstalling windows. Everything apparently works perfectly except the
hyperthreading. Hyperthreading is enabled in the bios and device manager
shows two processors on the processor node. However, task manager only shows
one processor running (the "one graph per CPU" option under CPU history in
the View menu is greyed out) and device manager doesn't say anything about a
multiprocessor PC under the computers node - all it says is that the computer
is an APCI PC. Since the computer node says nothing about uni- or
miltiprocessor PCs, I'm suspecting that the driver might be the problem.
Looking at the computer driver properties, it shows that I've got the 2001
driver from Microsoft (v. 5.1.2600.0).

Questions:
1. Is there an updated driver that can fix my problem, and if so, where can
I get it? (I tried the update driver button in the computer driver window in
device manager - no luck)
2. If it's not a driver problem, how can I fix the problem? I've found some
stuff on the net that essentially forces windows to boot to a multiprocessor
kernel, but I'm a little leery of my sources. Reinstalling windows is the
least preferred option, since it would take me forever to get everything back
in order.

Thanks!

 

[Kerry Brown]

Hi -
I'm working with a 3.4 GHz P4 running windows XP, sp2. When
installing the processor, I swapped out the motherboard (Chaintech
SPT800) without reinstalling windows. Everything apparently works
perfectly except the hyperthreading. Hyperthreading is enabled in the
bios and device manager shows two processors on the processor node.
However, task manager only shows one processor running (the "one
graph per CPU" option under CPU history in the View menu is greyed
out) and device manager doesn't say anything about a multiprocessor
PC under the computers node - all it says is that the computer is an
APCI PC. Since the computer node says nothing about uni- or
miltiprocessor PCs, I'm suspecting that the driver might be the
problem. Looking at the computer driver properties, it shows that
I've got the 2001 driver from Microsoft (v. 5.1.2600.0).

Questions:
1. Is there an updated driver that can fix my problem, and if so,
where can I get it? (I tried the update driver button in the computer
driver window in device manager - no luck)
2. If it's not a driver problem, how can I fix the problem? I've
found some stuff on the net that essentially forces windows to boot
to a multiprocessor kernel, but I'm a little leery of my sources.
Reinstalling windows is the least preferred option, since it would
take me forever to get everything back in order.

Thanks!

Perform a repair install.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315341

 

[V Green]

Google for "in-place repair" of XP.

and check this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/en-us

Involves using your CD to "repair" your XP install
which should detect that you now have a HT proc.
and update the HAL.

There's also a method to update the HAL directly,
which someone will no doubt post here, but it doesn't
always work, and, in a few cases has really screwed things up.

 

[James E Middleton]

Back up your data!

You'll need the XP CD

My Computer > Hardware Manager > Processors > Properties > Driver > Update
Driver

Update the drivers, and reboot.

Worked for me swapping from a Celeron 2.0 to a P4 HT 2.4; no repair install
needed.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I tried the update drivers route - both in the computer and processor
nodes. Windows tells me that I already have the best drivers installed. I saw
another thread where it talked about having options on which HAL you ran with
- I'm not exactly certain where you were supposed to get to those options. I
searched through the seemingly relevant areas in the device manager.

Unless someone else has another trick I can use, I'll try the repair
install. I'm trying to get all my data backed up first, though.

Thanks for the help.

 

[frodo]

the "HAL Menu" is avail in XP Setup by pressing F5 when it tells you to
press F6. Be sure you know what you're doing here!. Sounds like you want
the "ACPI Multiprocessor" HAL.

Setup should however select this hal all by itself if things are "normal".

Make sure you have the latest bios installed, reset the cmos, then go into
the bios and make all your custom settings. DO NOT TRY TO OVERCLOCK yet.
Turn off built-in devices you will never use (IR Port, old serial or
paralel ports if you know you'll never use them, etc). All "shadowing"
should be disabled, etc.

And as always, only attach manditory devices when doing an XP Setup: the
HD and the one optical, the floppy, and that's about it. No USB devices,
no extra drives, no LAN. Plug those in afterwards, when XP is up and
running and you've rebooted a couple of times. One at a time.

 

[James E Middleton]

I wonder if removing the processors from the Device Manager and having
Windows auto detect and install drivesrs would work....

 

[V Green]

EEEEyoowwww!!!

Try it and let us know how it goes Jim.

It was YOUR idea...

Personally, I do not know of anyone who has
tried to remove the processor(s) in DM....

Kinda sounds like a computer lobotomy.