test dual core cpu - is it there?

[Nick]

I have just installed a dual core intel processor. However I have no
idea whether the dual core has come into play or not. How do I test
that windows xp is using both processors?


[Windows xp professional installed previously on single 2.4 P4]. Do I
need to install xp again, repair xp or tewak existing installation?

 

[EDM]

Hit Ctrl-Alt-Del and check Task Manager. You should get
two readings, one for each core.

 

[Rod Speed]

I have just installed a dual core intel processor. However I have no
idea whether the dual core has come into play or not. How do I test
that windows xp is using both processors?


[Windows xp professional installed previously on single 2.4 P4]. Do I
need to install xp again, repair xp or tewak existing installation?

Just do a repair install. Thats not the same thing as
the repair option you first see when booting the XP CD.

 

[DaveW]

If you had a 2.4 GHz P4 in there before, are you sure that same motherboard
is dual core processor compatible? If you changed the motherboard for the
new CPU, then you must reformat the harddrive and do a fresh install of the
OS.

 

[Nick]

Actually I rebuilt the whole machine and am tryng to use the old hard
disk because I dont want to install all the apps again (it would take
me years to do that).

So would a repair/reinstall pick up the new motherboard, hd and cpu?

 

[SteveH]

Actually I rebuilt the whole machine and am tryng to use the old hard
disk because I dont want to install all the apps again (it would take
me years to do that).

So would a repair/reinstall pick up the new motherboard, hd and cpu?

It might, you'll have to suck it and see. You would be better off with a
clean install though.

SteveH

 

[David Maynard]

Actually I rebuilt the whole machine and am tryng to use the old hard
disk because I dont want to install all the apps again (it would take
me years to do that).

So would a repair/reinstall pick up the new motherboard, hd and cpu?

Yes, it does a hardware detect like a normal install does.

You'll need a reapply all service packs and updates as the O.S. will revert
to whatever level the CD is and it's a good idea to download the full IT
version of the latest service pack first, saving to the hard drive, so you
don't need an internet connection after the repair because, depending on
how far back the CD is, some things may be confused as the apps themselves
will have linked to the newer files that are no longer active, till the
service packs and update are reapplied. Office, for example, will often
keep insisting it needs to be 'installed' but just ignore (cancel) them as
those errors will go away once the service packs and updates are brought
back to the same level they previously were.

 

[SteveH]

Yes, it does a hardware detect like a normal install does.

You'll need a reapply all service packs and updates as the O.S. will
revert to whatever level the CD is and it's a good idea to download the
full IT version of the latest service pack first, saving to the hard
drive, so you don't need an internet connection after the repair because,
depending on how far back the CD is, some things may be confused as the
apps themselves will have linked to the newer files that are no longer
active, till the service packs and update are reapplied. Office, for
example, will often keep insisting it needs to be 'installed' but just
ignore (cancel) them as those errors will go away once the service packs
and updates are brought back to the same level they previously were.

And it still won't necessarily work, it doesn't every time you know, it
seems to depend on how big a CPU/mobo/memory change you make. Sometimes I've
done it sucessfully and sometimes no amount of repair install makes it work.

SteveH

 

[Rod Speed]

And it still won't necessarily work, it doesn't every time you know,

Yes it does, because the repair install does the hardware scan again from scratch.

it seems to depend on how big a CPU/mobo/memory change you make.

Sometimes I've done it sucessfully and sometimes no amount of repair install makes it
work.

You stuffed it up.

 

[David Maynard]

And it still won't necessarily work, it doesn't every time you know, it
seems to depend on how big a CPU/mobo/memory change you make.

Doesn't matter 'how big a change' because it does the whole schlemiel like
it would for a fresh install.

Sometimes I've
done it sucessfully and sometimes no amount of repair install makes it work.

I won't say it can't happen but I've never had one fail.

The only thing I can think of, off hand, is if you had a third party driver
or app hosed because it doesn't 'repair' non-windows components.

 

[Nick]

I have just 'repaired' windows and its back up and running. In task
manager it seems to be showing 2 charts indicating that it knows about
the duo processor.

However, I have just connected up my other 2 sata drives and they are
not recognised properly. They are shown as of wrong size and not
unformatted. In fact the drives are ntfs and contain data. The raid
drivers for the board are installed.

I stand to lose data from the old sata drives?

 

[Conor]

I have just 'repaired' windows and its back up and running. In task
manager it seems to be showing 2 charts indicating that it knows about
the duo processor.

However, I have just connected up my other 2 sata drives and they are
not recognised properly. They are shown as of wrong size and not
unformatted. In fact the drives are ntfs and contain data. The raid
drivers for the board are installed.

What size are they showing and what service pack of XP are you using?

 

[Nick]

They are 200Gb and 300Gb in size but XP is reporting around 128Gb, not
NTFS and not formatted. I dont have any SPs installed.

These both sata HDs were showing and working ok before the repair.

 

[Rod Speed]

They are 200Gb and 300Gb in size but XP is reporting around 128Gb,

Thats the problem, you dont have 48 bit LBA support.

not NTFS and not formatted. I dont have any SPs installed.

That last is the problem, you need at least SP1.

These both sata HDs were showing and working ok before the repair.

The repair wiped out the 48 bit LBA support and produced the problem.

 

[Michael Cecil]

They are 200Gb and 300Gb in size but XP is reporting around 128Gb, not
NTFS and not formatted. I dont have any SPs installed.

Why don't you have any SPs installed? SP1 is needed for XP to use 48bit
addressing.

You should make yourself a slipstreamed XP disc with SP1 at least, or
better yet SP2 and the 75+ critical and serious patches released since SP2
slipstreamed into it. Then doing a repair install of XP will leave you
with an OS that can see large drives that need 48bit addressing correctly.

 

[Conor]

[This followup was posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt and a copy
was sent to the cited author.]

They are 200Gb and 300Gb in size but XP is reporting around 128Gb, not
NTFS and not formatted. I dont have any SPs installed.

These both sata HDs were showing and working ok before the repair.

They would do. To see a drive over 127GB, you need 48bit LBA support.

www.48bitlba.com

Currently whilst your motherboard has 48bit LBA support, the version of
Windows you're using doesn't. You need to apply at least Service Pack 1
and then you'll see the full capacity of the drives.

BAD NEWS is that if you've written to those drives as they currently
are, you may have corrupted them.

 

[Nick]

Where do I get SP1/2 from?

 

[Conor]

Where do I get SP1/2 from?

www.microsoft.com or through Windows Update.

 

[Nick]

Its sorted now. I installed SP1a and SP and its now showing both SATA
drives properly. I was lucky that I could not write data to them before
because xp saw them as unformatted. The data on both drives is intact.

Thanks to all for the kind help.

 

[Nick]

Only problem I have noticed so far is that this repair/sp has rendered
some software useless. A few programs are now asking for the keys
again. Ah well, time to dig out the old software cds.