Switching to AMD Dual Core CPU without re-installing Windows

[Built2Last]

kangi26, What bios ver. are you running?

[kangi26]

Ah, now if I actually had my head attached to something that resembled intelligence I would have provided that information when I started my questions. I believe I have the current version, being that I am not at my desktop at this time, I cant be positive. I can post that info later though.

[kangi26]

Well, this could be more of an issue than I anticipated. According to CPU-Z,
Model: MS-7125  1.0
Chipset: nVidia  nForce4 Rev.A3
BIOS:
Brand: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
Version: 6.00 PG
Date 09/09/2005

[kangi26]

BIOS 1.9 09/09/2005. I will try to update the BIOS to the latest rev

[kangi26]

Ok, well, the BIOS upgrade seems to fix my issue.
Thanks for the input

[Built2Last]

kangi26, Glad to hear that you got it sorted out. I was just relating from my own experience and had a hunch that the bios might be the cause.

[henrythe9th]

Hello, I installed my 170 opty and windoz see's the duel core all buy itself I did nothing?? device mang. see mulit processer and under processer tab shows both cores, so does cpu-z!!
do I need to do anything else and I dont know how this happened no hot fix, no changing the DLLs
How did this happen?  Henrythe9th

EDIT ok found  its normal for my xp sp2 OS,  but the real question is Do I need the M$ hot fix really, and although my copies of XP are legit I don't get M$ updates so theres no windows validating tool on my OS and I want to keep it that way..Its a OME copy and I change hardware offen..anyone know of somewhere else to get the hot fix other than M$      Henry

EDIT2  the hot fix really only appies if you use or want to use cool and quiet. I dont use it

[baglador]

ooops!

it is a long time i've last visited this forum, seems i have totally missed to support some guys 

my apologies...

Thanks to Bosskiller for taking care of this thread here   

Just to make it clear this thread here applies only for people whose computers report as

"Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC" and had like to switch to

"ACPI Multiprocessor PC" or "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" without re-installing windows.

In any other case no additional action should be taken as windows will automatically detect the new X2 dual core cpu installed in their system.

Take Care,

Markoul

Hope you haven't abandoned this thread, Markoul. Just upgraded from an Athlon 64 3500 to an X2 4400+, and my computer is still being reported as "Standard PC" in the device manager. Also, only one core graph shows up in task manager. You said to only try your method if your computer reports as "ACPI PC". Should I attempt this anyway?

[Bas]

You can try to do it.
But mostly if it's saying standard PC you need to do a repair install.

[Snipus_Maximus]

Well another thing that may be considered is that -- especially with Windows Vista being a totally different kernel (NT 6 baby - XP/2K is NT 5.xx) and not using the NTLDR or boot.ini anymore - u will have to modify the boot manager

But that presents another problem ~~

If you have done any hardware changes after an activation of Windows XP or Vista -- Each hardware is worth a certain amount of 'points' -- depending on H/W type it may be worth more or less -- but I would imagine a CPU would be a huge change and the fact that u are 'adding' a second cpu - I am pretty sure you would hit an Out Of Tolerance issue there and you will need to reactivate - with Vista that's gonna be some fun there goes all of your functionality unless you reactivate or run in safe mode...as for XP...im not too familiar with the activation junk on that...i think that all u lose is the reccomended/optional updates off of M$update and u cant get 'special' M$ junk on its website..

but just as a heads up as to what to expect with the new vista out there...but heres a heads up---if u did a fresh install of Vista (any version) you have 30 days to make ur hardware changes then to activate in that state...so get-er-done

[Horseman]

  Im replacing my 3000 Venice with a 3800 X2 this week.  I have updated to the 1D Bios in preparation.

 K8N Neo4 Ver1   (939)
 XP Sp2


  Apparently , XP can either recognize the dual chip without issue, or not.   I'm trying to figure out in advance if I'm going to have a problem or not. Is there some pattern to this or is it random?

  Is there anything else I need to do to prep the system?

  As for patches,  the more I read the more confused I get.   You have the AMD Dual Core patch and this from M$::

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;896256

  What's the bottom line  on what you NEED to install to get smooth dual core performance??





 

[Snipus_Maximus]

the best performance: fresh install of windows xp or vista, then fully updated, and then that MS patch that you have listed, then also this patch here from AMD
http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/Setup.exe -- the dual core optimizer

[Bobo9x]

Hi there ,i have gone over the material here and am not sure if the problem i am having with my dual-core upgrade is the same issue. I originally checked in the Device Manager and the Computer is listed as an "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" , so i assumed i could at least just exchange the CPU and change everything else later (Driver , optimizer etc....). The PC booted up and Recognized the CPU correctly, went through the posting and just blanked out when it was time to load Windows.I think i had a blinking "underscore" the first time . I am not new to computers, but am a little out of my league when it comes to diagnosing what to do first in this situation . So, if anyone had an idea in which direction i should go , it would be much appreciated ... .   Thanks
BTW -- the new CPU i want to install is an AMD 4800+ X2  (Toledo Core) and the updated Bios is X2 friendly !!! 

[Svet]

so you have installed the X2 CPU and can't boot OS with it?
try to boot into Safe mode then update "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" to "ACPI Multiprocessor PC".
if can't boot into safe mode. change HAL to "ACPI Multiprocessor PC" before install the X2 CPU.

[Bobo9x]

so you have installed the X2 CPU and can't boot OS with it?

Yes ,this happened with the new X2 Cpu , I tried a couple of different things in the bios and still would not load windows,so i threw my 3000+ back in and everything functioned fine.
I will try later today to change the HAL over to multiprocessor "before" dual core install and i assume i will need to update the driver and dual core optimizer "after" installing the new dual core .

Thanks for the quick response BossKiller           

[Svet]

Yes ,this happened with the new X2 Cpu , I tried a couple of different things in the bios and still would not load windows,so i threw my 3000+ back in and everything functioned fine.
I will try later today to change the HAL over to multiprocessor "before" dual core install and i assume i will need to update the driver and dual core optimizer "after" installing the new dual core .

Thanks for the quick response BossKiller           

you are welcome,
"I will try later today to change the HAL over to multiprocessor "before" dual core install and i assume i will need to update the driver and dual core optimizer "after" installing the new dual core ."
all procedure can be done with single core CPU as well, e.g.:
change/update HAL to "ACPI Multiprocessor PC"
reboot.
install Dual Core HotFix V4 --> http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=103843.0
reboot.
install Dual Core Optimizer --> http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/Setup.exe
reboot, lets load OS, power down PC and install X2 CPU.

[Bobo9x]

ARRRGGGHHHH  !!!  well , i really did it now . I decided to remove the MS Hotfix and the AMD Dual Core Optimizer at the same time in order to install everything in a different order because with the above mentioned changes, my 4800 X2 did not want to load the OS(again) . I put back in my 3000+ single core and have now screwed it up so that it can't load up the OS as well .   
 when i try safe mode , it shows the list of drivers? loading up, but then stops and reboots everytime. Is this actually the boot.ini ? Final question : is there any way of getting through this ,or should i just drag my sorry azz back to the computer and do a repair fix? I do have my kids computer hooked up with XP pro as well ,if there is anyway of taking some files from it to repair my machine .  I'm out ...........

[Svet]

ARRRGGGHHHH  !!!  well , i really did it now . I decided to remove the MS Hotfix and the AMD Dual Core Optimizer at the same time in order to install everything in a different order because with the above mentioned changes, my 4800 X2 did not want to load the OS(again) . I put back in my 3000+ single core and have now screwed it up so that it can't load up the OS as well .   
 when i try safe mode , it shows the list of drivers? loading up, but then stops and reboots everytime. Is this actually the boot.ini ? Final question : is there any way of getting through this ,or should i just drag my sorry azz back to the computer and do a repair fix? I do have my kids computer hooked up with XP pro as well ,if there is anyway of taking some files from it to repair my machine .  I'm out ...........

"I decided to remove the MS Hotfix and the AMD Dual Core Optimizer at the same time in order to install everything in a different order because with the above mentioned changes, my 4800 X2 did not want to load the OS(again) . I put back in my 3000+ single core and have now screwed it up so that it can't load up the OS as well .    "

why you do that?


"Final question : is there any way of getting through this ,or should i just drag my sorry azz back to the computer and do a repair fix? I do have my kids computer hooked up with XP pro as well ,if there is anyway of taking some files from it to repair my machine .  I'm out ........... "

easy and perhaps fast way to fix it, to perform OS repair.

[Bobo9x]

"I decided to remove the MS Hotfix and the AMD Dual Core Optimizer at the same time in order to install everything in a different order because with the above mentioned changes, my 4800 X2 did not want to load the OS(again) . I put back in my 3000+ single core and have now screwed it up so that it can't load up the OS as well .    "

why you do that?



I thought i may have installed a few things in the wrong order or just had basically become frustrated and tried doing some things i should have left alone . Either i will learn a few things from goofing around with the OS or i will learn to just leave it alone 
  I'll try the OS repair , thanks for taking time on this matter , BossKiller   

[Svet]

"I'll try the OS repair ,"

yes do that mate and let we know how its going

[Snipus_Maximus]

I thought i may have installed a few things in the wrong order or just had basically become frustrated and tried doing some things i should have left alone . Either i will learn a few things from goofing around with the OS or i will learn to just leave it alone 
  I'll try the OS repair , thanks for taking time on this matter , BossKiller   

its during that time you learn the most, young grasshopper...you learn the most when you broke it, and you apply the lesson when you fix it...

good times

[ASegredo]

I just upgraded from a Newcastle 3500+ Athlon64 today and had a lot of trouble.

Device Manager shows "ACPI Uniprocessor PC". I tried to change it to "ACPI Multiprocessor PC" but Windows 2000 kept crashing on startup with a BSOD. I just got Uniprocessor back via Safe Mode. Task Manager has only one set of graphs. What do the different CPU ACPI settings mean anyway.

Before the upgrade my Dual Channel memory was doing fine. Immediately on firing up with the new CPU, the memory wouldn't post. I switched positions to Single Channel and the BIOS would post. Next I reconnected the drives and various problems with Windows freezing. Checking the BIOS, the memory was reporting as DDR333 instead of DDR400. I removed the second stick and Windows ran OK, but rather slow as I have gone from 1024Meg Dual Channel to 512Meg Single Channel. I never touched the memory until the PC failed to Post.

Should I try this multiple HAL thing or just leave well enough alone? BTW, the Manchester runs much cooler than the Newcastle at the same 2.0Ghz, but maybe thats the ThermalTake Cooler and Antec (sic) Silver .

[Svet]

@ASegredo
open a new own thread, read Moan Guide and exlplain the problem there.
your newest CPU is X2 core?
do you use matched pairs memory sticks?
ensure you have used DIMM1(A) and DIMM2(B) mainboard slots.
Clear CMOS Guide then get a copy of Memtest86 and test memory for errors.

[ASegredo]

Sorry, I've done that. You can remove these posts now.

[Bas]

We don't remove posts, as it might help others will the same problem.

[GmasterG]

Let me see if I got this right before i change to X2 ... my computer is a ACPI Multiprocessor .... so can I put in the x2 and be ok and rock on or do I have to do something 

[GmasterG]

one more thing... does my MOBO support X2?  I checked the MSI specs page and it doesn't mention X2

[Grayone]

Any dual core amd socket 939 cpu will work in your motherboard.

[GmasterG]

Cool thanks Greyone... I wont put in the new processor till I figure out the sound problem.  but if you got time to read this thread it's really helpful

[techsan97]

I just upgraded from single core to X2 4400.  I show ACPI multiprocessor after updating the driver but in the task manager I only show one use graph.  Am I running single core still or dual core?  If single, do I need to  change the HAL?  I can put a PC together but all that seemed like more than I am comfortable doing since I didn't know what most of it meant or how to go about doing it.  Is that the only way to avoid doing a new XP install?

[Svet]

hello,
do mainboard detect CPU property?
install Dual Core HotFix V4 --> http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=103843.0
reboot.
install Dual Core Optimizer --> http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/Setup.exe
reboot, re-test. (check it from device manager:

[techsan97]

already installed the hot fix. Will try the optimizer.

thanks.

[GmasterG]

Ok, so I am just flat out confused after reading through this thread.... I looked and in my computer manager it shows "ACPI Uniproccessor"  I took out my amd 3200 + and stuck in the X2 and everything booted perfectly and started windows like normal, now I do not know exactly how to check to see if both cores are running....can someone post a screeny of what the task manager should look like if they are running?  If they are not I am just going to do a fresh XP install ...my external HD makes doing this fairly easy.  THen once OS is fresh install what things do I need to download and install after that or do I have to do any?  Please help my head hurts after reading this whole thread....aye everyone has different solututions I don;t know what to do...i'm not dumb just burnt out ofter working 8-12 hours a day in the office   

[GmasterG]

Also do I need a BIOS update?  I have never updated BIOS before so I don't how to do that ...i'm learning bear  with me   

[GmasterG]

Ok this is weird ... I just checked my Computer in hardware manager and it now says ACPI multiprocessor computer after installing the X2 chip is it ok or do I have to do more stuff?

[Svet]

Ok this is weird ... I just checked my Computer in hardware manager and it now says ACPI multiprocessor computer after installing the X2 chip is it ok or do I have to do more stuff?

all you need is here:
http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=101539.msg794341#msg794341
(can install dual core optimizer from the link)
seem fine to me.

[greig2000_uk]

Im confused by this whole thread!

I installed my new Opty 175, It recognised OK in my system. ACPI MultiProcessor PC with both cores reported under CPU in Device manager, Task Manager showing 2 graphs for both cores, all looks good so far.
Installed the MS Hotfix (never done the PerfEnablePackageIdle registry edit, is this maybe a problem?) then the AMD Optimiser, everything still looking good.

install Dual Core HotFix V4 --> http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=103843.0
reboot.
install Dual Core Optimizer --> http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/utilities/Setup.exe
reboot, re-test. (check it from device manager:

This is the order I installed the fixes, as per BOSSMANS instructions.


I cant see the MS hotfix KB896256 in ADD/REMOVE programs??
AMD fix is there though.

My Problem is the same as mremulator's described in this thread http://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=101922.0

No No No, the dual core optimiser and MS Hotfix are NOT compatible.   
I made the mistake of installing the two and Windows XP would reboot at desktop. AMD have confirmed this.

I have the desktop reboot problem, though not all the time. Seems to be when I've been in the BIOS (no changes made) or recently I ran Memtest for 16 passes (no errors) and rebooted to the reboot cycle again.

I was thinking of just doing a re-install but after reading the above thread it looks like I will have the same problem after installing both dual core fixes?

I have a Ghost Image of my upgrade before the Dual Core fixes where installed and was thinking of going back to this to try again to fix the reboot cycle problem, will this be a good Idea?
Also, any ideas as to whay the MS Hotfix doesnt show in ADD/REMOVE programs? (show updates is ticked)

Can someone please give me a clear route to Installing the fixes (if they are applicable), and if the registry edit for the MS Hotfix is needed???

Any help (and Patience) is much appreciated
g2k.

[GmasterG]

ok so I have been having a problem... I recently installed my Duel Core 4200 x2 939 and everything was good did a fresh install of Windows XP I installed the windows hotfix and then the AMD dual core optimizer and it seemed to slow me down a little so I re installed windows again and decided not to install the windows hotfix nor the AMD optimizer.....so the problem I am facing is when I power on the computer shows the Platinum start up Picture then goes to next screen but before it gets to the Windows XP splash/loading screen it it Pitch black for 4/5 minutes each time(timed it) .... what is causing this?

[rakesh27]

Guys,

I own a MSI K8N Neo2 Plat bios v1d mobo and currently using a AMD64 FX55 skt939 single core, shortly i will upgrade to a AMD64 FX60 Dual Core.

Question is should i do the fix copy the files and change my boot.ini or could i just swap the cpus and power up and hopefully windows will detect the dual core.

Please reply asap

Thanks

[gvguy39]

Maybe I have missed it, but does this apply to Windows Vista (64bit), or will it detect a dual core when installed when a single core was present when operating system was initially installed?  Currently, it reads in device manager ACPI x64-based PC