XP Home doesn't utilize second core in AMD X2, Should I Upgrade 2 Pro?

[FONT= "Verdana"]Hello,

Three weeks ago I upgraded my AMD Athlon 64 3800+ to an Athlon 64 X2 4400+. My Mobo specs allows up to a 4800+. This is a 939 socket, not an AM2.

I have XP Home put on by HP and it is their image of the XP OS that sees the cores but cannot utilize the second one. I have tried a few non destructuve attempts to get it to use it. I have talked on forums and MS has offered some advice. After going online I have found that most of these types of problems are fixed in rebuilding the HAL.

HP/Compaq desn't offer a install CD to its customers and in many cases like this HP will try to get away with not even helping the situation. They'll tell the customer that if you upgrade the OS to Pro you will void warranty. Thing is, they hold an OEM licence and they are duty bound to support that OS image on our PC's. Anyway, I am outta warrenty, but, not out of luck. I am sure that HP could give me a doanload/disk that has a utility that specifically rebuilds the HAL if they wanted to.

This is not an isolated issue either. It is quite common, but, with little differences. It seems like I have been through almost everything that is out there. MS, TechNet, Expert Exchange and a few others. Now, I am here. I know that there has got to be a way that I could use my current install of XP to rebuild the HAL. HP puts a restore partition in D:. I have their 10 disk set to reinstall everything as it was when I bought it. USELESS!! Those 10 disks were 16 bucks and mis advertised. I would have not wasted my money on them.

In Device Manager> Computer> "ACPI Multiprocessor PC ".
In Device Manager>Processor> "AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+" Listed twice.
In Task Manager>Performance>Only one graph is shown and only one CPU can be selected in View>CPU History.

In AMD's Power Monitor it gives a message that it sees the Dual Core, but tells me that either the BIOS or the OS needs to enable it. Well, it isn't the BIOS, it has no such enablement setting. The BIOS is up to date and it is recognizing the CPU, fan, temp and it also sees it in post.

I used CPUz and PC Wizard 2009 to reveal the same things. I haven't done a fix that has me uninstalling the two CPU device references in Device Manager and then rebooting to see if XP Home would rebuild and begin to utilize the second core. I don't know if that would do it, as I do not know what limitations my OEM has on it. Should I try it?

I understand that the other core is not utilized until it is needed, but I have watched this in real time and loaded a number of heavy use apps. It sees that I have the second core, but does not use it. I actually found out how far I can go with a single core and 4 GB RAM.

I have tried editing the enviroment variable to "2" in the Num_Of_ Processors. That didn't work and when I rebooted, it was put back to "1 ". Either that enviroment variable wasn't saved to whatever XP does to get these variables or maybe something else I forgot to do before rebooting

I am almost ready to upgrade, but, if you all have any ideas or information, please chime in. [/FONT]
[FONT= "Impact"]BarJabba[/FONT]

 

Thank you. I have SP3 it was installed before putting in the CPU. I have been told that since I have no Install CD and that I need to instanciate a rebuild of the HAL, I am left with trying to upgrade. Using someone elses XP Home disk is not possible, as I don't have anyone with such a CD. It would be a little awkward for me to even ask. Also, I am a little nervous about registration. Since registration is over the internet. I just don't want any trouble on my maching or anything.

I have thought of uninstalling SP3 and then following the instuctions to run the KB pattches and all that. [I have already been at the link above] However, I look in Add/Remove and there is no such unistall. I founf out where on my disk (c:\windows) is the uninstal for this SP. Can't find it. My system infor reports I am in SP3. If you why this is or have a fix for it, please...you'd be a god send. I was going to do this, but, it seemed easier to just get a CD of my own that I can upgrade AND do a "repair ". I am also going to use Ubuntu live CD to see if it utilizes both cores. If it does, then the truth would be my "image" of the OS is at fault and therefore HP/Compaq's issue.

Pro does have some things I want. It also has me cutting the ties with this OEM, which I am all too happy to have happen. If it turns out it is the mobo (which I doubt), I will have to step up my budjet to get the Mobo/CPU/RAM I was looking to get next year. I will probably need a case as well. This one is too hot and doesn't have very good air circulation.

Thank you for responding to me.

BarJabba

 

I don't remember saying I did not have a recovery console? I have it, but the boot tools disk they make only uses the recovery partition to do a complete wipe of the disk and installs the factory image and apps as when I first got the computer. The HP/Compaq OEM does not give their customers the option to do a repair of the OS, which would do a rebuild of the HAL. I am trying to accomplish this by doing an upgrade of the OS to Pro. I get Pro AND maybe the use of the second core.

Pro is a step up and I should have requested it when I bought the thing. Plus, I know how to make this into a full install, if I need to.

I was actually hoping in my original post to see if I can get someone who could tell me how to use the Recovey Partition to do a repair. I thought it had to be there. I ended up being duped and bought their 10 CD set that does the same as the recovery partition. False advertising I'd say.

As I said, I do have that function at boot up. Been there so many times of late. I could do what you listed, but, I have a concern, what does ot actually do. I saw this when there in that mode, along with fixmbr and fixboot. Maybe I should trek on over to MS KB or Technet, to get some details?

BarJabba

 

Umm. I must be doing a miserable job of being clear. I apologize. I know the difference between those. I also had already been there months ago (the link) and that is why I wondered if we were an the same page. I am not trying to fix the MBR or bootsector. I don't think that the bootfix(fixing boot.ini) is anything I need to do. Also, I can get into recovery console but I do not have but the OEM boot disk which only alloiws a full wipe an reinstall to factory. I can get into the limited command structure of plain RC, but nothing to do there. I used it to disable MUP.SYS on another issue though.

I am using a coulple of other options to do a rebuild of the Hardware Abstraction Layer, which can also be done with a XP install CD. I have XP Pro Upgrade for that option.

Right now, I am going to try to use Acronis Universal Restore tool. I have both Disk Director and True Image. I've come up with a interesting bent on doing a rebuild of my HAL using these application. I also have a BartPE that I am going to have for a different tack. I have Ubuntu live CD, but I have not learned where the info I need in it is.

I originally was hoping some one had a different solution to rebuild the HAL by using HP's Recovery Partition for the "repair" as I thought it had to be there. Just tricky to coax it in to doing it I thought. I wan't mixing the two systems.

Anyway, maybe I have exhausted the avenues on this issue.

Thanks for responding and your time.

BarJabba

 

BarJabba, You will find an informative read that may relate to your problem HERE.

Read it all completely but in particular, the UPDATE by Shaun Gray.