CPU is unworkable or has been changed?

[SteelCityFan]

I just put together a P4 1.8A machine. I have the Abit TH7-II mobo. I keep getting the following error right after the bios detects the drives... (it happens every time I boot)

"CPU is unworkable or has been changed - Please Re-check CPU Soft Menu.

I can then hit F1 to continue or enter the BIOS. It seems to be working fine as I just installed Windows.


The dipswitches are set to auto, and the bios properly sees it as a P4 1.8.

Any Ideas?

 

[CZroe]

Just enter the CPU soft menu, change something, change it back, and save changes.

 

[Mem]

<< When the Speed Hold Error is turn on, the motherboard checks the factory speed of the CPU, and if you have it set to any other speed, the loading of Windows will stop and you will get a message saying "CPU is unworkable or has been changed" or something along that line. At least that is what Abit motherboards say anyway. Speed Hold Error must be turned off when you're overclocking. >>




Just disable it in bios.

 

[CZroe]

He has everything set to auto, so that is not the case.
The error also shows if you remove 1 CPU from a dual CPU setup, though that is not the case here.
If the CMOS battery dies or it gets corrupted or anything, you must reset the CPU softmenu to get the error to go away.
This is usually because it doesn't know the CPU multiplier and has throttled down as low as it can go, but not in this case (Because all P4s are 100Mhz FSB and can't go lower and he has it set to autodetec)
So he should just see if saving changes in the CPU Softmenu fixes it. It usually does.

 

[Jgtdragon]

What bios you using? I had this problem, flash to the new bios that support Northwood and that cure it.

 

[CZroe]

Yeah, that sounds like it
Let us know Steelly...

 

[SteelCityFan]

OK, thanks for the help. I just got home, so I have not had a chance to try anything. I will update the bios asap. I have to install my NIC etc as I started the PC up with the bare essentials and installed Windows.

 

[SteelCityFan]

I just ran the bios update even though I was pretty sure I had the latest.. no change.

I will try to change something in the softmenu... I hope I don't screw anything up.. lol

 

[Jgtdragon]

Did you go into the Bios and change the cpu to 1800 [100]?

 

[SteelCityFan]

ok.

The Bios had the CPU set at a multplier of 8X, and I guess that message would flash then it would get set to 18 where it should be cause Windows saw it as a 1.8.

All is fine now...

thanks for the help.

 

[Jgtdragon]

Good, when are we getting paid for our time and service? j/k

 

[CZroe]

Glad it works

 

[SteelCityFan]

Pretty big jump from the system in my sig. I can even see the difference just surfing the net and while in Windows...Haha

I also picked up a Retail Radeon 8500. I wanted to wait until the GeForce 4 4200 before getting a new card, but the Voodoo5 would not have worked with the 850 chipset.

 

[mchammer187]

there is something the bios where u set up the irqs

that says auto update escd or something like that and set it to yes/auto or something