Does upgrading to X2 need a windows resintall?

[imported_toot]

I'm hoping to upgrade to a X2 4400 sometime this year, and I'd prefer not to have to reinstall everything.. does anyone know if it's necessary (or preferable) to do a reinstall though? I'll be upgrading from a 3500 winchester on a NF4 board.

 

[coomar]

i think there are options in the install process that are enabled only with dual-cores so while it will run your probably better doing a reinstall afterwords

 

[RichUK]

You will need update te kernal/HAL, so that the OS will properly use the two cores, so you can re-install or modify the BOOT.INI, other wise the Os will just use the one core..

 

[TankGuys]

Originally posted by: toot
I'm hoping to upgrade to a X2 4400 sometime this year, and I'd prefer not to have to reinstall everything.. does anyone know if it's necessary (or preferable) to do a reinstall though? I'll be upgrading from a 3500 winchester on a NF4 board.

I don't think you will need to. It should work just fine. If you changed motherboards, that would be a different story.

In any case, i'm 99% sure you won't have to re-instal windows. Just do a BIOS update so that your board can use the dual-core.

 

[MDE]

You shouldn't have to but if it's necessary you could just do a repair installation and keep your data (you'll still need to reinstall Service Packs and updates though).

 

[TankGuys]

Originally posted by: RichUK
You will need update te kernal/HAL, so that the OS will properly use the two cores, so you can re-install or modify the BOOT.INI, other wise the Os will just use the one core..

I don't know... I recently built a 2 processor workstation by tossing a second processor in and XP ran it just fine.... we I guess we'll all just have to see?

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: MDE
You shouldn't have to but if it's necessary you could just do a repair installation and keep your data (you'll still need to reinstall Service Packs and updates though).

yes probs best action to take.. good shout MDE

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: TankGuys

Originally posted by: RichUK
You will need update te kernal/HAL, so that the OS will properly use the two cores, so you can re-install or modify the BOOT.INI, other wise the Os will just use the one core..

I don't know... I recently built a 2 processor workstation by tossing a second processor in and XP ran it just fine.... we I guess we'll all just have to see?

yes but the windows scheduler will only use one of the cores when assigning the different tasks, it will work fine but you will not be using both cores, it will just use one.

 

[imported_toot]

I found this on Microsoft's page Here

"On Windows XP and later versions, the ACPI Uniprocessor HAL and the MPS Uniprocessor HAL recognize the existence of more than one processor and report the MP ID. Plug and Play detects that the computer devnode's hardware ID list has changed and moves the devnode back through the "found new hardware" detection process. Therefore, when you add a second processor, the MP files (HAL and kernels) are automatically installed, and you do not have to manually update the driver in Device Manager."

Mine has ACPI Uniprocessor right now, so I guess I might not have to do anything - and it will switch to ACPI Multiprocessor on its own

 

[imported_Starman]

I also have this concern in mind about having to re-install everything when upgrading to an X2.

 

[theMan]

what about windows 2000 pro?

 

[Vegitto]

Never fear, a BIOS update shall fix it all.

Windows:"Hum-dee-dum, look at me! I'm being (mentally) unstable!"
BIOS:"Yeah, whatever. Here, take this core, it's good for you!"
Windows:"Whatever you say, BIOS!"
BIOS:"Fvck you! I should kill my fvcking self for running you."
Windows:"That's not nice. I'm telling on you."
BIOS: *grabs gun* *shoots Bill Gates in the nuts*

Oh, in a perfect world .

 

[HDTVMan]

RichUK has the right answer.

1-Update your motherboard to the bios that supports X2.
2-Update the Kernel on your OS so that is recognizes dual core.

 

[HDTVMan]

3-Also update any software for dual core. Most software is not written with dual cores in mind and are single treaded. Thats why I think 2006 will be the year we get some nice improvements in software to utilize that dual core.

 

[imported_Starman]

Originally posted by: Vegitto
Never fear, a BIOS update shall fix it all.

Windows:"Hum-dee-dum, look at me! I'm being (mentally) unstable!"
BIOS:"Yeah, whatever. Here, take this core, it's good for you!"
Windows:"Whatever you say, BIOS!"
BIOS:"Fvck you! I should kill my fvcking self for running you."

Holy crap :shocked:

 

[HDTVMan]

Why does everyone hate bill so much? You think the man beat you up in high school or something. If anything learn from the richest guy in the world.

 

[sangyup81]

if you want a save a headache, just backup all your data and reinstall

 

[theMan]

still, not fun. do you know how many freeware programs i have? it will take me weeks to find and download all that stuff! maybe i better pay a visit to bill and ask him. who knows, maybe my bios chip will go along with me and somehow, maybe, hit him in the balss.

 

[thanatos355]

I wonder if sysprep could help out here.

 

[HDTVMan]

Ghost or Acronis baby.

When I build a PC I do the following,

1- Load the OS.
2- Patch the heck out of it.
3- load all the necessary programs I need.
4- Update all drivers with latest versions.
5- patch it again.
6- Ghost/Clone/Acronis/Image whatever a backup.

I can then do whatever and if things get a little flakey I then.
Backup all Favorites, E-mail, Accounts, Cookies (Because I always forget a login).

Overwrite the drive with the image. (about 7 mins)
Update all drivers etc. (10 mins?)
Patch and apply new programs I cant live without. (10 Mins?)
Copy back E-mail, cookies, favorites, accounts. (Another 10 Mins?)

GHOST it again from that point.

It sound like a lot but I can probably really restore my PC in under 20 mins with all patches and be fully back and running up to date. Which is a lot faster than a full re-install.

 

[grdh20]

From FX55 to X2 the pc automatically found the "ACPI Multiprocessor" and after one reboot was fine. No need to reinstall anything, just update to the newest AMD multiprocessor driver on the amd site.

 

[Continuity27]

You probably don't have to, but hell I would anyways. Depends how many applications you have I guess. I usually run pretty minimally, so reinstalling everything isn't much of a hassle in my case. I do it regularly.

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: theman
what about windows 2000 pro?

JUst bios. I did manually change the processor to multi before bios, did nothing. After bios, it now showed two cores in task manager and the multi was still there. So if you do the bios first, try it ! If it still says single, manually change it.

 

[imported_toot]

Originally posted by: grdh20
From FX55 to X2 the pc automatically found the "ACPI Multiprocessor" and after one reboot was fine. No need to reinstall anything, just update to the newest AMD multiprocessor driver on the amd site.

Great Nice to have it confirmed for sure!

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: Markfw900

Originally posted by: theman
what about windows 2000 pro?

JUst bios. I did manually change the processor to multi before bios, did nothing. After bios, it now showed two cores in task manager and the multi was still there. So if you do the bios first, try it ! If it still says single, manually change it.

Would Windows 2000 Pro recognize a dual XEON with Hyperthreading as quad cpu? I read somewhere at HardOCP that Win2KPro only can see 2 cpus while Win2K Server can see 4 cpus and some other version of Win2K can see 8+.

I've seen screenshots of WinXP task manager that show 4 cpus but none of Win2K Pro.