Swapping out processors...

[beansbaxter]

Here is the dillemma I am in...

I currently have an Asus mobo with an Athlon 2600XP chip installed in, running Windows XP Pro SP2.

If I swap the chip out for an Athlon XP 2700, will I have to reinstall Windows? Or will Windows recognize the new processor just fine, and all will be dandy.

Not that it matters, but I picked up a 2700 for cheap, and was going to put it in even though it is only one notch faster, but it is still faster. And I really dont want to reinstall XP on the box, cause I just did it last month and its perfect and too time-consuming to get it back again. Did I mention this is my EQ2 box so I cant be without for too long haha...

 

[LTC8K6]

In this case, Windows won't care.

In cases where it does, such as installing a processor that has hyperthreading in place of one that didn't, I believe you just need to uninstall the processor in device manager and let Windows redetect it.

 

[cbehnken]

Changing these two chips will affect nothing.

 

[Somniferum]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
In cases where it does, such as installing a processor that has hyperthreading in place of one that didn't, I believe you just need to uninstall the processor in device manager and let Windows redetect it.

For the record, I swapped out a 2.4B (no HT) with a 3.06 (HT) and Windows plug-and-play autodetected it on the first boot. No user intervention required. Device Manager now says "ACPI Multiprocessor PC" and lists the processor twice (as it should).

 

[beansbaxter]

Well after reading everyone's comments, I went ahead and swapped it. Unfortunately, I did not have the same success.

Swapped in the new chip, the computer booted up, the Asus board reset the chip info in the BIOS, I rebooted again and the Asus board reconfigured perfectly to the new chip, but Windows would not load on the boot up. Oh well...looks like I do a reinstall.

 

[cbehnken]

? Nothing else changed and this happened?

 

[Pohemi]

This may be a stupid question, but....did you check the boot priority in bios after installing the new processor?

 

[bim27142]

it should not affect the OS especially if it's an XP...

 

[Kaieye]

I wouldn't waste my time unless you like to pull lint from a velcro strap....

 

[LTC8K6]

Well Somniferum, if it hadn't recognized your HT chip, I don't believe you'd have had to reinstall windows anyway.

Beans, this is just a coincidence. I doubt it has to do with swapping the processor. You might have knocked something loose or even put the heatsink back on incorrectly.

Why do you want to reinstall, anyway? Just try repairing windows. You might even hit F8 during boot and see if the last known good settings will boot. You can even try a system restore if it will boot into safe mode.

 

[Sonic587]

Originally posted by: beansbaxter
Well after reading everyone's comments, I went ahead and swapped it. Unfortunately, I did not have the same success.

Swapped in the new chip, the computer booted up, the Asus board reset the chip info in the BIOS, I rebooted again and the Asus board reconfigured perfectly to the new chip, but Windows would not load on the boot up. Oh well...looks like I do a reinstall.

Have you tried clearing the BIOS? Also, is your memory configured correctly?

 

[Uhtrinity]

Win Xp shouldn't care. I have even gone as far as exchanging different models of AMD chips and Intel chips on different motherboards. The only thing XP cares about is if the proper IDE drivers are installed.

Now server 2003 is another story, it will not allow you past the login if hardware has been changed too much.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Here's how I understand how it works with the activation and activation-checking business.

XP builds a hash code using the serial numbers of ten components, including the motherboard, processor, network card, graphics, memory etc.

This hash code is then filed during the activation process.

After that, activation-checking evaluates a sample of seven items, with the net-card counting as four. Generally, you should be able to change any one item at a time. The processor -- making a processor swap -- should not require re-activation.

I've swapped the processor twice in my MOJO system (built summer '04). I swapped the memory once, and I swapped the graphics card once.

Additions of new items since initial activation -- like additional hard disks and optical drives, sound cards, and so on -- should not matter, either.

 

[cbehnken]

Having to reactivate won't make windows not boot.

 

[skyking]

exactly. his processor reinstall caused a default reset of the bios. now it is probably looking to boot from the wrong device, raid aray, etc.