I have an HP computer that I recently upgraded from 2 x 750Mhz/100Mhz
processors to 2 x 1Ghz /100Mhz processors (dual processor motherboard,
processors have matched steppings). The last BIOS update on this
motherboard preceeds the existance of the 1Ghz processors, but the
BIOS correctly reports the processor speeds and posts without
problem. The machine has onboard SCSI and the boot drive is SCSI.
Now here is the weird thing: I can run this machine OK if I load
the single processor "hive" from Windows 2000 or WinXP. However, if
I try to load windows 2000 or XP on the machine with both processors
installed and a dual processor "hive" (MPS dual processor; the
BIOS is not ACPI compliant), the windows install will fail with
one of several strange errors. In some cases, it seems windows
gets none of the digital signatures, and it tells me it's missing
the digital signature for every single driver (and they are coming
from the Windows install disc). Other times it will tell me that
the audio drive is pointing to an invalid place in the hive. Yet
other times it will complain about a missing or corrupt "inventory"
during the install. Ultimately everything ends in an eventual blue
screen of death.
Weird. Obviously, there is some issue with the faster processors
(I can revert to the slower processors and all is fine)...I haven't
seen this kind of thing before. Usually either I can't get a system
to boot at all if the processors aren't supported, or else the system
installs OK, but is ultimately unstable. This is the first time I've
seen the problem manifest itself in somewhat random problems with
the Windows install itself.
Kwad
processors to 2 x 1Ghz /100Mhz processors (dual processor motherboard,
processors have matched steppings). The last BIOS update on this
motherboard preceeds the existance of the 1Ghz processors, but the
BIOS correctly reports the processor speeds and posts without
problem. The machine has onboard SCSI and the boot drive is SCSI.
Now here is the weird thing: I can run this machine OK if I load
the single processor "hive" from Windows 2000 or WinXP. However, if
I try to load windows 2000 or XP on the machine with both processors
installed and a dual processor "hive" (MPS dual processor; the
BIOS is not ACPI compliant), the windows install will fail with
one of several strange errors. In some cases, it seems windows
gets none of the digital signatures, and it tells me it's missing
the digital signature for every single driver (and they are coming
from the Windows install disc). Other times it will tell me that
the audio drive is pointing to an invalid place in the hive. Yet
other times it will complain about a missing or corrupt "inventory"
during the install. Ultimately everything ends in an eventual blue
screen of death.
Weird. Obviously, there is some issue with the faster processors
(I can revert to the slower processors and all is fine)...I haven't
seen this kind of thing before. Usually either I can't get a system
to boot at all if the processors aren't supported, or else the system
installs OK, but is ultimately unstable. This is the first time I've
seen the problem manifest itself in somewhat random problems with
the Windows install itself.
Kwad
