W2K Not Recognizing 2nd Processor

  • Thread starter Thread starter George E
  • Start date Start date
G

George E

I recently added a second processor to my Dell 420
Workstation. The BIOS recognizes the second processor,
but W2K apparently does not. Does anyone know of a way to
get W2K to recognize and support the 2nd processor other
than by performing a complete reinstall?
 
You just need to do an upgrade-reinstall (a "null upgrade") to
load the multi-CPU machine layer. Put the Windows CD
in, select upgrade and let it go.

Don't try meddling with the computer type in device manager
yourself. You can do some serious damage to your configuration.

Steve Duff, MCSE
Ergodic Systems, Inc.
 
I too have a dell with dual processors, however, win2k
doesn't actually use the second processor. Only select
applications will use the processor (IE- Lightwave 3D).
The OS will not. Only OS I know of that works with both
processors constantly is OS X and up on the Mac. Sux. I
know.
 
I'm sorry, but that's not even close to accurate.

Win2K is fully multithreaded and multitasking. Meaning it
will schedule the highest priority thread that is ready for
execution to whatever CPUs are available. In that respect
the design identical to most other protected-mode
operating systems of the last 25 years. Win2K Pro will only use
up to 2 CPUs, but this is more a marketing decision than anything
related to the internal design. The same platform in Win2K Server
is used to handle 4 or 8 CPUs just as easily.

There are dozens of threads in Win2K at any given moment,
and a second CPU will get used just on that basis alone.
And many applications are multithreaded at some level: for
example, Word will background print and use a second CPU
for that task, and if you have an inkjet that requires a lot of
in-box rasterizing, offloading that will definitely be noticeable.

But there is scheduling and locking overhead for multiprocessing,
and that's true for any O/S, including NT-based, *nix and OS/X,
or VMS or Multics for that matter. Most desktops do not gain
enough from the second CPU to justify the cost, as they are typically
only doing one thing at a time, and most CPUs are far faster
than what most people really need for day-to-day use anyway.
They mostly just idle faster.

You are certainly correct that an application that is designed
to be multiprocessing will benefit more from a second processor,
but that is of course true to the same degree on any platform
that supports it.

Steve Duff, MCSE
Ergodic Systems, Inc.
 
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