Dual Core on Windows XP

Hello, this is my first time posting here so I am sorry if this is in the wrong area, wasnt sure if it was hardware because of the facts that its a processor issue or if it was software becuase my OS isnt using it right, any i digress.

I have a dell latitude D620 running Intel centrino T2400 duo and I cannot get it to run both cores, I have already done the windows XP hotfix and have done the needed editing to the registry and boot.ini and it still does not recognize both cores, I can not find anything else to help me on this issue and I hope that you can, Thank you ahead of time for your much appreciated help and have a great day!

 

There should be no need to do any registry, boot.ini hacks.

What makes you think it isnt using both cores?

 

Task manager performance isnt showing 2 cores for performance and if i run a virus scan and any other program it lags horribly instead of moving the virus scan to one core and the other task to the other.

 

There's only one PHYSICAL CPU for task manager to keep track of. A better measure of whether Windows recognize two LOGICAL CPUs is to check the 'Processors' section in Device Manager.

Also, the apps you are running need to be multi-core aware to do anything about it! The only time these apps will use the second core is when the first is pinned at 100% You can MANUALLY set a process to run on another core by right-clicking the process in task manager, and selecting 'Set Affinity'.

 

Oh, well I was curious because my friend has the exact same computer and his shows 2 processors with serparate streams, but he doesnt remember how he did it, any clues on what he did differently?

 

Also my processes in the task manager do not have a set affinity, all i can set is the priority, thanks again for your time.

 

This is what you shoud see.

Note the two CPU graphs.

 

I just learned something new!

Open task manager, select the 'Performance' tab, Open the 'View' menu, select 'CPU History' --> 'One CPU Per Graph'

Sorry, I had made a bad assumption on the fact that the 'Processes' tab shows only 50% CPU usage when one core is pinned.

 

Also, this is what device manager should look like, with two cores.

 

I have it set to show one cpu per graph already and am still only showing 1 stream, I am really at a loss of what to do with it.

 

It shows the 2 processors in the device manager but i cant use the other one, it isnt just this computer either, i am working on these for my IT department at my college and none of the computers we can get to use them.

 

Look at the sections I expanded. What does it show under Computer?

Im gonna take a guess that these machines all have the same motherboard too? What is the model?

 

EDIT: stepping out - adryn knows a bit more about this than I do.

 

Under computer it says Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC.

Also it is a Dell Latitude D620

 

Well, truth be told, there isnt too much that can really cause this (and Mada puts waaaay too much stock into my knowledge).

It seems to me that the machines must be using the wrong HAL.

Let me load XP in VPC and look at it a bit.

 

Thanks alot man!! I await any possible help you could give me!

 

Ok, so here we have this.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309283

It shows the different HALs. The one you should be using is
"ACPI Multiprocessor PC", ACPI APIC MP HAL (Halmacpi.dll)

I have a feeling this is what was installed:
"Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC", ACPI PIC HAL (Halacpi.dll)

It also tells you how to change it, but I'm going to warn you ahead of time, it will re-enumerate every device on that motherboard. It "could" cause problems. Its one of those at your own risk things.

 

Thanks soooooo much! ill try it thanks again!!

 

Good luck

 

Not sure whether this will help, but it will confirm one way or the other, whether you are only using one CPU, and when you solve your problem, it will show future allocations of programs to each CPU.

Try CPU-Control from http://www.koma-code.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88&Itemid=93

It also gives option to set up CPU handling. See thumbnail. Bazza