Computer won't boot with 2000+ Athlon, 2100+ Athlon works just fine
 

I have a really strange problem going on. I have two chips, an AMD
2000+ and an AMD 2100+. They both work (they'll both boot the system
just fine). However, after the whole detecting RAM/IDE drives stage,
the 2100+ goes on to successfully boot into Windows while the 2000+ just
hangs at a black screen with a blinking cursor in the upper left.

This computer originally had the 2000+ processor in it and it worked
just fine. Then, I upgraded it to the 2100+ processor temporarily and
it detected the increase in processor speed and worked fine. Now, when
I'm trying to go back down to the 2000+, it's not working. Could this
be a driver compatibility issue with Windows - i.e. the 2000+ driver
would allow higher-rated chips, but now that it's auto-detected the
2100+, it won't function with anything less? I.e. upwards compatible
but not downwards compatible?

If you could tell me some way to change the drivers on this system so
that it would boot correctly with the 2000+ CPU, that'd be great.
Thanks in advance for the help.

--
Usenet is a strange reality where you see people beating up a patch of
grass where nine years ago there used to be a horse. -Nuke

Forget Windows completely, does it boot to a MS-DOS prompt? I highly doubt
a Windows driver is allowing or disallowing a specific CPU speed to work.
It could be more like a BIOS update to the motherboard that may have caused
some problems. Do you overclock? (which I don't by the way), maybe you have
the FSB too fast and with the multiplier on the 2000+ CPU, it's causing a
problem.

Just some ideas, but in any case, I'd try to boot to a DOS prompt first.

~ Adrian ~

Adrian wrote:
Forget Windows completely, does it boot to a MS-DOS prompt? I highly doubt
a Windows driver is allowing or disallowing a specific CPU speed to work.
It could be more like a BIOS update to the motherboard that may have caused
some problems. Do you overclock? (which I don't by the way), maybe you have
the FSB too fast and with the multiplier on the 2000+ CPU, it's causing a
problem.

Just some ideas, but in any case, I'd try to boot to a DOS prompt first.

~ Adrian ~

How do I boot to a DOS prompt? Hold down F8 while booting? I can try
that ...

And no, I don't overclock, and I didn't change any of the multipliers or
FSB's when I switched CPU's.


--
Usenet is a strange reality where you see people beating up a patch of
grass where nine years ago there used to be a horse. -Nuke

How do I boot to a DOS prompt? Hold down F8 while booting? I can try
that ...

If it's 2000 or XP, I'm not sure there is a DOS option. I wouldn't rely on
the O.S. that's causing problems in any case. Try going here to create a
boot disk:

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

The Windows 95 Version B is one I've used before.

And no, I don't overclock, and I didn't change any of the multipliers or
FSB's when I switched CPU's.

The multipliers are built into the CPU, so you couldn't change that. What
about a BIOS update? Did you update your BIOS in between switching CPU?
Just wondered. You could reset your BIOS settings to the default. I don't
think it's anything to do with Windows, which is unusual. :-)

~ Adrian ~

"Adrian" wrote in message
...
How do I boot to a DOS prompt? Hold down F8 while booting? I can try
that ...

If it's 2000 or XP, I'm not sure there is a DOS option. I wouldn't rely
on
the O.S. that's causing problems in any case. Try going here to create a
boot disk:

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

The Windows 95 Version B is one I've used before.

And no, I don't overclock, and I didn't change any of the multipliers or
FSB's when I switched CPU's.

The multipliers are built into the CPU, so you couldn't change that.

Really? Are you sure? He didn't say they were Palomino CPUs so, if they are
T'bred, the multiplier can be changed with some BIOS's.
--
~misfit~

==================

AMD Athlon XP1800+ T'bred 'B' core @ 1950Mhz. Standard HSF and vcore.


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