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CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

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  • CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

    Specs:
    Chipset : dual Celeron Intel CPU (or perhaps AMD, but reported as Celeron, unknown speed)
    Mobo : ABIT-BP6
    BIOS : Award Modular BIOS v4.51 PG
    HD : 40GB

    Problem:
    Given to me running Linux. Formatted and tried to reinstall WinXP, but failed. MB doesnt recognized 40HD. Cant install WinXP.

    Error message: CPU is unworkable or has been changed.

    I tried to change various CPU speeds, but they all go back to the 300Mhz default (which is not correct).

    Any idea to help?
    Last edited by newsgrinder; 10-15-2004, 01:25 PM.

  • #2
    Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

    Clear the CMOS.

    BTW, how much RAM do you have and what processors is the BIOS reporting you to be using? It's quite possible that you're under minimum specs in both areas. Windows 2000 may be the most it will run. Refer to the minimum requirements of both:
    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...n/sysreqs.mspx
    http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000...qs/default.asp

    Also, since you're using dual processors, you'll need Windows 2000 or XP Professional over XP Home, if Home is what you were trying to install as Home will not support dual processors.

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    • #3
      Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

      Base Memory: 640K
      Extended Memory: 523264K
      Other:384K

      CMOS has been cleared. I dont think there's a problem with RAM. WinXP Pro Corp Edition supports dual processors, so I dont think it's a problem either. There are two major hurdles that I want to solve:

      1. CPUs unworkable or has been changed (as reported)
      2. BIOS doesnt recognized hard drive.
      Last edited by newsgrinder; 10-15-2004, 03:19 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

        You've got enough RAM, but Windows XP Pro (no such thing as Corp Edition, but there are ones designed specificaly for corporations) needs the processor to be at least 233MHz, and it's possible your aren't.

        In any case, where are you getting this CPU error? Is it from the BIOS, or does Windows give you that when you try to install it?

        Obviously the motherboard reconginizes the HDD since you managed to format it, and it was running Linux before. If you took it out to do that, then you've made an error on your own. It's possible that it's on the wrong part of the IDE channel, the wrong IDE channel (don't want it with the CD drive) or the jumper in back isn't set right. It should be set for Master on its own IDE channel.

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        • #5
          Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

          I got the CPU error during the BIOS load up (right after the RAM check).

          It seems no matter what frequency multiplier I set to, the CPUs will return to the 300MHZ default, which is a much lower speed. Why is that?

          The HD was recognizable before I formatted the EXT2 partition, its MBR, and clear the CMOS. The wiring is correct. The jumper is set to Master. Still not recognize by the BIOS.

          One more thing, if I ignore the BIOS warning and press F1 to proceed, I will we warned that the SCSI BIOS was not installed. Could it be the problem? And how can I go about to solve it?
          Last edited by newsgrinder; 10-15-2004, 01:36 PM. Reason: To add one more problem

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          • #6
            Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

            How do you know 300MHz is the wrong speed? Dual 300MHz Celerons sounds like something this machine would use...

            Go into the BIOS and see if there are any sort of settings for the HDD. MAybe something got screwed up and you need to chagne it.

            SCSI is irrelevant unless that's an SCSI drive. Is it?

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            • #7
              Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

              How did I know it's not 300Mhz? Because the computer the guy bought was recent (a year ago) and we brieftly talked a few times about its speed. I remember it was >1Ghz but not sure exactly the speed. I lost contact with him since he move back to his home country.

              The HDD looks IDE to me. The CD-R and CD-Writer might have been SCSI since they are connecting to a card, not the mobo. How do I know for a certain?

              Important note: It seems like this one has two BIOSes.

              The first and an Award BIOS doesnt recognize HDD, but when it loaded up the ADAPTEC AHA-2940 BIOS the HDD is recognized. I can go into the SCSI UTILITY but doesnt know exactly what to do with it. When I installed WinXP Pro, it said "no massive storage found." Argh. This is getting frustrating. :)

              I forgot to thank for you guys' time spending helping me. Thank you.

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              • #8
                Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

                Sounds to me like it's using an SCSI adapter for the CD drive(s). That's what that second BIOS is, if I'm not mistaken (off the top of my head I believe Adaptec is a big producer of controller cards). You should be able to tell by the look of the cables whether or not they're IDE. Anyway, try removing the SCSI adapter card entirely and throwing an IDE CD drive on the second IDE channel (with the HDD on the first).

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                • #9
                  Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

                  I did just want you told. I threw in an old IDE CD/DVD-ROM.

                  Result: HDD recognized. But it didnot allow me to boot from CDROM, even when boot sequence was set to "CDROM, C, A." As a consequence, "Error loading operating system" was received right after "Verifying DMI Pool Data ... Update Success."

                  A serious improvement. Still some more to go. What do you suggest me to do next?

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                  • #10
                    Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

                    Make sure the CD-ROM is set as master on the jumpers in the back of it and make sure it's on the right part of the IDE cable (and on a seperate IDE channel from the other CD drive).

                    You may also have to use a boot floppy to boot into anything. Try www.bootdisk.com.

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                    • #11
                      Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

                      I did all those. It was proper wired. Jumper at master. I even took out my CD-R from my new computer to replace the old one. Still not working.

                      The BIOS detected the HDD then proceeded with the error message: CPU not workable or has been changed.

                      Ignored it with F1.

                      Adaptec loaded. Then it proceed to "Verifying DMI Pool Data...." This is where it got stuck. Error message: Error loading operating System.

                      No where along the way I saw the recognition of the CDROM drive. What to do?

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                      • #12
                        Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

                        Your still getting messages regarding Adaptec, even without the controller card?

                        Anyway, try it without one of the CPUs, or with different CPUs.

                        Did you try booting with a floppy? Try anything. DOS would be a nice start.

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                        • #13
                          Re: CPU not workable or has changed! Please Help!

                          I gotta go now. But I will try what you suggested. And I will update you on the result. Thanks a million for your kindness and patience. Have a great one!

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