Friday, September 03, 2004

Windows XP won't boot after installing SP2 – a BIOS update may be necessary

Windows XP won't boot after installing SP2 – a BIOS update may be necessary:
"Installing Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 on a PC with a 'Prescott' CPU and certain chip sets can cause it to fail to reboot completely. The problem can be solved with a workaround or a BIOS update. "

Depending on the chipset, motherboard manufacturer, BIOS version, and CPU, installing Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 can result in an unbootable computer system. The problem is generally associated with Intel "Prescott" CPUs and its chipsets, but not every such combination will cause a problem. As of this writing, motherboards exhibiting the behavior include:

Albatron PX865 PE Pro
Shuttle SB61G2
Jetway i875P
Soyo P4I865P
Aopen AX4SG Max
Asus P4P800-E deluxe
Abit IS7-V
Foxconn 865A01-G-6EKRS


Technically speaking, the problem revolves around the machine's BIOS not installing a production level microcode update. To check whether the BIOS is at the correct level, download the Intel Processor Frequency ID utility. The microcode version is identified by this utility as CPU Revision, which should equal at least 8.

http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6268_11-5330486.html?tag=fdnew

No comments: