Specific Issue - Prescott Processors and XP-SP2

Jim Byrd [deceased] · **Posted:** Sat 8/21/04 04:45 pm

A number of people are discussing this problem. (I believe that it may have been first pointed out/reported to MS by MVP Cari and KoolerKat. I'm informed that MS is currently looking into this.) I've chosen to post the comments by NTCanuck in grc.techtalk 8/21/04 to start off this thread since it's the first complete posting in the newsgroups I've seen with a reasonable fix approach (the same one, BTW, identified by Cari):

Fail to Boot into system after installing SP2 for Windows XP.

Intel Prescott P4 processors
(apparently can happen any units w/Prescott and older BIOS)

---
Intel P4 Prescott processors came out February 2004,
speed range 2.8-3.4 ghz (Northwood (2.4-3.2 ghz are ok)

What is a Prescott Processor?
http://tech-report.com/reviews/2004q1/p ... dex.x?pg=1
http://search2.intel.com/corporate/defa ... &x=30&y=14

unrelated but interesting
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=16952
---

Apparently do not work properly with the SP2
(fails to Boot after applying SP2 for WinXP)

This is apparently a mainboard BIOS and L1/L2 issue.

Cure...
Enter mainboard BIOS and "disable" L1/L2 cache
then enter system and "Uninstall SP2".
SP2 will be listed in add/remove programs if
you updated an existing Windows installation,
if this was a fresh install w/slipstreamed CD
then you should hurry and update BIOS as
performance is affected without L1/L2 caches.

NOW..
goto mainboard manufacturers website and update
the mainboard BIOS to latest one (Prescott users)

Then you can re-enable the L1/L2 processor/mainboard(?) caching,
and install SP2 properly.
(that is.. if mainboard people updated their BIOS code)

NT Canuck

Addendum: Courtesy of Cari, here's a (partial?) list of mobo's known (as of 8/22/04, 12:51 AM) to present the problem:

Albatron PX865 PE Pro (there are a few i875 chipset motherboards as well, but don't have exact model numbers - from the Albatron website tech support forum)
Shuttle SB61G2
Jetway i875P
Soyo P4I865P
Aopen AX4SG Max
ASUS P4P800-E deluxe

Update courtesy of Cari, 8/23/04

Current boards:

Abit IS7-V
Albatron PX865 PE Pro
Aopen AX4SG Max
Aopen EA65
Asus P4P800-E deluxe
Asus T2-P
Foxconn 865A01-G-6EKRS
Jetway i875P
Shuttle SB61G2
Soyo P4I865P

Jim Byrd [deceased] · **Posted:** Tue 8/24/04 06:02 pm

The following info has been received from Intel relating to this problem. It has been reviewed also by Microsoft; however, "This posting is provided 'AS IS' with no warranties, and confers no rights."

In response to a query, Intel wrote:

The problem of SP2 not installing on Prescott (Celerons) and Extreme Edition CPUs has been identified. The problem appears to be due to the machine's BIOS not installing a production level microcode update.

To check whether the BlOS is at the correct level, download the Intel Processor Frequency ID utility from this page: http://support.intel.com/support/proces ... equencyid/

The microcode version is identified by this utility as "CPU Revision". So for this CPU:

CPU Family = 15
CPU Model = 3
CPU Stepping = 4

The microcode revision should be at least 8 (if it is zero, then no microcode update was installed at all):

CPU Revision = 8

If the microcode revision is not 8, then boot into Safe Mode. Rename the file %windir%\system32\drivers\update.sys so that it does not load. Apply the SP2 upgrade file and the machine should boot properly.

Frequently check the website of your motherboard manufacturer for BIOS updates as the above is a temporary workaround and may cause instability.

Please note the following concerning the Intel Frequency ID Utility:

Quote:

Not all Intel processors are capable of the frequency test feature of the utility. See the supported processors list for details.

Windows XP and Windows 2000: For successful installation and use of the Intel Frequency ID Utility, it is required that the user have system administrative rights.

[Ed. ~PAB]

Addendum from Cari, "for those folks who find when using the Intel Utility that (like my board) they have a Revision of 0."

A Microsoft source wrote:

The motherboard they are using does not support the processor that is
installed in it. There should be no expectations of correct operation. It is
a violation of the processor specifications to run the processor without a
valid microcode update. This is equivalent to running the processor at a
voltage or speed other than what it is speced for. It may sort of work, but
it is not going to be very reliable.

Please remind the users that the machine may be unstable until a new BIOS is
installed and update.sys is put back into place and thus able to load the
most current microcode update. Running with no microcode update leaves the
machine vulnerable to all the errata that would be resolved by the current
microcode update.

Jim Byrd [deceased] · **Posted:** Wed 8/25/04 08:58 pm

The following was posted in grc.techtalk by Kevin A.:

Quote:

>You only need to update the MainBoard BIOS if you
> are using a new "Prescott" (Intel series) P4 processor.

Not only. There are other reported BIOS issues with Xp2. Among others,
Dell D600 laptops with BIOSs earlier than A12. Hard drive corruption my
result according to Dell. I have a different model, but my BIOS is A08
from Dec 2002. This may be a case of better safe than sorry.

I've no verification of this as yet.

Robear Dyer · **Posted:** Wed 8/25/04 10:43 pm

Jim Byrd wrote:

The following was posted in grc.techtalk by Kevin A.:

Quote:

>You only need to update the MainBoard BIOS if you
> are using a new "Prescott" (Intel series) P4 processor.

Not only. There are other reported BIOS issues with Xp2. Among others,
Dell D600 laptops with BIOSs earlier than A12. Hard drive corruption my
result according to Dell. I have a different model, but my BIOS is A08
from Dec 2002. This may be a case of better safe than sorry.

I've no verification of this as yet.

I'm running a 600m here (mfr. Feb-04) and no problems with SP2, Jim (or RC 2142, 2161 or 2162 for that matter).

I ran the Prescott Issue by my source at Dell Support. While they're (now) aware of the issue, he says he's not aware of any recent models which may be affected by this issue.

Addendum courtesy of Robear, 8/28:

Quote:

'My Dell Support Contact' writes:

<paste>
We were able to reproduce the problem. So far we have only tested our methodology and not the driver rollback.

What we did on two different platforms- 1150 and 2650 (older, no longer shipping)-was to update to sp2. at this point we have the slow proc speed. It is stepping down to sub 800mhz. Different speeds on each system. They obviously have diff chipsets though both are intel. We changed the power scheme on each system from portable/laptop to always on. Then shut down and reset bios defaults.

To reset bios defaults, enter bios and hit alt+f. This of course requires resetting the system time in bios.

Now both systems had Dell quickset uninstalled. If you want to keep quickset, then open quickset and change the power options before resetting bios defaults. If that doesn't work, uninstall quickset and do the power schemes and bios defaults. Then reinstall quickset either from support.dell.com (latest version) or from the tools and applications cd.

After resetting bios defaults and rebooting twice, the issue should be resolved. All this assumes the latest bios rev from support.dell.com. You can try without updating bios and post your results on a case by case basis.

I don't think we want to support or recommend rolling back drivers and continuing through the usigned driver notification, but if it works for you, then do whacha like. Hope this helps.
</paste>
--
~Robear

Jim Byrd [deceased] · **Posted:** Thu 8/26/04 05:52 pm

MVP Chris Quirke has posted a detailed discussion page about this issue here:

http://cquirke.mvps.org/sp2intel.htm

Maurice Naggar · **Posted:** Fri 8/27/04 06:27 am

Also see this Microsoft article, which covers microcode a bit, even though the article was not originally written about specific processor types.
It sheds a little light on microde.

Stop 7F, 0x00000008 (double-fault) error occurs because of a single-bit error in the ESP register
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=842465

Thanks to Richard Harper, MS MVP, for pointing out this article.

Jim Byrd [deceased] · **Posted:** Wed 2/9/05 12:43 pm

This may have already have been posted, but I just ran across it. From:

Windows XP Service Pack 2
Problem Solver

Copyright © 2004-2005 Hans-Georg Michna

here: http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cann ... ice_Pack_2

(This appears to be a useful page for a number of problems, BTW.)

Intel P4 Prescott, Celeron D, or Extreme Edition processor

Some affected motherboards
Abit IS7-V
Albatron PX865 PE Pro
Aopen AX4SG Max
Aopen EA65
Asus P4P800 Deluxe
Asus P4P800-E Deluxe
(requires BIOS version 1017)
Asus Terminator T2-P
Foxconn 865A01-G-6EKRS
Gigabyte GA-8PENXP
(requires BIOS version FF)
Jetway i875P
Shuttle SB61G2
Soyo P4I865P

Processors based on the Prescott design with a C-0 processor stepping are affected when the motherboard BIOS is out of date. The cause appears to be that the machine's BIOS does not install a production level microcode update (a correction to a fault in the microprocessor's own microcode).

A BIOS update is the best solution, but Microsoft has also released a fix, which can be downloaded from:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... 20727be8d8

Background: The update replaces the SP2 file update.sys, version 5.1.2600.2180, with a new version 5.1.2600.2508 that works correctly on the affected CPUs.

Try to boot into safe mode or disable both L1 and L2 caches in the BIOS to get the machine to boot, then uninstall Service Pack 2, then wait for and obtain an updated BIOS or install the fix. If you cannot get Windows XP to boot at all and cannot get an updated BIOS in time, you may have to do a repair installation of Windows XP.

Another workaround is known, thanks to my fellow MVP Cari at http://www.coribright.com.

To check whether the BlOS is at the correct level download the Intel Processor Frequency ID utility from http://support.intel.com/support/proces ... equencyid/. The microcode version is identified by this utility as "CPU Revision".

Family 15 (0xF), model 3, stepping 4 – must have a microcode update signature of at least 8. Latest microcode update signature is E.

Family 15 (0xF), model 3, stepping 3 – must have a microcode update signature of at least 7. Latest microcode update signature is B.

Family 15 (0xF), model 3, stepping 2 – must have a microcode update signature of at least 7. Latest microcode update signature is A.

If the revision number is lower than that or zero, boot into Safe Mode by pressing F8 after the BIOS boot sequence, then selecting Safe Mode from the menu.

Now follow the procedure described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article. It has been reported that this procedure may has to be performed after installing Service Pack 2, not before as indicated in at least one of the MS documents.

Your computer stops responding when you restart to complete the installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=885626

Maurice Naggar · **Posted:** Sun 4/24/05 07:40 am

Intel's note on installation of XP Service Pack 2 recommends a check of systemboard's BIOS for Pentium 4 & Celeron systems.

See http://www.intel.com/support/processors/sb/CS-015171.htm

It is old news by now. <g>

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Specific Issue - Prescott Processors and XP-SP2

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