slow speed

[tjk0123]

hello,

i recently got my computer running again. well my problem is, that it is just too sluggish. i have 128 SDRAM installed currently, and i believe it can hold 768 MB. also, i have a 200MHz Pentium CPU, which i dont think is configured properly. what would be the easiet way to get this thing more speedy? thanks

hows that ALFONS? :D

[Alfons]

Much better Tjk, here are some questions:
1. Is this the same computer that's been so easy to set up (PC Chips)?
2. How do you know what the speed is?
3. Is it MMX?

[tjk0123]

if u mean the not so easy computer to setup(LOL) then yes. it is the HP that we used the drivers from pcchips. i ran the utility before(before the previous motherboard got fried) and the belarc results said:

200 MHz Intel Pentium w/MMX
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
when i run it now, i get the following:

166 megahertz Intel Pentium w/MMX
32 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
im pretty sure that the CPU is 200MHz but not totally certain since the current results read how they do.

The CPU(non pin side) itself says:

Intel Pentium w/MMX tech

the other side(pin side) reads:

intel pentium w/MMX tech
FV80503200
SL27j/2.8V
A4
C7330403-0533
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
so would it just be easir to buy more ram or a different CPU? thanks and hope this information helps

[Murf]

1. The processor is not setup right, it is a 200MHZ the jumpers or BIOS has it set to run at 166Mhz, need to fix that.

Get into SETUP (CMOS) and go to the CPU PnP Setup Page

Set it to AUTO and it should detect the 200MHZ, if not then manually set it..

That is slowing you down..

Also 128MB of Ram is plenty....

Since you using a cable modem you need to tweak it.

1st go HERE (http://www.speedguide.net/Cable_modems/cable_registry.shtml) and download and install Windows Socket 2 update, install, then reboot.

Now go HERE (http://www.speedguide.net/Cable_modems/cable_patches.shtml) and download and install registry fix there for Windows 95...

Also check and make sure you are not running in MSDOS Compatibility Mode:

Right click on "My Computer" then to Properties, then to Performance, if you are it will tell you. Then post back.

[tjk0123]

ok well i went into setup, into the CPU PnP Setup page, changed it to 200MHz, save changes and it restarts. well it says what it normally says, then shows the blue windows 95 logo screen, and then the screen turns black and in the top left corner a cursor like thing is blinking. it just stays there and does not do anything. i restarted and went into safemode, and am now in windows.

i went to my computer, performance and it says that BOTH drive A and drive C ARE using MSDOS Compatibility Mode. how do i fix all this.:confused:


also in device manager, i still have 2 things listed under other devices.

1. PCI Card
2. PCI Ethernet Controller(this is the other one that i didnt need right)

[smurfy]

tjk0123, one thing at a time if we can...

1st lets get the system running at full speed if we can.

Restart and go back into Setup - reset to CPU AUTO (since manual 200 stopped Windows from booting).
Report back results.

(p.s. Safe Mode will always result in MSDOS compatibility mode as it is not loading the drivers - do not worry about seeing that).

Your two PCI devices in device manager may be "Safe mode ghosts". Don't worry about them either. If they are there on a normal boot we need to investigate a bit more.

[tjk0123]

it wont boot normally. the CPU was set at 166MHz before Murf told me to change it. i changed it back from 200MHz and it still doesnt want to boot normally. i just get the black screen with the blinking cursor at the top left. i tried step by step confirmation too but that didnt work either. :confused:

[Alfons]

Go back to the BIOS Setup and try setting the default conditions. There are two keys described in Chapter 3 of your manual (which you should read more closely) - here's a quote:

If you have already made changes to the setup utility, press F10 to save those changes and exit the utility. Press F5 to reset the changes to the original values. Press F6 to install the setup utility with a set of default values. Press F7 to install the setup utility with a set of best-performance values.

You can try F6 and F7 (one at a time) to see what works. Don't forget the F10 before exitting the Utility.

[tjk0123]

alright alfons. where would i be with out you? ur a life saver......seriously.

ok i hit F6, and saved changes. restarted and she booted to normal. it took along time though. longer than normal.

now, i right clicked on my computer, then to properties, and then to the performance tab and it says my computer is configured for optimal performance.

also i have not changed the CPU speed to 200MHz. im going to wait and see if i need to know anything else or different steps to take and make it work this time. thanks

[Alfons]

Tjk, you can try the different settings for your CPU now that you know how to recover. I'll take another look at the manual and see if there's anything else that I can advise you on with regards to your BIOS settings.

You might go back in the old thread and see the changes that I recommended (they were minimal) and see what the differences are for each setup group or page - post what you have.

Which network card are you using, the built-in or the plug-in?

[Alfons]

I'm not sure what values you're allowed to put in or how you put them in inorder to update the CPU values but here are the values that apply to your CPU for each of the line items on this BIOS values page:

1. CPU Plug and Play = User Define
2. CPU Brand = Intel MMX or just Intel
3. VC Core Voltage = 2.8 volts
4. CPU Speed = 200Mhz.
5. CPU Base Frequency = 66Mhz.
6. CPU Multiple Factor = 3 times (also shown as 3x)

You may not have entered all the parameters that apply to your CPU, so the BIOS calculations would have been in error causing a bad startup.

If you really screw up the settings, you can "zero" the settings with the Jumper that you had trouble with when you first tried to start the board (Jumper JP6 - Clear CMOS Memory). Remember to put it on the "clear"setting for a short time and then put it back in the position it's in now before you turn the power on.

[tjk0123]

ok in the CPU setup page in CMOS here is what i can do.

when set to User define, i can do the following for each:

CPU Brand = Intel P55C(cant change this)
VCCore Voltage = 2.8V(can change anywhere from 2.0V to 3.5V)
CPU Speed = N/A(cant change this)
CPU Base Frequency = 66MHz(can change to 60MHz, 75Mhz, 83MHz, 95MHz, 97MHz, and 100MHz)
CPU Multiple Factory = 2.5x(can change to 1.5x/3.5x, 2.0x, 3.0x, 4.0x, 4.5x, 5.0x)

i tried changing it to the best i could but it still didnt work. i got the black screen again. so i went back, hit F6 and restarted, but that didnt do anything. it just went to the black screen again. i tried the F7 one too but still no luck. and yes i did save. i then tryed to clear the CMOS with the jumper, and that didnt work either. i can still get into safemode. :confused:

[Alfons]

Change the Multiple Factor to 3x (66.x times 3 is approximately 200).

What are the default settings on this page?

[tjk0123]

the default settings in user define are exactly what it says on my last post. right after the equal sign i mean.

in auto the default is:
CPU Brand = Intel P55C(cant change this)
VCCore Voltage = 2.8V(cant change)
CPU Speed = 166MHz(see below everything else.)
CPU Base Frequency = 66MHz(cant change)
CPU Multiple Factory = 2.5x(see below)

when i change the CPU speed, the CPU Multiple Factory changes too.

cpu speed - cpu multiple factory
333MHz - 5.0x
300MHz - 4.5x
266MHz - 4.0x
233MHz - 1.5x/3.5x
200MHz - 3.0x

when i set the auto settings for the cpu to be 200MHz, the cpu multiple factory changes to 3.0x like u want me to do but it wont boot normally.

when i set the user define settings for the cpu(what it will let me change i mean) like u want me to it still doesnt start.

[Alfons]

Try these things and post their results:

1. Select User Define and set it with a 2.5 multiplier (gives you the 166Mhz), then Save and try to boot.
2. With the settings like in #1, but change it to Auto then Save and try to boot.
3. With the settings as for #2, press F6 then Save and try to boot.

More Questions
Which settings will allow you to boot with Windows?
Which settings will allow you to boot with the Floppy?
Do any changes to 200Mhz allow you to boot with anything?

More Work
I'll try to find the source of my Intel CPU Identifier so that you can try that. You may have a very old BIOS on that board, could you read the BIOS string and version number during Power On Self Test and let me know what that is?

[Alfons]

Here's the link for the CPU ID Program (http://web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/chkcpu.htm). Download it and follow the instructions to use it and run it on the old HP machine.

Post the results.

[tjk0123]

ok i tryed ur settings for the CPU and they are as follows:

1. no
2. no
3. no

lol

for the other question u asked, i dont seem to be able to start with any of them. if i put the win98 floppy in the drive, it boots right on up to the screen where i can choose with or without cdrom support. and no none of the changes to 200MHz let me boot normally.

i ran that program in safemode and got these results:

CPU Vendor and Model: Intel Pentium MMX 133/150/166/200/233 (P55) B1-step
Internal CPU Speed: 200.4 MHz (using internal time stamp counter)
Clock Multiplier: ---
CPU-ID Vendor String: GenuineIntel
CPU-ID Signature: 0543
Current CPU mode: Protected
Internal (L1) Cache: Enabled in write-back mode

hope this info helps:rolleyes:

[Alfons]

You have two problems that I can see from here. The first is a Windows problem that causes you to start in SAFE MODE and the second is a BIOS problem with the MB, and the first problem may have been caused by the second and would have something to do with device management.

There is a new BIOS available for your board as well as a Flash Utility available to install it, but with the luck that you've had so far I'm not sure I go so far as to recommend that you do that. The reason for my reluctance is that if the BIOS FLASH doesn't go perfectly smoothly, your board will be dead and you would need to spend approximately $25 for a new BIOS Chip - at least that's what the general purpose one's cost. I've done this procedure quite a number of times and have only lost one, but I have a device I can attach to another computer and program the chip that way so I was able to fix it. The decision to Flash or Not to Flash is your's alone.

The alternative is to get the W95 problem fixed and to run your machine as a 166MMX.

[tjk0123]

ok lets think about this. lets say i were to go with number 2. which is run with it at 166MHz. would there be any other way to speed it up? could i buy a faster CPU?

now lets say i do the flash utility. and it fails. is it easy to replace the chip? or do i need to have installed?

[Alfons]

Theoretically you should be able to use any of the AMD K6-2 Family with that motherboard which would take you up to 550Mhz (I think), but if the BIOS won't work with the Intel 200 MMX, I'm not sure it will with anything else, but you don't know for sure unless you try - it's a hard call to make because one doesn't know what these boards were initially built for. I'd say it was probably built to work with AMD because the Super Socket 7 (and that's what your board is) was almost exclusively used by OEM's to run with AMD at 300Mhz and above, so it might work. If you were closer I'd loan you a K6-2/300 to try.

To answer your question about the BIOS Flash and what happens if it fails, I'd have to say that you should be able to get one (the whole BIOS Chip with the latest BIOS) from AWARD in the configuration you need for that MB. If you like, I'll e-mail them to determine what you need, how much, and even if they support this, so let me know. Or, you can do it and let us know what they said. Also I would e-mail PC-Wave to get their "Blessing" on the BIOS and Flash Program to download from them.

This way at least you have a plan with workable options (Pro-Active instead of Re-Active).

Regardless of the BIOS situation, you need to Repair or Replace the W95 installation and I'm not the best person on this board to help you with that - my W95 knowledge is pretty rusty so I would recommend that you leave this thread for the BIOS issue and start a new topic on W95 in Safe Mode, but make reference to this thread. You'll get a better class of people helping your with your Windows problem that way.

[Alfons]

I've sent PC Wave and AMI BIOS some requests for information and will post their replies.

[Alfons]

Just to put a cap on the BIOS issue, I've received a reply from AMI that states they really don't want anything to do with it and PC Chips should be contacted for support (doesn't surprise me) and after two messages to PC Chips I've had no replies (again that doesn't surprise me).

So in summary I certainly agree with the advise given by Murf and others to leave the BIOS alone on this board and to upgrade to W98 if you have an opportunity to do so.

Happy Computing tjk.

[tjk0123]

well i hope sometime in the future i can upgrade. i just want to thank everyone here once again that helped. i would have gotten no where with out you guys. :D