J.E.
As I recall, your problem is entirely different from that of Ziv. On your
notebook the processor was 'stuck' on the DC operating value and the KB
article I referred you to should have provided you with the opportunity to
contact Microsoft about providing a fix. Have you done that?
Whether Ziv wants to, or is inclined to, go through the re-install option is
entirely up to Ziv. The re-install I have suggested may or may not fix your
problem but you do have another option.
Pete
--------------------
"J.E.Gardner" > wrote in message
...
> Been traveling & working over the weekend so hav been
> unable to respond till now.
>
> First off, YES it's amdk7.sys that enables PowerNow.
> This was disabled on my notebook UNTILL I mistakenly
> installed an 'update' from XP's WinUpdate that was
> described as a "Processor Performance Enhancement"!
> NOTHING in said description warned that it would implement
> PowerNow & thus DECREASE processor speeds!
> & of course XP WinUpdate DOESN'T give an 'uninstall'
> option for drivers as WinUpdate for Win98 does.
>
> Strngely enough a previous but INACTIVE version of
> amdk7.sys was on my system before the driver
> update/upgrade was run; a Rollback to that version did NOT
> clear whatever else was set by the driver update(most
> likely registry entries & DLL modifications) that causes
> PowerNow to be enabled.
>
> As mentioned in fisrt message, at present reinstall (which
> would have to be done via HP's dumb 'restore' process in
> order to retain other notebook functions) is NOT a viable
> option. (don't need to loose another 15 gig of
> irreplaceable Video data)
> From what I can find a simple 'overwrite' reinstall of XP-
> home from OS disk would NOT clear the problem as this
> would not replace existing settings completely.
>
> #1. this so called "driver upgrade/update" is NOT
> correctly & clearly described or explained at Windows
> Update for XP.
> #2. an update that affects system performance this
> markedly SHOULD have an Uninstall available.
> #3. what I need & I expect ziv also wants is a way to
> DISABLE whatever the new version of amdk7.sys is doing!
> Since a new install of XP-home does not activate PowerNow,
> then there should be a way to disable that via disabling
> the actions of amdk7.sys.
>
> #4. BTW the KB articles are INCORRECT in respect to the
> registry entries listed.
> With the andk7.sys update run, PowerNow was enabled on my
> Notebook WITHOUT the 'parameter' key in existance at all!
> Adding said key & sub entry does NOTHING with either value
> listed (0=disable, 1=enable, for legacy interface).
> PowerNow works the same with either one & no extra
> settings become available ANYWHERE in the OS re it.
> Nor do any changes in the regular power settings/profiles
> affect PowerNow under either entry. This I can say for a
> flat fact as I've spent over 16 hrs of the past weekend
> messing with this to be sure.
>
> BTW: despite what you may think, MANY of us buy Notebook
> systems (esp these in the 'desktop replacement' class) to
> have a 'portable PC'; NOT for any 'on the go' battery
> powered usage. What we want is a system that can be easily
> transported from place to place but otherwise gives
> desktop class peformance (which ya DON'T get with PowerNow
> enabled).
> When 99+% of running time is on AC power, PowerNow is
> unneeded; & IF M$ update had described that one properly
> the update that enabled it would never have been run here.
>
> As far as *I* am concerned, the only real use for the
> battery is as a built in UPS. (& it functions as such
> during short power outages quite nicely too, been there
> already).
>
> NOTE: before PowerNow was enabled on my Notebook; it
> (which has an AthlonXP 2000+ 1.66GHz processor)ran rings
> around my older homebuilt Athlon 'C' 1200MHz system.
> Now, with PowerNow enabled the desktop is WAY
> more 'responsive' even with an intensive Video edit
> running in the background.
> PowerNow SERIOUSLY cripples system performance!!!
> If i'd have wanted lower performance & longer battery
> life, I could have bought a slower model and saved some $
> in the process!
> J.E.Gardner
>
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Hi Ziv
> >
> >I think your right about the processor-throttling being
> caused by the
> >amdk7.sys driver. But it's a by-design feature to save
> battery power. The
> >only way round it would seem be to disable the AMD
> PowerNow! technology.
> >Whether the need to run the notebook at permanent maximum
> throttle is
> >justifiable may be open for debate but since you really
> seem to want to
> >that, there may be a way round the current situation.
> >
> >I should say at this point that there may very well be an
> easier solution to
> >this... it's just that this came to mind first, and I'd
> need a few days of
> >research to find out if there was any way to disable the
> PowerNow!
> >technology without such drastic action... and there may
> not even be one....
> >but it 'should' work.
> >
> >First, have a look at these 2 articles form the Microsoft
> Knowledge Base....
> >
> >"AMD PowerNow! Functionality May Require a Driver for AMD
> Mobile Athlon 4
> >and Duron Processors with Windows XP" -
> >http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
> us;306458
> >
> >and
> >
> >"How to Enable AMD PowerNow! Functionality for a New
> Installation of Windows
> >XP" -
> >http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
> us;815624
> >
> >The conclusion I take from these two articles is this.
> >
> >If you re-install Windows XP on a notebook, in order to
> enable the AMD
> >PowerNow! Technology, you need to install the specific
> driver amdk7.sys.
> >
> >Are you ahead of me at this point?
> >
> >It would appear that a re-installation of XP would
> disable, by default, the
> >PowerNow! technology. This should stop the "processor-
> throttling" that you
> >want to disable. According to the second article
> (815624) the only way to
> >enable PowerNow! after a re-install is to specifically
> download, or update
> >that driver. So you'd have to make sure that you didn't
> download that by
> >accident.
> >
> >The only question now is - what do you have for a Windows
> XP disk?
> >
> >You'd obviously need to back-up and then re-install
> applications and updates
> >afterwards, so it is a big task. But assuming HP have
> given you a disk to
> >enable you to re-install XP that should 'fix' the
> throttling. You could
> >always buy a full XP CD if you really had to.
> >
> >Sorry I can't come up with anything easier but that's the
> only suggestion I
> >have.
> >
> >Hope that helps and good luck!
> >Pete
> >
> >---------------------
> >
> >
> >"alonz" > wrote in message
> om...
> >> Thanks Pete, but I have tried all possible power
> settings and even
> >> called compaq (HP) technical support. Setting power
> management to
> >> "always on" does make a difference, but under battery
> power the CPU
> >> can only be clocked at 1 GHz max. I believe that this
> is a limitation
> >> set by amdk7.sys. The only way to tell for sure is to
> boot the PC
> >> with a different OS and then run a benchmark program.
> I usually run
> >> POV-RAY 3.5 with chess2.pov input file as my benchmark
> (see Tom's
> >> hardware guide website for details). Many notebook
> manufacturers do
> >> not publish the true performance under AC power / DC
> power. The
> >> operating system used also complicates things quite a
> bit. I found
> >> out about these sort of limitations by running POV-RAY
> on many
> >> laptops. I often find that notebooks using the same
> processor can
> >> have more than 50% performance difference, and I am not
> talking about
> >> performance differences due to HD or video speeds.
> >>
> >> Ziv
> >>
> >>
> >> "Pete Baker" <petebkrAThotmailDOTcom> wrote in message
> >...
> >> > Hello
> >> >
> >> > Read up on your Power Now documentation and check
> your selected "Power
> >> > Scheme". As I understand it, and I'm not an expert
> on Notebooks, there
> >are
> >> > a variety of settings available from "Minimal Power
> Management" to
> >"Always
> >> > on". Selecting a different Scheme may give you
> better performance.
> >> >
> >> > Hope that Helps
> >> >
> >> > Pete
> >> > ------------------------------
> >> >
> >> > "alonz" > wrote in message
> >> >
> om...
> >> > > I have a similar problem with a compaq (HP)
> presario 2145 I just
> >> > > purchased recently. It came with AMDK7.sys
> installed and the CPU
> >> > > performance is TOTALLY HOSED under battery power.
> HP will DENY this
> >> > > issue. Infact, HP doesn't even admit that they
> UNDERCLOCK the CPU!
> >> > > The CPU is an AMD XP 2400+, which means that it
> should be clocked at 2
> >> > > GHz. However, it is actually clocked at 1.79 GHz
> when AC is plugged
> >> > > in. Under battery power the throttling maxes at at
> about 1GHz...what
> >> > > a joke! Can anything be done to disable AMDK7.sys
> temporarily?
> >> > > I would still like to enable power management when
> using a word
> >> > > processor, etc. But for heavy duty applications
> this is unacceptable.
> >> > >
> >> > > Any help is appreciated.
> >> > >
> >> > > Ziv
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> > > "Pete Baker" <petebkrAThotmailDOTcom> wrote in
> message
> >> > >...
> >> > > > OK J.E.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > As I said someone more familiar with your
> specific hardware, e.g.
> >HP,
> >> > may be
> >> > > > able to provide better info... but now that we
> have all the details
> >> > (i.e
> >> > > > the AC/DC transition) you should have a look at
> this Knowledge Base
> >> > article
> >> > > > dated 5/9/2003... it sounds very much like your
> particular problem.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Unfortunately the fix seems to be only available
> from microsoft so
> >> > you'll
> >> > > > probably have to contact them direct.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?
> scid=kb;en-us;330512
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Hope that helps
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Pete
> >> > > > --------------------------
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > "J.E.Gardner" > wrote in
> message
> >> > > > ...
> >> > > > > This is an HP Notebook, the BIOS does NOT allow
> setting
> >> > > > > the FSB. That speed happens to be LOCKED.
> >> > > > > The problem is that something in the install of
> the
> >> > > > > amdk7.sys driver set things so that the system
> is running
> >> > > > > as if it was on Battery instead of AC power. As
> a result
> >> > > > > the processor speed is changing by what
> something in the
> >> > > > > OS or system THINKS it needs rather than
> allowing the
> >> > > > > processor to run at full speed!
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > Before taking the update to this file/driver
> from Windows
> >> > > > > Update, everything ran great at full speed on
> AC power;
> >> > > > > now even a "driver rollback" will not clear
> whatever was
> >> > > > > set for the processor throttling!
> >> > > > > >-----Original Message-----
> >> > > > > >J.E.
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >Someone more familar with your particular
> hardware may be
> >> > able to give more
> >> > > > > >detailed instructions but it seems likely your
> problem
> >> > lies wholly in the
> >> > > > > >FSB speed on your motherboard.
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >During start-up go into your BIOS. Usually by
> pressing F2
> >> > (may vary
> >> > > > > >according to motherboard).
> >> > > > > >Check the settings of the FSB and you'll
> probably find
> >> > they're at 100Mhz.
> >> > > > > >There should be an option for 133Mhz which
> will probably
> >> > restore your much
> >> > > > > >sought after performance levels.
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >Hope that helps
> >> > > > > >Pete
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >-----------------------------
> >> > > > > >"J.E.Gardner" > wrote in
> message
> >> > > > > ...
> >> > > > > >> New driver (ver 5.1.2600.1152)replacing this
> file was
> >> > > > > >> downloaded from Windows Update.
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >> Very bluntly this p.o.s. driver has HOSED my
> processor
> >> > > > > >> peformance.
> >> > > > > >> A 'rollback' to the SP1 version (xxxx.1106)
> has NOT
> >> > > > > >> restored the performance I orig had with
> this processor.
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >> This is a Notebook (w/XP-home preload)used
> basically as
> >> > a
> >> > > > > >> portable desktop with minimal time on
> Battery; I do NOT
> >> > > > > >> want the processor 'throttled' under ANY
> circumstances.
> >> > > > > >> I do Video & Audio editing & frankly
> performance
> >> > previous
> >> > > > > >> to the install of this driver update was
> Excellent
> >> > > > > >> (AthlonXP2000+, 1.66GHz chip); now even
> after the
> >> > rollback
> >> > > > > >> tasks are taking 50 to 100% more time to
> complete due to
> >> > > > > >> the processor throttling.
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >> Note: also as a 'check' besides the VERY
> noticeble
> >> > > > > >> slowdown in processor performance; TestCPU
> previously
> >> > > > > >> showed me as a 1656MHz, NOW it shows me as
> having an
> >> > > > > >> 1156MHz chip!
> >> > > > > >> This 30% + Slowdown is Definately NOTICEABLE
> to me; & I
> >> > > > > >> DON'T like/appreciate it!
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >> How do I remove or disable this CPU
> B.S.throttling
> >> > > > > >> COMPLETELY!
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >> Note: I do NOT use 'system restore'; I have
> better use
> >> > for
> >> > > > > >> my HDD space & processor power.
> >> > > > > >> & stupidly I replaced my Ghost OS image with
> a new one
> >> > > > > >> after running the Windows Update. (BIG
> mistake on MY
> >> > part
> >> > > > > >> caused by the sheer BLOAT of XP OS &
> resulting HUGE OS
> >> > > > > >> image files).
> >> > > > > >> I also Don't use HP's recover anymore as the
> last go
> >> > rond
> >> > > > > >> cost me 10 GIG of data when it wiped ALL
> partitions on
> >> > my
> >> > > > > >> HDD!
> >> > > > > >>
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >.
> >> > > > > >
> >
> >
> >.
> >