Jump to content

Microsoft Windows 98 to recognize Dual-Core processors (project?)


ohmss006

Recommended Posts

There wouldn't be a point. Windows 98 and 95 are very similar at their core, being different snapshots of the Win9x codebase.

yes yes, u are right there, terribly sorry about that.

what i actually meant was, can you do the same for Windows NT 4? i would like to know what is the big cheese.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


anyone at all may i ask?

I wandered into VMWare and ran a Windows 95B virtual machine. I enabled debug logging, and watched the log fill up - it seems that VMM32 is what controls the CPU functionality in 9x. There's this topic over on boot-land: http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...d&pid=15326 which is essentially how to make your own 32-bit DOS using Win9x files.

I went ahead and created this 'new' DOS... When used, it is essentially what happens when you create a dos-box in Windows 95 - Windows 95 initializes a new DOS session, in protected memory. An actual multi-tasking 32-bit DOS. Of course, the limitations are still present - it seems that the services within VMM32.VXD in windows 95 hold the key to how the kernel gains access to the CPU. I'm certain that such a project IS possible, but it would take YEARS to get it working. And what definition of 'working' do I mean...

i just wanted to know, if you were running NT4 on that virtual machine, i would liked to know in the logging, what process would have filled it up as with Win95B, it was VMM32, as in which he described, seems to have somesort of direct function to the CPU.

if someone can help me on htis, we can gain a better knowlege on what connects NT to the CPU itself. u never know, it might not be such a big difference afterall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

i would say i was harrassing hte foru, as u can see now it has been awhile.

well, not too long ago me and my friend where talking about how to make or to see if it is possible to make the operating recognize Dual-Core, or multiple cores. We were reading htrough it and see as well to further understand what the others are trying to say about Windows 98 and MS-DOS with the fact of running multiple cores. also, one things for sure, one way to make this happen is if there was some sort of source code that we can manipulate, although no source code of the OS was ever leaked (unliked NT4 and Win2000 which i have), we can break it down and decompile it as well. but first things first, we have to know what connects the operating system directly to the processor and hten mess aroud there. after succeeding that, we can move on to other things like taking advantage of newer hardware and if u like, take advantage of the Geforce8 series (by the way, i have an 8800GTS 640MB for £80, the only catch is, one of the capacitors snapped off but its a clean snapp, so maybe a new one can be soldered on), and so on.

there are many good decompiling software, even one made to cease operations on Win98 whenever (i think htat is correct), what do u think anyways may i ask?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

hey, its been awhile i know. and through time to time i have been reading through this as well.

i thought i come back here (as i was quite busy) and confidentally say i have my new PC or Rig up and running. i may have mentioned before that i was building my PC up but if anyones interested, here are the spcs:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600

Asus P5B Deluxe/ WIFI Edition

Crucial Ballistix 2GB DDR2-6400 800Mhz RAM

Seagate 500GB Hard drive

7600GT Nvidia graphic card

2 x DVD-R/W RAM drives

USB 2.0

and installed on it right now is Windows XP SP2, and its a clean install, with only the motherboard drives installed. but for some odd reason, its not exactly what i imagined, as i thought it would have been slightly faster, but i jsut dont see it, and it kinda lets me down. now im just wondering how Windows 98SE will work on it, even though it might not at all recognise the hardware inside it.

anyways, readoing through here, it is still possible to make Windows 98 recognise dual core, and that possibly rewriting the kernal might not be necessary, and that 'maybe' use the leaked OS's source codes to help provide the ability of making Win98 recognize multiple cores from the NT Kernal perhaps. and because of that, it can pass through the VMM32 which connects everything from drivers to hardware inorder to make it work.

perhaps before that can be done, is to decompile it? soeone correct me on htis. i am not too sure. Volenteers would be great as that i have been asking and as other websites or threads here have been asking, as i have now a fully running PC with hardware not exactly made for Win98 as a testing bed and willing to go through it.

look forward to your rpelies again :D

Excellent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and installed on it right now is Windows XP SP2, and its a clean install, with only the motherboard drives installed. but for some odd reason, its not exactly what i imagined, as i thought it would have been slightly faster, but i jsut dont see it, and it kinda lets me down.

Well, the problem with dual cores is that to benefit from it you need to have applications that are dual core aware and this is latest versions of high end video and audio applications only as far as I am aware.

Neither your OS nor any of your old apps are going to run faster than what a single core allows.

I think it is very unfortunate, and IMO one big flaw in design, that those chips can't be switched in a mode where the two cores can be used as if they were a single core.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it is very unfortunate, and IMO one big flaw in design, that those chips can't be switched in a mode where the two cores can be used as if they were a single core.

i think htat would make a very good idea for a patch or a work around. brilliant! another hting to think about as well.

and i installed Windows XP Pro SP2, and it does recognise dual core, this by telling through the system specs on My Computer, Device Manager and Task Manager. maybe i need to do some updating from the net?

either way, what did u think of hte Win98 idea htat i mentioned?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

and i installed Windows XP Pro SP2, and it does recognise dual core, this by telling through the system specs on My Computer, Device Manager and Task Manager. maybe i need to do some updating from the net?

I don't think you'll see a big change with updates. But if you install also 98 on that box, tell us how it fares.

either way, what did u think of hte Win98 idea htat i mentioned?

Which one ? Support for dual cores ? As said there is not much interest in it as I don't think there are applications running on 98/ME that are able to take advantage of dual cores.

Both your idea and mine would be nice but it is beyond the scope of what we can do here I am afraid unfortunately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Which one ? Support for dual cores ? As said there is not much interest in it as I don't think there are applications running on 98/ME that are able to take advantage of dual cores.

yes, the oeprating system to take advantage of dual or multiple core processors. u could probably run a benchmark on Win98, record the results and when one day it recognizes the 2 cores, run the benchmark again on that, and u'll probably see the figures will have doubled. that is something what i am aiming for.

i am just abit worried that, IF the operating system doesnt see the extra cores, then the applications that do, wont at all on the OS. is that corect may i ask?

and hopefully today, im going to install Win98SE on my new rig and to see how it turns out as well. as i asid, i am willing to go ahead and use my computer as a testing bed for whatever tweaks or adjustments made.

we kinda need to spread the word, probably into the Unofficial Service Packs page?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Please don't flame if I'm incorrect on this as I haven't read the entire thread, but it seems you peeps are under the impression Windows 2000 supports multi-core CPUs. This is a falicy. Windows 2000 supports multi CPU systems, not multi core system. Proof of this is that I'm currently on my work laptop which has an intel core 2 duo T7200 processor in it and we're forced to use windows 2000, and though the device manager shows it as a multi cpu system, the task manager only shows one CPU workload. Further proof of this is the HP support people we get (we get better support than most as we're an R&D center and get HP R&D tech support) who are always laughing that we've got $3000 laptops with windows 2000 on them which is unable to utilize both cores. And yet more proof is, bog down one process, easy for me to do as I'm a software developer(lets not talk details here, lets just say I meant to make an idle thread and accidentally made it time critical), and watch how the whole system comes to a crawl, when doing the same thing on my home pc doesn't effect system responsiveness. Windows XP is the first windows with multi-core support.

Then why is m Win2K system's task manager showing both cores? The PROBLEM was that the task manager was set to One Graph, all CPUs, insted of one graph PER CPU. Windows 2000 supports multicore fine and all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please don't flame if I'm incorrect on this as I haven't read the entire thread, but it seems you peeps are under the impression Windows 2000 supports multi-core CPUs. This is a falicy. Windows 2000 supports multi CPU systems, not multi core system. Proof of this is that I'm currently on my work laptop which has an intel core 2 duo T7200 processor in it and we're forced to use windows 2000, and though the device manager shows it as a multi cpu system, the task manager only shows one CPU workload. Further proof of this is the HP support people we get (we get better support than most as we're an R&D center and get HP R&D tech support) who are always laughing that we've got $3000 laptops with windows 2000 on them which is unable to utilize both cores. And yet more proof is, bog down one process, easy for me to do as I'm a software developer(lets not talk details here, lets just say I meant to make an idle thread and accidentally made it time critical), and watch how the whole system comes to a crawl, when doing the same thing on my home pc doesn't effect system responsiveness. Windows XP is the first windows with multi-core support.

Then why is m Win2K system's task manager showing both cores? The PROBLEM was that the task manager was set to One Graph, all CPUs, insted of one graph PER CPU. Windows 2000 supports multicore fine and all.

Windows 9x has no support for Multi-Core, but I have developed an API that does. You can write Multi-Core aware Programs with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Another possible thing is the HP's InsydeH20 BIOS This commie BIOS restricts Windows 2000's access to the second core. If you want a Win2k system, avoid HP laptops at all cost! Dell and ASUS laptops will work for you.

Edited by AnX
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Windows 9x has no support for Multi-Core, but I have developed an API that does. You can write Multi-Core aware Programs with it.

Is it possible to extend this API to get Windows 98 to have full multicore support, and the ability to run apps on both the cores?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Windows 9x has no support for Multi-Core, but I have developed an API that does. You can write Multi-Core aware Programs with it.

Is it possible to extend this API to get Windows 98 to have full multicore support, and the ability to run apps on both the cores?

The Windows 98 Kernel does not have any support for Multi-Core, so the API is separate. Code written to the API can run on any number of Cores, but all Kernel functions are passed to the Base Core for processing. The API has specific Callback Functions that can be used by Application (non-Base) Core Code to execute Kernel Functions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...