Need help on computer settings.

[Pierce Tondry]

Today when I booted my computer up I got a message: Warning! CPU setting change or Overclock failure. (That's not the exact message, but I think it's reasonably close) It happens everytime I boot up, but when I look at my settings everything appears default.

This seems like a simple question with a simple answer, but I haven't got time to investigate it all the way right now as I have a computer I need to set up for my dad, a test tomorrow to get studying for, and work in three hours. If someone could help me out with an explanation or a way to solve the problem, that would be great.

Also: hunting for the manual, can't find it, giving up temporarily.

Thanks in advance!

[Figrin D'an]

Sounds like the multiplier or the bus speed in the bios got changed. That doesn't happen on it's own, though. Were you messing around in the bios at all?

Anyway... enter the bios when you boot, find the tab that has the front side bus settings, and see if it has been changed to something that gives you a CPU speed other than the official one. Change the bus speed or the muliplier back to the default settings if one or both has been altered.

[imported_Firebird1]

Ditto on what Figrin said! Overclocking is bad for a chip unless you can keep the temp down.

Check your BIOS settings and if you have any onboard jumpers that could affect your bus speed.

[Morgan Evanar]

Sometimes if the power goes out in the middle of the night this happens. Don't really worry about it, unless you're overheating.

Which mainboard do you have?

[Pierce Tondry]

Fig: I wasn't, although the power did go out right before I started getting that message.

Morg: Athlon 2K+, I believe.

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll make use of it tomorrow.

[Morgan Evanar]

Um, thats not the mainboard model. It should be something like an Abit NF7-S or Gigabyte GA7-VTHX whatnot.

[Pierce Tondry]

Ah, I was confuzzled. I'm not instantly certain where to check that and don't know offhand.

Plus my head hurts, too.

[Morgan Evanar]

usually says it in the lower left corner when its doing the memory count/drive detection.

You should also have a manual for it?

[Pierce Tondry]

Probly do. I'll look when I get home and edit this post with the info.

Morgan: AMD Socket A Processor based AGP (8X) mainboard is what it says just inside the owner's manual. That sound like anything to you?

[Morgan Evanar]

LKJsdofijsljf. No. For example, I have an Abit NF-7S (nForce 2 chipset). I used to have a Gigabyte GA7-VTXE (VIA KT266A). At work we have some Asus micro ATX boards with the nForce 1.

It should say something more than that. Who makes it? Abit, Asus, Gigabyte, Epox, Aopen, Tyan, Shuttle, FIC, Soltek, Biostar? Which chipset (ie Nvidia Nforce 2, or VIA KT400/600)?

I'm -guessing- I told you to get something with the nForce 2, but I don't remember from who?

[Rigel Bismarck]

Epox and it has an NForce 2.

[Pierce Tondry]

I set the FSB Frequency to 100 MHz (down from 133) and everything seems to be running smoothly. I no longer get the error message and instead boot right up at startup.

So, I think it's okay.

[imported_Firebird1]

You need to check this because it could happen again. The easiest way of doing that is to check your CPU Speed by doing this.
(I assume your running XP)
Click Start, slect Control Pannel, select system System

The first diaglog box has the CPU speed
(See attachment)

EDIT:-
An Athlon 2000 usually runs at 1.66 GHz with a 133 FSB.
Depending on what your multiplyers are set at with a 100 FSB the speed would be around 1.2 GHz. The reason for this check is to see if any damage has been done to your CPU. If you had an overheating problem with a 133 FSB, you may have this problem happen again.

[Morgan Evanar]

I set the FSB Frequency to 100 MHz (down from 133) and everything seems to be running smoothly. I no longer get the error message and instead boot right up at startup.

So, I think it's okay. You just underclocked your CPU. That won't hurt anything but performance. A lot. You should bring it back up to 133, because thats where it lives. Set the multiplier to auto (or 12.5x)

It probably isn't a thermal issue. Almost all nForce 2 boards have thermal protection and will suspend the system.

This happens every now and then when my server is hit with a power outage, but it doesn't really hurt anything. I just make sure the CPU settings are cool and I save the bios.

[Pierce Tondry]

The system is now running fine at 133 MHz.

Thanks for your patience with my lack of expertise, gang. Now you see why I needed help. :)

*Note to self: purchase 256 MB of RAM.*

[Morgan Evanar]

*Note to self: purchase 512 MB of RAM.* Fixed for you. Getting anything less than an extra 512 is silly.

[Pierce Tondry]

You might know offhand: how cheap is RAM running these days?

[Morgan Evanar]

Too much. (About 80bux from Mwave.)