Turning Hyperthreading Off

Garg

So I just got the computer tech guy to format my computer and reinstall Windows (this is at work), but it looks like he turned on Hyperthreading. I use power-hungry single-threaded applications, so my computer really runs much better with it off. Thing is, I don't have time to wait another week while he reinstalls Windows again, this time with HT off.

If I turn HT off in the BIOS, will it give Windows a BSOD, or will it let me choose another HAL? My Google searches seemed to imply that there is some way to choose another HAL, but that the choices are limited, and I'm not sure what would make one better than the other. I'm hoping that someone else has gone through this before and has some advice

This is a Dell single-processor Xeon machine with XP Pro.

Enverex

It should just work, hell, if windows bluescreens or whatever just restart, go back into the BIOS and turn it back on again.

GrayFox

Update the bios.

GHoosdum

I'm pretty sure Windows needs to be reinstalled when turning HT on, but I don't think it's necessary when turning it off. You may get some strange reports about CPU2 later on, though.

madmat

I've turned HT on then off then on and so on running benchmarks (not for any reason other than seeing something in 3D Mark '06) and I've never had any issues with windows BSOD'ing over it. It just goes from showing 2 cores to one core and back again.

Garg

madmat wrote:

I've turned HT on then off then on and so on running benchmarks (not for any reason other than seeing something in 3D Mark '06) and I've never had any issues with windows BSOD'ing over it. It just goes from showing 2 cores to one core and back again.

That's what I wanted to hear

I just wanted to make sure I didn't bork this box and have to wait to get it fixed