Windows Vista only using one core

[webJose]

Ok you guru's out there, I have the challenge of the year for you!! jaja, not really, but please read on.

I never really noticed it until today, but I installed some months ago Windows Vista Ultimate on a HP NC6000 computer. It installed ok and for the most part it has worked without major issues. I didn't use it very much as I had my work laptop and I used it for the most part for getting used to the new OS.

Now the laptop has undergone heavier use, and I installed a cool CPU Usage gadget in the side bar, and to my surprise, the second core is not in use! I can't really tell if this has always been the case, but I think it has.

Now, before you send me to re-install the darn thing, is there a way to make this one multi processor? In Windows XP it is quite simple: Replace the uniprocessor versions of hall.dll, ntoskrnl.exe, an some other I don't remember right now for the multiprocessor versions and that was the end of it. Could it be that simple for Vista? I checked out the properties of hal.dll but the Details tab doesn't show the original filename, so I couldn't really tell if the file was for uni or multiprocessor machines.

If you guys are going to tell me that I need to reinstall, could you tell me what is it that I need to do to re-activate Windows? Do I need to call Microsoft?

Anyway, I talk a lot to make me feel important. I'll shut up now.

Thanks!

[Steve]

Hi Jose,

the 2nd core will only be used when an application specifically designed to use the 2nd core is run. Heavy Graphics Programs and Games sometimes have the ability to use the 2nd core,

regards

Steve