DGLInfo: AMD Releases Win95 Patch for K6-2/350+ CPUs

AMD K6-2/350+
Windows 95 fix for AMD CPUs

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AMD Releases Win95 Patch for K6-2/350+ CPUs
by Dave Murphy
ISSN 1535-3613

Some users of Windows 95 OEM SR-2 have experienced anomalies when running the operating system on AMD K6-2 microprocessors at speeds of 350 MHz and faster.

This patch will not resolve issues associated with any other versions of Windows 95 other than the OEM SR-2 version. To determine the version that you have on your system, please read below.

If you are not sure which version of Windows 95 you have, you can find out simply by checking your System Properties. To do this, right mouse click on "My Computer" and select "Properties".

An OEM SR system will show a designator, such as "4.00.9500 B" as the version. The number may vary slightly, but the letter designator will be a "B" for the OSR2 version. Version designators without a "B", such as an "A" or nothing after the number, cannot utilize this patch. For these versions, please contact AMD technical support for further assistance to resolve this issue.

This update from AMD resolves error messages such as:

Device IOS failed to initialize
Windows Protection Error
You must reboot your computer

The first error is a result of a divide exception in IOS.VXD, the second is due to a similar error within ESDI_506.PDR or SCSIPORT.PDR.

This observation is caused by a software timing loop that is sensitive to processor frequency, and is not a processor erratum. This DOES NOT occur with Windows 98 or Windows NT. AMD has worked closely with Microsoft to enable a publicly available solution.

This problem is very intermittent at 350MHz. Note that it is necessary to reboot the computer after the error occurs. If the error does not occur, the system will run normally.

Additional details are contained in Microsoft Knowledge Base reference article: Q192841 AMD K6-2/350 CPU Windows Protection Error at boot time.

AMD's Patch: http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/k623d/win95_update_k6.html

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updated November 26, 1998
http://dgl.com/dglinfo/1998/dg981126.html