Dual Core Processor on new Dell with XP Home

How can you tell XP Home doesn't support dual core processors? I don't see why they wouldn't. Why would they sell this combination if it didn't work?

More to come from more qualified experts......

I think there a setting in the BIOS you have to change so both processors will work at the same time.

highlandbill 

Because MS clearly states that XP Home has been altered from XP Pro to NOT support multiple processors. My Hardware properties show two processors, my task manager shows activity for only one.

No one at MS or at Intel comes right out and says that Home doesn't take advantage of the second processor in a dual core processor. But everything I read seems to indicate this.

Which is why I asked here. In case there was some definative word on the subject.

Thanks
Paul

The bios shows that both processors are active.

But XP Home is single processor enabled only.

Paul

If you look at the performance tab of the task manager (right click on the task bar and select task manager), you should see two charts under CPU Usage History if the two processors are active.

"dual-core" ! = "dual-processor"

Techbuilder.org and PCStat.com say that XP Home is not SMP-capable and will not make use of the second processor. U need to use a Pro then.

http://www.techbuilder.org/recipes/169500107

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1797

What did Dell tell you about it? U appear to have spent more on the hardware. I would try to ask them for a free Pro upgrade if I were u.

---

@sparkenh wrote:
What did Dell tell you about it? U appear to have spent more on the hardware. I would try to ask them for a free Pro upgrade if I were u.

---

Dell didn't tell me a thing. This is the way the system was configured. There was an option to upgrade to Pro but the system was spec'd with Home and there was no notice or warning about this issue.

Paul