Inventors:
Robin T. Tran - Houston TX
Michael R. Durham - Houston TX
Mark A. Piwonka - Tomball TX
Assignee:
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Houston TX
International Classification:
G06F 13372
US Classification:
710 60, 710 19, 710 58, 710267, 713500, 713501, 713503
Abstract:
The preferred embodiment of the invention has a combination of a detection circuit and executable software. The detection circuit is capable of detecting the removal and replacement of a computer system microprocessor and latching an indication that the microprocessor has been removed, even if that removal has taken place while the computer system is without power. Having latched an indication that the microprocessor has been removed and replaced, the detection circuit asserts appropriate signals to start the microprocessor in a safe mode. Once operating in a safe mode, an executable program polls the latched indication, and if the indication is that the CPU has been removed and replaced, the software is further adapted to prompt a computer system user for a new host bus to CPU core speed ratio and modify registors to indicate a new value, if necessary, that are subsequently used to start the CPU at the correct operational speed.