Can an Intel core 2 duo E6550 @2.33GHz run Windows 8/8.1?

[DElli6]

My old core 2 duo tower ran Windows 8 release preview and its earlier previews no problem.

But when I try to install Windows 8 Professional upgrade I get an error which says "nx" is not found?

Is PAE, NX, SSE2 available for the core 2 duo E6550?

Foxconn 45cmx/45gmx/45cmx-k

Phoenix Tech. bios LTD6.00 PG dated 08/21/2007

Or is the processor simply too old?

[Kevin_M_Intel]

Hello console5b,

This processor is compatible with the 3 & 4 Express Chipset series. The compatibility with the operating system is not related to the processor but the chipset and I am afraid to say that at this point these chipsets support up to Windows* 7 only.

[DElli6]

Thank you Kevin for your time. I appreciate that and your clarification of the cause.

[glussier]

Intel call the nx bit XD bit. Even some P4 and all 64bit P4s and their chipset had support for the XD flag. In my bios, Asus p5q-e, it's called "Execute disable flag". Check your computer's bios and see if Foxconn has included that option in your motherboard's bios..

Ok, I've just check your motherboard's manual, and the option is there.

Restart your computer, go in the bios Advanced BIOS Features / CPU Feature and make sure "Execute Disable Bit" is set to Enabled.

[DElli6]

You are quite correct Gilles, the feature "Execute Disable Bit" which says " When disabled forces XD feature flag to always return 0" is present and is already set to Enabled.

However when I attempted to use an upgrade from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 8 Pro keeping all my files, settings and programs; the upgrade ran all the way to I thought completion then restarted and would not boot into either Windows 7 or 8. It even could not find my EHD with my system image. So it has taken a while to rebuild it.

[glussier]

I never tried the upgrade. But, if you do run the Windows 8 upgrade over Windows 7, and the upgrade, for some reason, does'nt work you'll lose your Windows 7 installation.

You know that you can do a full install, even if you got the upgrade version, right? In my opinion, it is better a clean install of the o/s and an installation of all the apps that you need. Usually there is less chance of a problem than the is with an upgrade. Of course, we have to make sure that all of our data is backed-up somewhere.

Good Luck,

Gilles Lussier

[DElli6]

Thanks; I'm in the process of purchasing a new pc, so I will try the clean install one more time. If it works, then OK; if not it's for recycling. I did eventually retrieve the system image from my EHD, so it ended well.

Message was edited by: David Elliott

[SShah26]

yes you can run windows 8 on above

[SShah26]

yes its much better that you fresh install windows 8

[DElli6]

Gilles, Windows 8 upgrade assistant says,

Your processor doesn't have NX turned on or might not support NX.

Setup will attempt to turn on NX during installation. If

your processor doesn't support NX, the installation will be cancelled and your PC will roll back to the current OS.

Perhaps in hindsight I should have checked this first? Perhaps it is simply the fact that Microsoft [Windows] does not recognise that XD [NX] is set to enable in the Foxconn bios? Not that it is not present just it does not see it?

Whatever at the end of the installation it apparently attempted to "roll" back but failed. QED!

[glussier]

Sure looks like the installer doesn't recognized the XD flag.

[DElli6]

OK, this is in reply to Gilles, Zamindar and all those who replied that the above processor and chipset ARE compatible with Windows 8.

Here I have to grovel and profusely apologise when I stated that the above processor is NOT compatible with Windows 8.

After purchasing a new pc I attempted a clean install of Windows 8 instead of an inplace upgrade keeping my settings, files, etc.

It worked perfectly.

So for those of you who stuck to their guns and said it would, I applaud you and to those who said it would not - sorry, it did!

Sorry!

DE.

[glussier]

You don't have to be sorry of anything. Thanks for coming back and telling everybody that it, in fact, does work. This might help somebody else in the future.