If you have an older AMD CPU based system and you attempt to install or upgrade to  Windows 8.1 you will see a message like:

You can’t install Windows 8.1 because your processor doesn’t support CompareExchange128.

This is true but there are three important points to note:

  1. 32BIT Windows 8.1 will install / upgrade
    1. of course you can NOT upgrade 64Bit Windows 7 or 8 to 32Bit Windows 8.1 but you could perform a fresh install
  2. 32Bit OR 64 Bit Windows 8.0 WILL install / upgrade
  3. APPARENTLY 64Bit Server 2012 R2 WILL install
    1. I have not tested this

The limitation on 64 bit Windows 8.1 applies to AMD Athlon 64 / Opteron 1, 2 or 8 series CPU on Socket 939 754 etc.

🙁

That being said I a THRILLED to get an amazing Alienware MJ-12 8550A running Windows 8.1 with NO extra drivers or utilities.  After the initial boot, I did a Windows update which caught the new drivers for the nVidia Go1400 card and a few other items.  Even the media buttons on the front of the ‘laptop’ plug and played.  It is running perfectly well.  AMAZING for a machine from 2006!


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