Article ID: 103933
Article Last Modified on 10/31/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.1
- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1
This article was previously published under Q103933
On some computers with older versions of the Intel 486 processor, Windows NT may use a different version of the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL); it may use HAL486C.DLL instead of HAL.DLL.
Intel identifies different versions of their processors with a letter designating the Stepping. The latest Stepping version of the 486 is D. If the Intel 486 processor with the C Stepping uses the standard HAL.DLL, there may be periodic system failures.
The correct HAL should be used based on the type of 486 processor installed in a computer. Setup installs HAL486C.DLL by default if it cannot confirm that the processor is a 486 with D or later Stepping.
In Windows NT, it is possible to determine the Steppings of a processor by doing the following:
- From the File menu in Program Manager, choose Run, and then select WINMSD.EXE.
- In Windows NT Diagnostics, choose Hardware, and then choose CPU Steppings.
The next dialog box identifies the Stepping version of CPU 0, which is the main processor.
Additional query words: prodnt crash
Keywords: kbhardware KB103933
