Systems using Advanced Micro Devices Inc’s K6-2 processor have revealed a problem with Microsoft Corp’s Windows 95. Chips running at speeds above 350MHz may report error messages on start-up, and will need to be re-booted. Compaq Computer Corp recently launched systems using 400MHz versions of the chip, although most, of course, will be running Windows 98, on which the problem doesn’t occur. AMD, which says it has known about the problem for the last three months, claims that it is an incompatibility rather than a bug in the processor, and blames the problem on a software timing loop within the operating system. Intel Corp is not so sure: it says it has had no reports of the problem, since it began shipping 350MHz and 400MHz chips in April. Nor has it seen instances on the 450MHz chips it introduced in August. It is currently unclear whether the bug will show up on faster clock speed processors from other ix86 compatible vendors. There are two fixes: upgrade the operating system to Windows 98, or go to Microsoft for a patch. AMD says it is still talking to Microsoft about how the incompatibility might be resolved.
