Win2000 Installation Help & Tips

Hello,,I know that one of the BEST places to learn about Win2000 is a fine forum like this. I'm about to upgrade from Win98se to W2000. I was told that its much better to do a "Clean Install" of W2000. Can anyone help me find some good sites with info on installing the newer operating system? Any advice, tips or help very much appreaciated.
Thank You,,Paul D

 

Whoever told you to do a clean install was absolutely correct. I have never found O/S upgrades very successful.

The best site (after this one of course) is microsoft, or you could try the nearest cut-price bookshop for MCSE reference material. They are always useful and cheap as they contain worked examples and useful warnings.

In general, the Win2000 install is very straightforward and intuitive. There are a few more steps than Windows 98,(mostly to do with networks)but it is still very easy.

1)If you can, obatin another Hard drive and copy your old OS to it using Ghost or any of the other disc imaging software, most of which is free for FAT32 partitions. This way, if it all fails you can put in the spare and carry on. You can also use it for a secondary hdd and a storage place for drivers and copied files for when windows 2000 is working. You can do this or use a CD Burner, but save all drivers, files, to a cd, plus the following from microsoft: IE 6 (unless you are happy with netscape, opera or whatever) Latest IE 6 update, Latest Windows Media Player (plus security patch). Windows 2000 SP3 (apply this a soon as all the devices are installed)

2) If you have a branded machine such as Compaq or Dell, then you can be fairly sure that everything will be 2000 complaint. If not, look in the Windows 98 Device manager before you start and get a list of all devices, so that you can go to the web sites and download Windows 2000 drivers if you don't have the original discs. Also go to the motherboard manufacturer website. If you don't know who made the motherboard,get the motherboard serial number. This is available at the first BIOS screen in the bottom left of the monitor. It is usually a long serial number and may require several restarts to write it all down. Then go to http://www.wimsbios.com which is the absolute dogs bollocks of motherboard info sites and get all the details from there.

3) Save anything you might want to keep, such as Favourites, game saved files, e-mail settings etc.

4)A Windows 2000 install CD is bootable so you don't need a floppy. If it does not boot, go into BIOS, and under Advanced Settings, change the boot order to boot from CD first.

5) Boot from the CD and let it run though the blue screens. It is at this point that you can recreate partitions, reformat etc. The menus for this are self explanitory and really easy to follow.

6) For file and folder level security, you could use NTFS format, but DOS will not recognise this should you ever need to rescue the machine. Windows 2000 can use FAT32, but you will lose a little security on files and folders if you have more than one user set up on the machine. You can always use FAT32 for now and convert to NTFS later if you need to. I build around 100 machines per year with windows 2000 and always use NTFS. I have never had to recover machines using DOS, as windows 2000 is very stable and has it's own recovery utility, but these are all Compaqs which are very reliable anyway. My home machine is home built, dual boots between 98 and 2000 ,always crashing, and is pretty ****. I may get around to fixing it soon.

7) everything else is similar to windows 98. I am assuming that you are installing to a standalone machine and not to a domain or workgroup, but even this will cause no problems.

8) By default, Windows 2000 installs TCP/IP, something that windows 98 did not I believe

9) That is about it I think. The interface is the same as 98 and it is generally safe to select defaults for everything, unless you don't live in the USA, ( I don.t so I have to change the keyboard layout to English-British). There are some useful extra utilites in the control panel, such as "Admin tools" for doing various tasks like Disc admin (creating new partitions and formating), Event viewer, (essential for troubleshooting) and other stuff, plus a host of hidden command line utilities (Why do MS hide all those things?)

If you get any problems, shove in the second hard drive and post back here for more help. This took me ages, so I am off to the pub now. Hope it helps.

 

EXCELLENT !!!

Hey Grunty I hope that you had a "Shot" on me you earned it. This was just above and beyond your duty as a fellow "Poster" I think thats a word This was just so very helpful. I can't thank you enough. I hope that you won't mind me asking more questions because I'm sure that I will. You really gave me quite a bit of help and knowledge.
Thanks a Million Grunty
Paul

 

Thanks for the shot. I had a think about what I said and I have read the spec of your machines on your posting. Keep the IBM for windows 98 or even 95....it will hate 2000. Use the CD-R's for backup but a second HDD for an Image of the orignal machine is still my favourite..even an old 2Gb drive will do.

Post as much as you like. I am always online (except when I am in the pub, asleep or having sex) and everyone else here will help too (with your problem that is, not with me having sex).

 

LOL, I told you this Forum was helpful, but hopefully NOT that helpful
Grunty, yup I'm only going to do the PIII 550Mhz with the W2000 OS. The IBM just not a strong enough machine plus my kids use that PC mostly just for IM , E-mail and web, so 98se will be just fine. Hey I printed up that really great "Post of War & Peace" that you so kindly wrote for me Thats a Keeper. So I hope to do my upgrade of PC this weekend (Clean Install) If I need you I'll be looking in the Pubs for ya
Thanks again Grunty,,Paul