Win 2K backup CD-ROM will not allow boot from CD

Is there any reason why I cannot boot from a backup copy of the the Win 2k Pro CD-ROM? I posted a previous thread here entitled "Win 2K on Sony Vaio Laptop: Keyboard stopped working - can't login" and had to stop trying to fix that problem until I got a backup copy of my installation CD-ROM which was in storage. I now have a copy of the Windows 2000 Pro CD-ROM but it will not boot from the CD (I tried with a Win XP Pro CD-ROM and the the laptop booted to it).
Any specific file that MUST be in the CD-ROM to boot from it? Or how can I create a bootable Windows 2000 Pro CD-ROM?
Thanks!

 

Would probably less work to just create the boot floppies and start install from there.

 

I guess you're right. I had tried that and since I did not have extra floppies, I created each one and copied into an folder in another PC, reformating the floppy each time it asked me for another. When I copied each one back to the floppy, it did not work, but I re-did the creating the bootable disks and used each freshly created floppy to reboot. I weas trying to get around with doing it all with one single floppy disk.
Problem solved.
Thanks!

 

Get into BIOS at the beginning of boot-up by holding down F2. Slide over to BOOT UP, and change the priority of the boot up drives so that your CD drive is first.

 

My BIOS is set to boot from CD then Floppy then HD by default. I was able to boot the Windows XP Pro CD-ROM but not the Windows 2K Pro CD. I created the 4 bootable Win 2K disks and now will attempt to fix that installation. Hope it'll work!
Thanks!

 

Calves,
There are several files that the back up doesn't take to make the cd bootable. This was set by Microsoft Engineers as default. Without getting onto details you may want to see this site I am posting below. It is way away from what you are reffering but the logic is the same. If you want to build a bootable cd backup this is the right site for you.
Hope that helps!
http://www.bink.nu/Bootcd/

 

Thanks for the link! Very useful!
Here is where I stand now: I created the 4 Win 2K bootable disks - booted laptop and did a repair installation of the OS. The original problem of "Win 2K on Sony Vaio Laptop: Keyboard stoped working - can't login" I previously posted, was not solved. The keyboard is still disabled.
However, in one trial, I selected the command prompt repair option. I was taken into the WINNT directory and could "nose around" to see the registry via the TYPE command as in TYPE NTUSER.DAT as well as other files. Some files and or directories however, gave me a message of "Access Denied ".
Finally, back to my original posting question: HOW DO I EDIT THE REGISTRY ENTRY SO I CAN CLEAR THE LOGIN PASSWORD TO A BLANK ONE? The mouse works and if I do not need to have a password to login, I would be able to navigate through Windows by logging in with a click on the OK button and then fix the mess I created by disabling the laptop keyboard in the Accessibility options!
Thanks!

 

Calves,
Try: http://www.win2000mag.net/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=24862&pg=1&show=568
and if it doesn't work try:
http://www.lostpassword.com/windows-xp-2000-nt.htm

We have never had to deal with a lost password on Windows 2000 other than on our own machines. At that time we had only SP1 installed and the user of a linux boot-disk would allow us to change the password. We also learned a valuable lesson to keep the passwords on a tight place (not that it will help now, but it works for our environment). With SP3 for W2K the linux fix disk doesn't work and if you have logical drive in effect the floppy won't even recognize the hard drive.
Hope that helps!