Quick question - reinstall Windows 2000

  • Thread starter Thread starter Posting2002
  • Start date Start date
P

Posting2002

Hi, I had Windows 2000 on a FAT32 partition (18 Gb), Drive 1 running for the
last 2 years or so.

About 6 months ago I've added a 36 Gb drive (Drive 2) with a single NTFS
partition. The operating system and software were on Drive 1, and I kept
different data on Drive 2, including the swap file. Now both hard drives
are ~80% full.

Now!!! Since about 1 week ago my computer has started to misbehave, and
crash with BSODs which indicate heavy file corruption, registry problems (I
had to recover the registry from an earlier setup), and so on. I think it's
time to reinstall all Windows 2000.

The problem I'm having and need your advice on:

- Drive 2 is faster than Drive 1, should I interchange them so applications
rest on the faster one and the data as well as swap file rest on the
slightly slower one?

and, more important:

- how can I do this without doing massive backups and formatting both
drives??? I plan to move stuff around between the two of them and probably
will have 15-20 Gb of data which I want to keep and later use (documents,
family pictures, etc.). Is this possible?

I fear that if I just swap the drives and try to reinstall Windows 2000
either it will format my data, OR I won't be able to see it after this!!!

THANKS!!!
 
and, more important:
- how can I do this without doing massive backups and formatting both
drives??? I plan to move stuff around between the two of them and probably
will have 15-20 Gb of data which I want to keep and later use (documents,
family pictures, etc.). Is this possible?

I fear that if I just swap the drives and try to reinstall Windows 2000
either it will format my data, OR I won't be able to see it after this!!!
Click to expand...

No, you definitely won't see the data on HD2 after installation if your HD2
has only one partition.

For your first question, yes, or no.
No, suppose your HD has 20% free, that is 3 GB, how can you transfer 15 BG
data there just by copy with windows explorer file managing function?
Yes, if use some backup tools, like Acronis or Norton ghost, are used, which
backup data with compression, and write them in one or more image files, it
allows you to split the image files into certain fixed size to fit the size
of CD disc, or on Hard drive if you can free enough space on your HD1. The
compression is roughly half size. Acronis cost $49, Norton cost $69.

Good luck.

Vince
 
Got another idea:
If the backup does not concern an intact bootable OS, the task is simpler.
You don't need pay for Acronis or Norton Ghost. Instead, you can use some
archive tools like WinZip, WinRAR, ArjFolder (ICEOWS), simply choose those
files or folders you want to keep, compress them with the highest ratio you
can get from the program, save the much smaller archive files on your HD1.
Still, you have to free enough space on your HD1. You can delete most
program files there, just leave a functional windows and necessary programs.
You will need restore the archives with one of those tools afterwards.
WinZip, WinRAR are shareware, I am not sure if the demo version allow you do
all of the job. ICEOWS is a freeware, very nice, the newest version 4.2b can
be download from http://www.iceows.com/.

good luck.

Vince
 
Sorry: always find some neglected issue after sending.

The answer for data on HD2 is not accurate. If you choose keep original
format during win2k installation, all the data will be left there untouched,
unless you choose delete, repartition or format. The Win2k will be installed
into "Winnt" folder, plus a "programs folder" and "documment and settings"
folder on your HD2. the drawback is you still have a 36 GB partition as a
whole, it is not a problem for NTFS, but it makes system backup difficult
like what you faced now. If I were you, I would take some trouble now to
re-partition the 36 GB disk for the convenience of future.

Another two important tricks:
1. If the two HDs are on the same IDE cable, set your system HD as master.
Whether they are on two separate IDE channels or on the same cable, set
your current HD2 as boot HD from BIOS setup, this drive then will have a
label of 128 (0x80). Otherwise, even if you can install win2k on it, you
will not be able to boot from it.
2. Whether it is slave or master, be sure the FAT32 partition on your 18 GB
HD is not recognized as C: by win2k installer. If it is, quite the
installation, shutdown pc, disconnect power from the 18 GB HD and reboot and
install. If you failed to do so, the C on your 18 GB HD will be used as boot
partition although Win2k itself is installed on 36 GB HD as you instructed.
The trick is: some bootstrap files will be installed on the C: as default by
win2k installer, in this way, your two HD is tightly linked together for
windows booting. That is what you would not like to see.
Hope this is the last answer for you.

Good luck

Vince.
 
Back
Top