Transferring Win2000 to a new computer

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My new HP computer came with Vista Home Premium. I don't like Vista
and I want to install Win2k from my old machine instead. After 6 years
I don't know where my win2k installation CD is, but the CD is copied
to my old hard disk and I do have my serial number. I used the serial
# when I had to reinstall win2k, and when I registered online at
microsoft.com to get "automatic updates".

I copied i386 from my old machine onto a USB flash drive and tried to
install win2k from within Vista. I thought I would dual-boot for a
while, but the boot loaders are conflicting and Vista is not allowing
win2k to install. So I thought I would boot from floppy, fdisk the new
machine and kill off Vista. But my new machine has no floppy drive, so
.. . . my question:

How do I install win2k from my old machine onto the new one?
 
I forgot to add . . .

My old machine has several partitions due to FAT32's 32GB limitation,
etc. I want to create a single NTFS partition. For the
transfer/installation, I tried to create a bootable USB flash drive (a
very interesting idea), but I couldn't do it. I also don't know how to
burn a bootable CD, so I'm kind of stuck for a boot OS. I do know that
after trying out Vista I appreciate win2k's no-frills stability, and
with a dual core processor and 2 gigs of ram it should fly.

Thanks in advance
 
Before you try this, have you checked that your hardware supports win2k ie
are drivers available for win2k on this PC.
You may also find this invalidates any warranty/support.

You are aware that win2k support will end in the not to distant future, ie
critial updates and then you will have to 'learn' vista.
You can alter the Vista interface to the more classic version.
I doubt there will be much real world performance increase.
32gb Fat limitation; so why didnt you convert to NTFS, or why did you
install this way?
IMO As someone who still has win2k pc's, a retrograde step you will probably
live to regret
 
My new HP computer came with Vista Home Premium. I don't like Vista
and I want to install Win2k from my old machine instead. After 6 years
I don't know where my win2k installation CD is, but the CD is copied
to my old hard disk and I do have my serial number. I used the serial
# when I had to reinstall win2k, and when I registered online at
microsoft.com to get "automatic updates".

I copied i386 from my old machine onto a USB flash drive and tried to
install win2k from within Vista. I thought I would dual-boot for a
while, but the boot loaders are conflicting and Vista is not allowing
win2k to install. So I thought I would boot from floppy, fdisk the new
machine and kill off Vista. But my new machine has no floppy drive, so
. . . my question:

How do I install win2k from my old machine onto the new one?
Click to expand...


Easy. Buy a new floppy drive ($10 or less).
 
The good news, I figured out how to boot from a USB flash drive. :)

The bad news, Windows 2000 installation fails on the new HP computer.
The installer copies files, reboots, but blue screens when attempting
to access hard disk. Seems like I need to give win2k a new driver for
the disk controller.

The hardware: HP Pavilion a1730n desktop, motherboard Asus A8M2N-LA

I have to install win2k, I can't get any work done in Vista. Any ideas
where to get disk driver?
 
Found the driver at hp.com, "NVIDIA nForce Serial ATA Controller
Update", the files:

nvata.cat
nvstor32.inf
nvstor32.sys
idecoi.dll

what do I do now?
 
If its a sata controler you would either
1) need to create the floppy disk and use F6 option early in the win2k
installation process to install third party drivers
or
2) create a slipstreamed installation cd of win2k containing the sata
drivers
 
Thank you.

This computer (like most) has no floppy drive, so I couldn't do F6.

But I did slipstream SP4 into the original win2k. I still got a blue
screen at "Starting Windows 2000" after the first boot, "stop:
inaccessible boot device", yuck. The first setup session is in the
Vista command console, so it has basic drivers, but win2k dies when it
boots on its own.

I slipstreamed SP4 using its own command line, but I have no idea how
to slipstream a single SATA driver into the install. Anybody?

Tried Vista for another day, it's scary and it has to go. I'm appalled
by the lack of support from both HP and Microsoft, a brand new machine
dead in the water. Having nothing to lose, I pulled out Red Hat
5-something, the CD is bootable, but I couldn't install that either, I
got stuck early on having no idea what dev1 & dev2 is. Maybe it's time
I should learn.
 
It a standard Asus A8M2N-LA mobo, NVIDIA ForceWare video has fresh
drivers online for both XP and 2000. For the mobo, controller, USB,
etc, NVIDIA nForce 430-410-405-400 also has fresh drivers for Windows
XP and 2000 . . no reason this machine cannot run win2k, it would kick
ass too compared to Vista bloatware. No way I'm gonna buy a new
machine that runs SLOWER than my old one.



.....FAT32 partition size limits, I put up with it because I was dual
booting win98 to test my software.
 
A usb floppy is cheap!

Slipstreaming sp4 will have no affect on the sata controler
If you google for slipstreaming raid drivers you should find some info

Untill you are able to repair your win2k installation & install the raid
drivers during this repair the sata conected hd will be invisible to the win
instalation
 
Seems that the correct solution would be RMAing the box back to HP, no
reason to accept a DOA box.
 
I think you will find from op that PC was supplied with Vista and the op
wished to dump vista & install win2k

So not exactly a DOA, allthough they will likely finish up with an
unsupported sys
 
Yep, poking around on HP site looks like it is a Vista only box. Seems
OP didn't research purchase, although the specs seem ok if one was to
not turn on the eye candy.
 
DL said:
A usb floppy is cheap!
Click to expand...

Raises an interesting question. Is the W2K install willing to input from
a usb device at the F6 stage? (Does it depend on the bios?).

If so, would it accept the driver on a usb flash drive?
 
Good point, may depend on the bios

Sid Elbow said:
Raises an interesting question. Is the W2K install willing to input from a
usb device at the F6 stage? (Does it depend on the bios?).

If so, would it accept the driver on a usb flash drive?
Click to expand...
 
I should work. I recently learned how to create bootable USB flash
drives. They show up as C: ,, you could boot Windows from it …
endless possibilities.

There are a couple of utilities that can write a boot record that
emulates a floppy disk and will boot as A: even as a Zip or LS120
drive (32 sectors and 64 heads). Most new machines BIOS will boot USB
flash drives. I ran Win2k setup from flash and it had no clue it was
running on a stick.

I was disappointed at how slow USB 2.0 flash drives are. It seems they
are faster with sequential read/write but NOT as fast in random
access. Though they work well writing 12mb RAW digital photos.
 
Sid said:
Raises an interesting question. Is the W2K install willing to input from
a usb device at the F6 stage? (Does it depend on the bios?).

If so, would it accept the driver on a usb flash drive?
Click to expand...

You *must* use a floppy diskette for driver installation using the F6
method. The setup program will not accept the drivers from any other
media source. You can use a USB floppy drive but not all USB floppy
drives are compatible with the setup program.

John
 
I researched, it was only $450 after rebate, and a very handsome
put0r. Aluminum/sliver gray combo, the only HP model that isn't black,
no black appliances for me! And like you said, a Vista box, but not
for long :) They should all come preloaded with several OSes and
the owner can boot his choice or even try them all out.
 
If you want to slipstream your SATA drivers, I think I saw an option
in the nLite slipstream program, when I was slipstreaming SP4 onto a
new 2000 disc. Umm... for the floppy issue, I would probably recommend
buying an IDE floppy drive, but you HAVE to make sure that you have
IDE floppy support (well, I guess you cvould get around that for a
little extra cash, by buying a PCI to IDE card, but, it's not worth
it). I am assuming that the system has no issues revolving around
hardware when I say the above info.
 
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