I did it! (I think)

[drdan]

Well, I think I figured out from clues from several sources how to do it. I also realized at some point in this process that the modem and audio driver were not installed either. I had been trying to get the seller to help me with that but he just kept giving me the same brief and unhelpful answers on how to do it. So I spent a couple of hours today figuring out how to get them working BEFORE I attempted a clean install of w2k. I did finally figure it out and got sound and a working modem.

From this site I finally found something in the guide that said that w2k did not use fdisk at all but rather a more involved disc management tool. Then someone(Rick?) mentioned in the thread about "partitions" to put the install CD in BEFORE starting in order to manipulate partitions (including delete). A light bulb came on. That's essentially fdisk, right? I started that way and I think I now have a completely clean install on a 10GB partition with administrator and users set up the way I want them and modem and sound and a clean install of Medisoft with all data restored. If anyone is interested I am going to list how to do this (at least how I did it).

Wipe Hard Drive and Clean Reinstall of Windows 2000 Pro From CD

1. Backup data and any programs you want to save (I made two sets).

2. Make the 4 startup floppies from w2k CD(as precaution).

3. Insert installation CD and shutdown computer

4. Restart computer and when second white on black screen appears it will briefly say "press any key to boot from CDROM". Press any key before that message disappears.

5. Windows 2000 Setup will start. Screens are pretty self explanatory but at some point early on it will show you the current partitions on the drive and give you the option to delete partitions. If you choose delete it will ask you about three different ways if you are sure. Once you delete all the partitions you want you will have the opportunity to create new ones and format them to FAT, FAT32 or NTFS. Follow the rest of installation instructions just as for new blank hard drive.

6. Install any drivers that you need that w2k did not automatically install. You need to log on as administrator, select "add/remove hardware" and select "add/troubleshoot". When it does not find any new plug and play it will give you a list to select from and usually has a yellow question mark over the devices with no drivers. Select and try to run that device and it will eventually give you the option to search for driver on CD or floppy. Insert driver on CD or floppy and click search and it will find and install it for you if you keep clicking.

7. Reinstall any programs and data you want.

I wish I had a list like this several days ago.

[tjaymadison]

These should help: http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Windows 2000 Professional Documentation Overview www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/ (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/)

Windows 2000 Home Page www.microsoft.com/windows2000/professional/default.asp (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/professional/default.asp)

How to Install Windows 2000 or Upgrade from Windows 95 or 98 http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q254/3/83.ASP

Getting started with Windows 2000 www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/w2kinst1.html (http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/w2kinst1.html)

Speed up Windows 2000 www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/win2kserv1.html (http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/win2kserv1.html)


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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)
-- (Question: 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?')

"Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[drdan]

The "(I think)" part of the topic line has to do with my remaining question. Is the deleting of partitions in this setup the same as fdisk? Should it give me a completely clean slate? I read somewhere in this guide that reformatting without fdisk is not a true reformat at all. I want to know if this was the equivalent of fdisk.

Thanks tjay, these may be helpful sites if I have further problems. None of them, however, (or MKB) answers the basic question I just asked. This is pretty annoying since it doesn't seem like a hard or off the wall question to me. I guess w2k does not need wiping and reinstalling very often. Maybe they figure if a person is reinstalling to begin with, basic info like this is already known. All I really needed was the info to start computer with CD in tray, select to boot from CD, that deleting all partitions is the same as fdisk (if true), and then a clean install could immediately proceed from the CD.

[krayzie]

If you delete any partitions through the w2k setup it is the same as fdisking it. Then you'll format a partition. Once windows is installed then you'll format any other partitions.

So you'll be fdisking your existing drive ( through w2k setup ).
Formatting the primary partition.
Formatting any other partitions.

Yes you will have a 'clean' drive, it will become clean by its self through the w2k install, as long as you delete any and all existing partitions during the setup.

I've done about 20-30 w2k installs within the last month and a half. Just a blast watching the install.

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"MS-DOS, the only Microsoft OS that doesn't crash, or have bugs. Maybe they should have someone else write Operating Systems for them again."

There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.

[This message has been edited by krayzie (edited 07-09-2001).]

[drdan]

Thanks krayzie, Microsoft support got back to me finally last night and gave me partial instructions for fdisking from a DOS/Win9x boot disk, with no instructions on how to make a boot disk (especially bad considering I had no DOS/Win9x available). I emailed back that I had already done it using the w2k CD. He replied back confirming that it was the same thing as fdisk and that he only suggested fdisk because he assumed I'd be familiar with it. He didn't say that it didn't occur to him to use the w2k install CD but it was kind of implied. I think I must be unusual trying to do this stuff with little or no experience with previous windows versions. From this support incident and searching the MKB I think most microsoft techs are thinking in Win9x terms even when dealing with w2k (and soon XP?). Thanks for the help everybody. I'll give it a rest for a day or two and then start on the Win ME problems I have on my computer at home - HA!