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Windows 2000 Professional Upgrade

Windows 2000

Win2000 Boot Choice

On Wed 12/05/01 we will demonstrate a Windows 2000 Installation using a Windows 2000 Retail Upgrade CD License on a clean HD. This system will have an existing O/S on an existing HD. Our Goal: Clean install on new HD and data integrity on existing HD. We can then migrate our data after the O/S installation.

We will require the following software tools:

1.) Previous O/S CD for Upgrade verification (Win95 or above - any Retail or OEM version).

2.) Windows 2000 Upgrade CD.

3.) HD Utilities on Bootable Floppy - Self Booting Floppy. (If setting up factory new HD for FAT32. Maxtor & WDC HD Utilities will FDisk & Quick Format the respective HD. Quick Format means 3 minutes as opposed to 30-45 minutes of 40 Gig HD partitions.)

4.) Win98 Bootable Floppy from prior O/S Installation if available for FAT32 File Format. (Yes, NTFS IS better!)

We will choose FAT's - FAT32 or NTFS. Check Bios Dates for compatibility with Windows 2000. This step may require an additional bootable floppy with the correct Bios Flash file for the upgrade procedure.

Doing a MotherBoard Bios Flash requires knowing 3 things:

1. Brand - MotherBoard (GigaByte)
2. Model - BX2000 or BX2000+
3. Revision Number
4. Knowing your Bios Date & Version Helps!

See: How To Find & Know Your Bios Details

If this were a new system featuring a new Motherboard with a new chipset, we would also need the Motherboard Drivers CD. Chipsets Rule and so do those new drivers! If not available to us, we would download to an existing HD and thus copy those drivers to floppies if required during Windows 2000 installation or immediately after a successful installation. Failure to install chipset drivers for new chipsets could cause  multitude of problems done the line from an inability to access drives on controllers to other erratic behaviors.

We will require the following hardware components:

1. New HD.
2. Possibly new ATA/100 or ATA/133 Controller Card.
3. And Corresponding HD Cable (ATA/133).
4. Philips Screw Driver + Grounding Wrist Strap too!

Hardware: 

Requirements to consider before installing Win2000 Pro Upgrade as of 8-21-01. 

• Processor, MotherBoard & Chipset 
  

• Microsoft HCL: Hardware Compatibility List

  Are your components listed? Have you checked? win2000hcl.txt 

• Windows 2000 Resource Kit: 

  Bios Date - Update (For Older Systems):

  Can you update your Bios to anything in 2000 or are you stuck in 1998? 1999?

• BIOS Compatibility and Windows 2000 -
  

• How Windows 2000 Determines ACPI Compatibility -

Software:

Beyond the O/S, do you critical applications run 'as is' or will they require updates or newer versions if available?

• Windows 2000 Compatibility Updates (Additional Application Support):
  

• Tools and Utilities:
  
• Windows 2000 Technologies -
  
• Glossary of Windows 2000 Services -

• Suggestions for Windows 2000 Pro Workstations:

• Windows 2000 - User State Migration Tool - Resource Kit Tool.