Written By:
Date Posted: September 5, 2001

Pre-Setup

I suggest you check the Microsoft Windows 2000 hardware and software compatibility . Life will be easier if your stuff is Win2k compliant. Also, be sure you meet the minimum system . I suggest formatting your system drive before installation, since it'll make things run smoother. Remember to backup all your personal files. Although we only wipe out the primary partition, you always want to keep your backups up to date.

*Update*: I'm aware using a digital camera sucks ass for a project like this. I've already been directed to VMware @ . If I ever get around to it, perhaps I'll update the pics at a later date.

Formatting is pretty straight forward. Simply type:

.\format c:

If your drive is already formatted, and you don't want to do a "full reformat to erase the previous contents, simply type:

.\format c: /q

This will do a quick format. Either way, you'll get a warning that your data will be wiped out and you can't undo a format. This isn't really true, since there's software available to recover data lost in a format. It's a pain in the ass though, so make sure your stuff is backed up. Uh, ...also notice that I typed ".\format". The "." before the "\" is just how I say that the "." is simply the root directory you're in. This most likely will be a: drive.

The fastest way to install is to copy all the contents of the .\i386 folder onto your hard drive in a directory of your choice. This is the fastest because your hard drive is typically faster than the CD drive. The easiest way to install Windows 2000 is to put the disk in your cdrom drive and let it boot. The CD is bootable, so if your cdrom supports it, it autorun the installer when you boot up. Although it takes longer overall than installing dirctly off the hard drive, you actually skip one step that takes a few minutes to do normally. You'll see later on what I'm talking about. Alternately, another way is to just use a boot disk, since you're already here if you had to reformat. Just make sure you load Smartdrive and cdrom drivers. If you do it this way, after the bootup, navigate to the cdrom drive and type .\cd i386, then .\winnt.exe, or if you already copied the contents to your hard drive, just follow the first steps I outlined already.

*Update*: I just want to point out that the reason for a DOS format is for the "fastest" way of installing Windows 2000. It's faster to install off a hard drive, and we know we can't do that if it isn't already formatted :P

Assuming you typed .\winnt.exe on the hard drive, or on the CD drive, you'll move on to the next step. If you boot up via CD, you'll skip this next part.

Setup - DOS Portion

Setup will display the default Windows files location directory. Leave it at default, since it will assume where you typed .\winnt.exe, it is also where all your Windows 2000 files are. Setup will then copy all the necessary files to your hard drive. This will take anywhere from two to 10 minutes, or longer (!), depending on the speed of your system. When it is done, it will ask you to reboot. Make sure you remove your floppy drive at this point. In case you're wondering, when you reboot, and your CD drive is set to boot, you will be asked to press any key to boot from CD (if the Windows 2000 CD is in the drive. Do NOT press any key, or you'll just delay the installation process.

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