[SOLVED] Installing Windows 2000

[ralfi_germany]

Hi everybody,

I want to install win2000 from usb (pls, no comments on win2000 in general. I know already). Unfortunately it does not work. To create the usb boot stick I use a PC with XP installed, tried different sticks and card readers (most of them are actually bootable :-) ). Tried different settings also.

The most common error messages amongst others are:

Stick formatted NTFS, fixed disk and "XP bootable (ntldr)" as suggested by winsetupfromusb.

The first error message I usually get "Your source doesn't appear to be XP...". Of course not, I want to install win2000!!!

When I ignore this, the next error will be “Line -1: Error: subscript used with non-Array variable”. That's it.

I assume that I have to select something other than "XP bootable", right? When I select my win2000 source, it is displayed correctly "Windows will be installed in \WINNT" but the suggestion ist still "boot as HDD and XP bootable". Not correct, isn't?

Tried everything else the net has to offer, even unetbootin. That has brought me farthest: I was able to start a DOS installation with WINNT.exe. Didn't finish installation though.

any help appreciated

R.

[jaclaz]

I splitted the topic from the main thread about WinsetupfromUSB.

Which version of the WinsetupfromUSB are you trying to use?

If any of the "Beta" versions, try an older 0.2.3:

http://www.datafilehost.com/download-dfc48473.html

http://www.mediafire.com/?igwzq2qnn22

jaclaz

[ralfi_germany]

Using winsetupfromusb 0.2.3 now.

Right at the moment I am trying the DOS solution according to http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=60028

But still interested how it works with winsetupfromusb!!!

[jaclaz]

There are some limits, using WINNT.EXE through DOS.

Here is a related thread (in case you need it), the method is considered "old" and "outdated", but if it works for you, it's allight. :

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713

Remember running SMARTDRIVE or it will take ages.

This has been specifically tested for 2000:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=139737

jaclaz

P.S.:

(pls, no comments on win2000 in general. I know already)

JFYI :

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...40818&st=21

Edited February 5, 2010 by jaclaz

[ilko_t]

Using winsetupfromusb 0.2.3 now.

Try 1.0 beta4, should work fine with 2000. If you get any errors while preparing the USB disk please zip and attach winsetupfromusb.log file found in program directory.

[ralfi_germany]

Good Morning everyone,

10 days later I have not finally come to success. This is partly the fault of Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo E5600 computer that let me not install or use anything with a drive letter above D: due to a crippled BIOS with no update available (the German "Arbeitsamt" released I guess about 170.000 of these with "special BIOS" into the wild; buy one only if you never want to change configuration). Esprimo e5600 dumped.

Then I bought a HP DC7100sff and that worked as it was supposed to from the first second.

But, I still struggle with installation.

I won't tell all the funny things, software and options I tried, but by now I am kind of fed up with everything. I know now a lot about winsetupfromusb, unetbootin, the HP USB tool, nlite...

Even installations from DOS did not work because for some odd reason the USB key is always recognised as C:, and obviously installation via winnt.exe only can be done on drive C:

Today my occupation will be to try to make two partitions on a CF card, install a Bart PE XP on the second partition. Maybe I could even use plop bootmanager? Then put the card as IDE drive into the destination PC, boot XP and install win2000 from second to first partition (setup.exe).

The reason for this would be:

- I have a kind of recovery media for later use...

- I can also use the thing on my old sony vaio n505 notebook that has no CD and cannot boot from USB

- I plan to setup a raid1 PC (win2k) that boots from CF Card and has 2 SATA RAID1 (mirror) drives for data storage.

Do you think that will work?

I will try and report later.

[jaclaz]

Even installations from DOS did not work because for some odd reason the USB key is always recognised as C:, and obviously installation via winnt.exe only can be done on drive C:

Have you actually READ the suggested "old" method?

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713

jaclaz

[ralfi_germany]

Even installations from DOS did not work because for some odd reason the USB key is always recognised as C:, and obviously installation via winnt.exe only can be done on drive C:

Have you actually READ the suggested "old" method?

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=16713

jaclaz

Yes, of course. After I had some problems with the DOS versions (the 23cc- Link in your post is dead/ domain for sale, tried freedos.org; there I had to pick the files from ISO inside ISO inside ISO...). I had several messages like "wrong DOS version" and so on. When DOS and I finally got familiar with each other, there was another neat error after starting setup: "Setup was unable to create the following directory on the target drive: c:\$winnt$.~LS....."

Ok, googled that. Microsoft suggests a hardware defect or that the used directory names are too long. Both not the case. Same result when trying to install from D: to C: (both drives DOS).

[ralfi_germany]

I forgot to mention my other task: installing via USB stick:

I made a USB stick with bartPE XP. Copied all win2000 installation files on it and bootet the target computer from that stick. When I wanted to start win2000 setup there was a message that I cannot install a "minor" windows version over a new one and that the setup command is not executed. I also cannot use winnt.exe nor winnt32.exe for the known reasons. One cannot select a different drive than the one BartPE is already on, the other produces some other errors I don't even recall (maybe I should write everything down, kinda lost overview)...

[cdob]

I also cannot use winnt.exe nor winnt32.exe for the known reasons. One cannot select a different drive than the one BartPE is already on

Did you use winnt32 /tempdrive switch with the /syspart switch?

[jaclaz]

FreeDOS Fdisk freefdisk:

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/dos/fdisk/

The whole point on which seems like we are misunderstanding each other is that for the DOS way you make the internal hard disk bootable in DOS, and copy to it the Source files (\I386\ directory) and then run from it the Setup.

The USB stick is taken out of the equation very soon, after the files are copied to the internal disk.

The method, though awkward and not "easy" has worked for years, at the time it was very common, on a "normal" machine to have DOS, and, to speed up the installation (and being not nagged to insert CD later if some features were not installed in first instance) to copy from the CD the \I386\ directory on HD and run WINNT.EXE from the HD.

jaclaz

[ralfi_germany]

Thanks for the link!

Well, the DOS way; that is exactly what I do. Now I skip the USB stick completely. On a running computer I format a CF card in a card reader with FAT32, make ist DOS bootable with sys:, copy the i386 directory on it and then stick the CF card to the first IDE of the new computer. Boot. Run WINNT.exe from the i386 directory.

Error message:

setup was unable to create the following directory on the target drive:

C:\$WIN_NT$.~LS\I386\i386\NLDRV\001

wtf???

Well, if nobody has any more idea, I will do what I actually don't want to do: buy a CD drive and install from CD.

Maybe the reason for this is that I'm trying to install an english version?? Could that possibly be?

Seems also odd that there is a i386 directory inside a I386 directory...

[ralfi_germany]

ok, found out the following: borrowed myself another win2000 cd, copied the i386 directory and voila: installation via DOS works (at least it looks like, didn't use smartdrv, is still copying files).

Conclusion: Installation of WIN2000 english via winnt.exe does not work, installation of a german one works perfectly. Can reproduce the errors, tried often enough.

Thanks for all the help! Very comfortable place, this forum.

ralfi_germany ;-)

Edited February 16, 2010 by ralfi_germany

[cdob]

setup was unable to create the following directory on the target drive:

C:\$WIN_NT$.~LS\I386\i386\NLDRV\001

That's a non default directory. This version is edited by someone.

Try a default 2000 SP4 with pre SP5.

The dc7100 SFF use a Intel 915 chipset.

May be set IDE emulation mode in BIOS.

[jaclaz]

Conclusion: Installation of WIN2000 english via winnt.exe does not work, installation of a german one works perfectly.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes

Judge Chamberlain Haller: Mr. Gambini?

Vinny Gambini: Yes, sir?

Judge Chamberlain Haller: That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection.

Vinny Gambini: Thank you, sir.

Judge Chamberlain Haller: Overruled.

Wrong conclusion .

Right conclusion :

I have an original German CD that works perfectly.

I have a non-original English CD that doesn't work.

Again, though I hate to use popularity or statistics as metrics, that method has worked for years with at least (my direct experience):

• English
  
• Spanish
  
• Italian
  
• German
  
• French
  

sources, plus, since noone ever before you protested, probably any other language known to humanity. B)

You have in your hands a "botched" source, case dismissed.

jaclaz