How to change from win2000pro to winXP?

[mulberry]

Hi, I stupidly tried to upgrade from Windows 2000 Pro to Windows XP, before checking that it was actually possible. (I've since checked the ms website which says 'no'.)

Anyway I got as far as putting the XP cd in the drive and getting to the point where it says that upgrading from that operating system is not possible. At that point the Esc and F3 buttons wouldn't work to get me out, so I turned the computer off. Now when I start the pc I get a blue page which gives me the option of using 2000 or XP. It's a quick choice with a default option of taking me to XP, where I'm stuck until I turn it off again. Choosing 2000 gets me the full use of my old system, thankfully.

I'm guessing I have to do a 'clean install' of XP if I want to go ahead, which I do. How on earth do I do that, please? And how would I save my existing files and settings?

Thanks for your help and patience in advance

[TazUk]

Really you want to format the drive so no remanents of 2000 are left but if you do that then you need to backup your data first. If you have a USB Pen Drive then boot into 2000 and copy the files you want to that. If haven't got one of those but you have a CD writer then you can burn them to CD. If you have neither of those then just run the install for XP again but make sure you tell it to install to an existing partition and not to format it

A clean install will require the re-installation of your applications as well

[davey6]

your best bet for a stable system is to forget about your settings under windows 2k.
your files i would burn to a cdrom while your using 2k and keep them safe.

to do a clean install of xp please follow this.
start your pc up and go in to your bios screen.
change the boot order to read boot from cdrom as first device.
put your windows xp disk in your drive.
save those settings and exit your bios.

the computer will now boot from the cdrom.
the install should start , follow what the screen tells you.
when you get to the point where windows ask's where it should set up , choose your partition that has windows 2k on it.
now if you have set 2k up on fat 32 i would change that and format the drive with ntsf file system as xp will thank you for that.

from that point on follow what the screen is telling you and answer any question about your keyboard timescale e.t.c


to save you a bit of time later on and a bit of hair pulling.
while your in windows 2k go in to device manager and note down what your sound card is your video card your modem e.t.c

you may need to find system drivers for windows xp and with that info i can help you as i have my own device driver site.

[mulberry]

Thank you so much for your help. I've been away overnight and now will settle down to fix this.

Have a pen drive so will save as suggested - good idea.

I'm not familiar with some of the terminology like 'bios' or 'fat32' or 'ntsf', but figure that they'll probably become clear during the process. If not, I'll go to the library to ask for more help here

Thanks again!

[mulberry]

Hi. I'm embarrassed that I have no idea what I'm doing, so thank you for being polite!

Well I've installed XP after saving my files. The good news is that my system was already using NTSF. The bad news is that I installed it to the same partition as 2000, which apparently makes the whole thing less stable than if I'd formatted first. But I didn't know how to format it and couldn't figure out the "bios" thing. The CD installation process didn't give me the option of formatting.

Now the system only has 2 gig free and I need 1.5 in order to install photoshop and roughly the same again for itunes.

I haven't activated or registered XP yet and have reverted to 2000 in order to reconnect to the internet (dial-up). I couldn't figure out how to make that work under XP and kept getting an "ERROR 692" message. I couldn't get the computer to find my internal modem and I'd forgotten how exhausting it is to figure out every darn detail when you have no idea what you're doing and nobody handy to guide you through.

Is there any way I can get rid of it all and install XP again? How would I format the drive and can you please explain the 'bios' screen?

Any other handy hints most welcome.

Thank you!

[davey6]

ok you got stuck not a problem.
first off while your in windows 2k go in to device manager and call up what your dail up modem is and please let me know as i may have the xp driver sitting on my site.

second you did ok we all have to learn by our mistakes i am not going to point out what you did wrong i will just list the correct way to help and i hope be less confusing then saying what you did correct and wrong.

right to get in to most bios screens try the following.
when you first switch on your computer it will let out a single bios bleep.
push the delete key up and down a few times it should take you to the bios setup as thats the most common key used.
if you have one of those motherboards that don't use delete key try the above again but use the F2 key or F12
one of those should allow access.
now depending on your bios layout ( you will have to flip over the screens ) you should see the boot order change that to read cdrom first hard drive second floppy third
you can move round the bios screen with the arrow keys and by pushing enter on what you wish to change.

once you have the boot order correct you need to save that setting so push esc and then F10
that will save and exit your bios.

now start the pc on the xp disk.
get to the point of where to set up again.
now just high light the partition being used by windows 2k

follow what the screen tells you about deleteing that partition
it will say to delete the selected partition push d
follow this till you have remove the partition.
you will go back to setup when its done and you will see just one drive listed as new /raw
select that and click next. windows will now ask you how to format that partition
choose full ntsf ( not quick you need a clean drive )

from that point on follow the screen.
it should now install a clean copy of xp on the full size of your hard drive.
xp if i remember needs about 3 gig to fully install with service pack 2

[mulberry]

Hi Davey, thank you so much.

My dial-up modem is Agere Systems PCI Soft Modem and it says somewhere that it is using a unimodem half-duplex audio device (if that makes any sense to you?)

Other info available, which I don't understand myself, included:

ACPI Uniprocessor PC
Sony DVD RW AW-G170A
SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio
Analog Devices, Inc. Device 31, function 5
Disk drivers ST320011A
Display adaptors RAGE 128 PRO GL
USB controllers Intel R 82801BA/BAM USB V.H.C 2442 and 2444

I'm going to follow your instructions shortly, and if there's a xp driver available for the modem then I'm trusting that I can use someone else's computer to download it to a flash drive or something similar. Will let you know how the install goes Thanks again.

LATER: I've tried the instructions and I'm afraid I haven't even found the bios screen yet. The machine doesn't make the bleep any more on startup, so I just pressed one of the suggested keys each time I rebooted.

The f12 takes me to a screen that says something about LAN booting, then the same screen as usual - I get a choice between using XP (home) or 2000 (pro)... or I can press f8 for more options. The f2 and delete keys don't seem to make any difference to the usual start.

Do you have any suggestions?

[mulberry]

Success! I've reached the AMI BIOS screen via using the control and esc keys together! It gives info like bios dated 2001, Intel Pentium 4, ram etc.
It also gives a list of devices.

At the bottom of the page it says Press any key to continue
when i press something it says Scanning for boot record from floppy,
scanning for boot record from cd rom,
then it takes me to the now-familiar black screen with white text saying 'select operating system' (f8 takes me to the 'advanced options menu')

So how do I get from that first BIOS screen to the one that'll let me change the boot order? It's not giving me any clues.

[davey6]

are you sure that is a full windows xp disk and not a upgrade disk
if you paid for this disk just have a look on the box and see what it list's

your modem is not a problem i have a one driver fits all agere modems listed on my site.
http://www.davesdrivers.com/forum/showt ... hp?tid=187

your sound is going to be a problem.
SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio is used by both dell and by asus motherboards i may have to pin down the correct driver for that but lets get xp installed first.

[mulberry]

Hi Davey, it says on the packet that it is for distribution with a new PC. Nowhere does it say that it's only an upgrade. Version 2002 with service pack 2 included. That's about all the info given.

That's good news about the modem - I'll download and save the driver.
Thanks!

[davey6]

thats a oem version of xp not the full retail version none the less it should boot from that cd.

ami bios normal get in to the full bios screen is the delete key so try again.

all else fails and you have about 8 floppy disk you can download the install floppies for windows xp.
you can find them here.
thats really just to get the computer to start up then install xp from the disk.
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

[mulberry]

Wow the things you learn when you're trying something new!

I don't know what oem is but if it's less than the full version then that'll explain why it was a bargain price. I'll buy some new floppies for backup in case I have no more luck with the delete key.

Thanks heaps for your help... I'll be back later for the drivers

LATER: after googling oem and discovering that it's illegal for me to install it (and I'm a compulsively 'good' person who would suffer even if my transgression were never discovered), I'd like to get rid of this XP software from my system. Aaagh.

Note to self duly made regarding cheap software from supposedly legal Aussie outlets... expletives deleted...

So, am I now persevering with the delete key in order to get to bios in order to boot from the 2000 disk that came with my computer? Then do a 'clean install' somehow from there?

[davey6]

sorry my mind is full of junk at the moment as my site was hacked to death yesterday and i can't restore from a backup

oem version can be loaded on a pc it is legal the only problem is somethings it won't install on another system then the one it came shipped with .

try the floppy option thats the kick start files for windows xp it may over ride the oem crappy bit and allow you to install it.

[mulberry]

I'm so sorry to hear about your site being hacked - sounds like a headache!

I'll persevere. Thanks Davey.

[TazUk]