Floppy or CD
Setup
This is the method of setting
up Windows 2000 that I highly recommend... In fact,
it's more like an updated version of the NT 4.0 install process.
It's also the more traditional approach for installing most
operating systems. And it's easy to do. Just insert the
Windows2000 CD or first Windows2000 floppy disk, then start or
restart your PC. There are four setup floppies, so have
them all available.
If you're using floppies, you
may be instructed to switch disks by the system at any point
during this setup, so stick around and have all the disks handy.
Once you boot the system, the
first thing you should see is the prompt "Setup is
inspecting your computer's hardware configuration." This
part should take a few moments, so be patient.
First BIG
issue that might arise:
Well, you knew this could not be
all that easy... and you have heard of problems... so
let's address the first one that can arise, as this is the point
where you will see it:
The Blue Screen of Death
because of the "INACCESSIBLE BOOT
DEVICE." This happens if the hard drive or drives in
your system are using a controller that isn't present on the
boot floppies or the CD-ROM.
To get around this, first
determine the exact make and model of the disk controller being
used to boot your system. This often happens with some less
common SCSI controllers or RAID adapters, but it can also happen
with "generic" ATAPI/IDE controllers. If you believe
it's just the generic ATAPI/IDE two-channel disk controller that
comes bundled with most PCs, you could be wrong; many of those
aren't generic at all, but require special manufacturer-written
drivers. Several of the Compaq systems, for instance, do this.
Check the Web support site for your make and model of PC or
motherboard and find appropriate Win2000 drivers for the
controller in your system. If there aren't any, you may want to
see if a Windows NT 4.0 driver will work, but it may not always
work.
Another reason for the INACCESSIBLE
BOOT DEVICE error is tied to booting from the CD-ROM.
Some systems that fail this way work fine if you boot from
floppies. Yet another argument for building and keeping a set of
Win2000 boot disks.
If all has gone well...
the screen turns blue and you will see: Windows 2000 Setup.
You are ready to move to the next step:
Next:
Windows 2000 Setup
Back to Windows200
Install Guide
