Pre installation advice

[TLL 0]

Well, my 2000 has arrived and I think I'm ready to take the plunge.

 

Just thought I would ask if you reckon there is anything I need to do or know before I go ahead with it.

 

My system is:

 

Duron 800

Asus A7V

2x128 PC133 Crucial Cas2 (soon to be 512)

Maxtor 30Gig, 7200, UDMA66

Pioneer 16x40x DVD

Plextor 8x8432 Rewriter

(All above running from Promise 100)

Diamond V770 Ultra TNT 2

Hollywood+

SB Live 1024

Creative h/w 56k

 

I currently am running Windows Me with my drive partitioned so that C: is 10 gig and D: is 19 Gig. On D: I keep all my mp3's, documents, downloaded files, email etc.

Both partitions are FAT32.

 

So, my plan is to format C: and install W2K.

 

Couple of questions, considering I have never used 2K before.

 

At what stage and how do I use NTFS, and will I be better off using this on both partitions or just C:.

 

Partition Magic that I used to partition was version 4 and I don't have 6 yet. Will I need this to change the file system or will 2K let me do this?

 

Will I have any problems with any of the hardware?

 

Should I take my cards out at first, install 2K then add them one by one?

 

Does 2K have as good driver support as Me?

 

Any pointers that will help me out, all help appreciated.

 

TIA

 

Mark

[Damien 0]

Hardware config sounds fine for Win2K. You don't need to use partition magic to convert to NTFS as Win2K includes a conversion utility as standard, and yes it is much better to upgrade the whole disk to this system (as long as you intend to use Win2K for ever - because once you convert to NTFS - it is quite difficult to go back - this is where partition magic would come in handy!!) as performance is higher, and in the event of a data catastrophy, you will be better able to restore your system.

 

No you don't need to take any cards out to install Win2K

 

And No Win2K unfortunately does not have the same driver support as WinME, but driver support is growing all the time - from the look of your hardware, you shouldn't bump into any problems. Furthermore, most new hardware comes with Win2k drivers. The only thing you may need to check is the modem, as Creative can be very bad when it comes to Win2K suopport for their products.

 

Good Luck!!!

[Brian Frank 0]

Ive got the A7V and heres my advice: If things start going nuts so you cant get into windows reset BIOS to the defaults. Also if your gonna use the ATA100 controllers, copy all the files to a floppy disk off the ASUS CD for the controllers and push F6 when its setting up in the beginning. Win2k will ask you for the manufacturers drivers and then you wont have to fiddle around with setting it up later. You can just use the regular ATA66 controllers and then intall the ATA100 drivers later and then hook up your hard drive to that controller.

 

I hate ME. It sux hard so when i found out Win2k could run all my games and apps, i dumped ME. ME is the worst Windows ever. Hopefully you can take off Movie Maker with Whistler...Win2K rules.

 

Just move anything importat over to D: if you're just gonna format C:. If not use that MaxBlast utility you got with your Maxtor (you do have that still dont you) and make your partitions but have Win98 startup disk, not an ME one you can only set FAT16 partitions so youd have 15 partitions. Then you can format your drive to NTFS or leave it as FAT32 (i did but its a personal preference). IF your gonna format the whole drive use the MaxBlast. I dont think you can convert FAT32 to NTFS without reformatting the drive, but dont quote me on this one.

 

Good luck TLL

[ThC 129 0]

your system looks fine man. As people have said yes use NTFS its better in the long run for a 2k install. The creative modem should work find because my friend has a modemblaster ISA and it works in 2k and it even HAD drivers on the CD!!

 

Other than that i don't think there is anything else i can think of. Good luck in 2k.