Format & Clean Install Win2K

axel · 2 Sep 2006 at 13:24

Hi,

I am trying re-format my hard drive and do a clean installation of Windows 2000 due to a virus problem and numerous crashes. I have made the four boot disks from the 2K CD, but when I boot from the first floppy it takes me straight into the 2K Setup and starts to copy files. How do first boot to Dos and re-format my drive?

Axel

marc2003 · 2 Sep 2006 at 13:36

why not boot from cd? i assume your pc supports this. you can then format your drive during setup, on the fly so to speak.....

Locrian · 2 Sep 2006 at 13:37

Can you not simply use the format utility of any win95/98/2k/xp etc etc CD

axel · 2 Sep 2006 at 14:12

Hi thanks for the quick repiles.

I believe I can boot from the CD, third option in the BIOS after floppy and hard disk, but I am not sure how to force the boot from CD. There are no options to boot from the CD if I press F8 during startup.

Also there did not appear to be any options to format the disk during the first installation of Win2K. This is the second attempt. The "clean install" option left WIn98 and all my files on the disk!

If I download the format utility to a floppy does this include the start up files to allow me to boot to the A: prompt?

Axel

marc2003 · 2 Sep 2006 at 14:20

you can change the boot order in your bios. set it so that cd is first.

The_KiD · 2 Sep 2006 at 23:46

As above do it in BIOS.

However you can also use a win98 boot disk from www.bootdisk.com

Boot without CD support first, fdisk and format, then you will have to reboot, use CD support this time and go to your CD drive letter and the path d:\i386\winnt.exe and this will allow you to install 2K again.

Enable SmartDrv if it lets you, as this does help with the install.

Trigger · 3 Sep 2006 at 08:31

It should boot from the CD just fine

I've been doing countless installs of windows 2000 advanced server recently and that booted from the CD every time without a problem