Installing Win2000 over XP - Help

[LEEnoble]

Hi,

 

I have acquired a Compaq Evo N400c subnote laptop which is running Windows XP Professional. As being a subnote laptop it does not have a CD-ROM or Floppy Disk drive. I want to install and run Windows 2000 Professional but with having no CD-ROM drive I can't just boot from the CD, format and install as usual. The only way I can install Windows 2000 is to copy the setup files off the CD and onto a USB Flash Drive and try and install from within Windows XP, but when I try and run the install I just get the message saying that the current installed version of Windows is newer than the one I'm trying to install and will not let me continue with the install.

 

Is there any way round this at all? I really want to get Windows 2000 running on this laptop.

 

I know there is a drive bay compartment available for the N400c that clips onto the bottom on the laptop to add CD-ROM functionality but I don't want to spend money on getting one of these as this will be the only time it would get used.

 

Also the N400c does not have the option of USB boot from within the BIOS so can't boot from a USB drive either.

 

I will appreciate any imput on this situation.

 

Thanks

[CTskifreak]

That's hard to do without a cd drive. Do you want to dual boot, or eliminate XP? You can always reformat from the BIOS, or if you really want to wipe the drive, use Active@KillDisk to totally clean it.

 

The thing is, once you clean it out, I don't know how to get the Windows 2000 files the PC. Is there a way you could make a partition and install it on there?

 

AJ

[LEEnoble]

That's hard to do without a cd drive. Do you want to dual boot, or eliminate XP? You can always reformat from the BIOS, or if you really want to wipe the drive, use Active@KillDisk to totally clean it.

 

The thing is, once you clean it out, I don't know how to get the Windows 2000 files the PC. Is there a way you could make a partition and install it on there?

 

AJ

 

I want to eliminate XP and use Windows 2000 as the OS. Formatting without installing Windows 2000 is not really the option I was looking for and if I made a partition the only way to install will be via XP where I will get the message saying I can't continue as XP is newer than Windows 2000.

 

Thanks

[hotdoge3]

You can not up date down update is up so to up date to 2000 need to be less like 95, 98, ME, or no system, way do it? it be big job?is not 2000&XP all most the same like 98 & 98SE ? no cd may be fit harddrive in temp PC then set up & take back

[Humpty]

Just thinking out loud here about how I would go about it if I was in your situation.

 

Let's see?

 

Partition the drive so I have "D" to install into.

 

Download a virtual cd rom emulator and a Windows 2000 iso.

 

If the iso boots from within the virtual cd rom point the install to "D".If not then unpack the iso and use the setup.exe.

 

All "big ifs" here and if the install is successfull then will probably have to modify the boot.ini to boot from D or will bios automatically ask which system I would like to boot from?

 

OK, let's say we've booted Win 2000 from D but we want it on C and we want to get rid of XP then we could maybe use an imaging app to image D to C which will overwrite XP and now we're booting Win 2000 from C (maybe)

 

All the above is speculation and I probably wouldn't attempt it but it was sorta fun thinking about it.

 

But you never know as I have a few spare hard drives I just may give a go one day.

 

And if I really wanted Win 2000 even without getting rid of XP then I would use MS virtual PC and a virtual hard drive with this depending on being able to download an iso of course.

[Andavari]

Download a virtual cd rom emulator and a Windows 2000 iso.

I'm shocked.

Maybe I read that wrong?

[LEEnoble]

I'm shocked.

Maybe I read that wrong?

 

I do have a legal copy of Windows 2000 which I could make into an iso file

[hotdoge3]

Just thinking out loud here about how I would go about it if I was in your situation.

 

Let's see?

 

Partition the drive so I have "D" to install into.

 

Download a virtual cd rom emulator and a Windows 2000 iso.

 

If the iso boots from within the virtual cd rom point the install to "D".If not then unpack the iso and use the setup.exe.

 

All "big ifs" here and if the install is successfull then will probably have to modify the boot.ini to boot from D or will bios automatically ask which system I would like to boot from?

 

OK, let's say we've booted Win 2000 from D but we want it on C and we want to get rid of XP then we could maybe use an imaging app to image D to C which will overwrite XP and now we're booting Win 2000 from C (maybe)

 

All the above is speculation and I probably wouldn't attempt it but it was sorta fun thinking about it.

 

But you never know as I have a few spare hard drives I just may give a go one day.

 

And if I really wanted Win 2000 even without getting rid of XP then I would use MS virtual PC and a virtual hard drive with this depending on being able to download an iso of course.

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look out for the FBI in down load 2000 iso but can make 2000 iso from old ok

[krit86lr]

Hi,

 

I have acquired a Compaq Evo N400c subnote laptop which is running Windows XP Professional. As being a subnote laptop it does not have a CD-ROM or Floppy Disk drive. I want to install and run Windows 2000 Professional but with having no CD-ROM drive I can't just boot from the CD, format and install as usual. The only way I can install Windows 2000 is to copy the setup files off the CD and onto a USB Flash Drive and try and install from within Windows XP, but when I try and run the install I just get the message saying that the current installed version of Windows is newer than the one I'm trying to install and will not let me continue with the install.

 

Is there any way round this at all? I really want to get Windows 2000 running on this laptop.

 

I know there is a drive bay compartment available for the N400c that clips onto the bottom on the laptop to add CD-ROM functionality but I don't want to spend money on getting one of these as this will be the only time it would get used.

 

Also the N400c does not have the option of USB boot from within the BIOS so can't boot from a USB drive either.

 

I will appreciate any imput on this situation.

 

Thanks

You could check this out. http://forums.ferra.ru/index.php?act=Attac...e=post&id=2

 

But in my opinion it would make more sense to spend the money to add CD-ROM functionality, you'll more than likely need it again. Or, you can use it once then sell it on ebay (or return it to store...shhhh...I didn't say that).