Installing w2k after xp

On a laptop, I have a faulty dvd burner which does not recognize bootable cd's or dvd's although it can read them once xp is launched.

With xp already installed, I would like to install a dual boot environment with w2k-sp4. Whenever I click on setup on the w2k cd, I get a rebuttal from Microsoft stating that the OS I want to install is older the installed one.

I copied the cd contents to hard disk and tried from there. Same message.

Is there a parameter I can work on which would suppress this lock Microsoft has put in so that I could run the setup from i386 on hard disk?

 

I assume you tried creating a second partition, and then installing w2000

 

When dual or, multibooting Windows can kick up if an earlier version is attempted to be installed , as a second system -Vista is meaner still.
I use hyperos, and create partitions, then copy the c drive to another partition, then format the original, and install earlier versions, but there is freeware to partition, and clone your system. Look on majorgeeks downloads for them.

 

yes I did

 

I'll try that if there is no other way. I could also copy the partition to an external drive. I use Acronis Disk Director for disk management. I'll have a look at hyperos.

 

Acronis is similar, in many ways to hyperos , so you should be o.k.
I suggest you clone the c: drive to the external hard drive, leave two partitions on the main hard drive, then format the c:drive, and then install 2000 on to the d:drive, then copy cloned drive back onto c:
I am not familiar with Acronis abilities as much as with hyperos, but, I suspect you might not be able to copy back XP to another drive letter, than c:
However, if it will Windows will give less problems with 2000 on c:, and XP on d: if, like hyperos, Acronis will clone to another drive letter, other than c:, then when you copy back, copy to d:, and install 2000 on c:

Let us know how it goes.

 

With hyperos I can disconnect the second drive, and instal another system, on my main hard drive, no problem - I disconnect all devices, other than keyboard and mouse, and install goes easy- as long as the other hard drive is allocated a drive letter higher than the dvd.cd rom drives - C;, D:, E : (DVDDRIVE ) , F: (cd ROM) G:EXTRA/EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE.

 

Acronis will allow me to copy back from the external drive to a non-partitioned area on the laptop disk. But, that shouldn't be a problem as I could use it to change drive letters eventually. I'll have to keep c: for xp, otherwise I might run into trouble with all the various references involved in an OS drive letter (registry entries, etc.).

I could run things from a 2nd XP test partition I have on the laptop.

 

You appear to have it all worked out , now, so let us know how it goes- for others who might need to do the same sort of thing .

 

Normally the rule is to install the newest operating system LAST. Then each one slots in quite naturally.

There is a convoluted proceedure for installing win2k or NT after XP. If your activities with Acronis don't work out post again and I will describe it.

You can also use System Commander to install for you in any order

I believe there is an equivalent product from Acronis.

 

Further to all of the above and after having given some thought to the situation, I decided to go along one of the two following avenues:

1) The most "comfortable" solution. Implementation of a Boot Manager such as Acronis OS Selector which should allow me to install any OS.

2) If it ever backfires, W2k can be installed through the four W2k setup diskettes. I successfully initiated the process. It went normally through the recognition of existing xp partitions and allowed me to select the area where the W2k partition was to be placed. I voluntarily stopped its formatting when I realized everything appeared to be fine and dandy.

Solution 1 will probably require the least fiddling around, and turn out to be the safest and the fastest.

I'll keep you posted.

 

I finally succeeded in installing w2k although it did require a number of retries as is usually the case in IT.
Using the 4 setup diskette approach, I ran into the following message while the 4th diskette was being read:
“The following value in the .SIF file used by setup is corrupted or missing:
Value '0' on the line in section [SourceDiskFiles] with key "SP4.CAB"
After several unsuccessful attempts with new diskettes, I discovered that the error was due in fact to the use of a w2k-sp4 slipstreamed cd. After replacing the txtsetup.sif file on the first diskette with the txtsetup.sif file from the i386 folder on the cd, I managed to complete the w2k installation.
The dual boot worked as soon as I copied the previously saved ntldr and NTDETECT.COM files back to the XP partition.
Everything’s fine except that under W2k the laptop screen is partially filled. But that’s another story.
Many thanks to both of you for your observations.

 

Thanks for the feedback, keep at it.