Ignore the last post I think I figured it out. You can install 2000 over XP you have to load the Bios on the initial boot of the computer. That was the part I was missing. thanks for everyones help.
Well that didn't exactly work. I was able to install windows 200pro on the same hard drive but it isn't working right. I can not connect to the internet, or change settings. I can access files and folders from the old XP OS but can no longer load windows XP. I get an error message that the file \windows\system32\config\systemd is missing or corrupt. The computer then freezes and I have to cold kill it. I tried repairing the windows 2000 several times in everyway I knew how and also reinstalling it from scratch. None of these solved the problem. As I see it I have 2 options. 1- Erase the entire hard drive and start over. Something I do not know how to do, but would be very willing to try. 2- Install the new hard drive that I just purchased and load Windows 2000pro to that. Another thing I am willing to do. My problem with that is that after opening my computer I realized there is no additional slot. With a bit of work I believe that I could take out the floppy drive and replace it with the new Hard drive? Will this work? any help / suggestions would be very appreciated. All I want to do is trade lol.
Format C: will reformat your hard drive. But then you will need a FULL INSTALL operating system CD or you will go no where. An upgrade CD will not install the OS to a freshly formatted drive. Possibly you will need to tell your bios to boot from the CD drive if it won't do that as-is after the format.
With windows 2000 now loaded. My current problem, I am told, may be that the drivers for my video card and ethernet card are not installed. when I boot the computer it looks like it is booting in safe mode and I can not change the screen resolution. I also can not sucessfully set up an internet connection. Does this sound like the problem? If it is is the fix to search on my other computer for the correct drivers burn them to cd and install them on the computer? The computer that I am having trouble with is a Dell that I bought in september with windows XP. I don't believe that dell sent driver disks with the computer. Also I heard that having both windows XP and 2000 installed on the same hard drive would eventualy lead to 2000 crashing? is this the case or was this someone trying to sell me another hard drive?
If your other computer is running XP you cannot use any of those drivers. You should go to the websites of the mfg. of the components you need drivers for and download the drivers for Win2000, assuming Win2000 did not have built in drivers. I still don't know why you needed to go to Win2000 from XP. It seems like a step backwards and a lot of work and problems for nothing.
I agree with pspr - you should have been able to run that software under XP (home or pro) just fine and would have been better off. Anyway thats neither here nor there at this point - To get Win2000 drivers for your dell go to Dell's site (from another PC that is working),support section, pick your system and then select drivers for Win2000 - they should give the correct drivers for your system & W2K. To get the drivers onto your laptop you'll need to use either a floppy drive (if you have one) or a usb memory card (if the ethernet nic isnt currently working because of no driver - catch 22) I'm not sure how you loaded W2K but if you simply overlaid it on top of XP then you probably have a pretty messed up system right now - you should have saved off the files you wanted somewhere else and then reformatted the harddrive before you installed W2K or partitioned the hard drive into two logical drives, one for XP and one for W2K
right, it should be easy to get drivers for most major manufacturers via their websites - just identify your exact hardware. not sure of the exact location of that info, but iirc it's in "control panel" somewhere. yes 2k will crash - because its microsoft. not sure why xp on a separate partition would make that worse, but it's possible.
Ha, aint that the truth. I got it working thanks for everyones help. The deal is that the software only runs on professional versions of windows. I had 2000, which is what they recomend to start with so I was favoring installing that although it was definately a huge pain. does anyone know if keeping both operating systems on the computer will make it less stable? if so how can I delete the XP os. Thanks again