I have a problem, everytime I format my computer and reinstall my Windows 2000 pro. I will seem to have some type of problem. These problems ranging from blue screens to just annoying things like Can't perform operation low memory, then forced to restart. I'm asking for a mini-guide on how I should reinstall and which and what updates of Windows to install. Thank you.
Proper Win2kPro Reinstallation
- Thread starter Akrobatik
- Start date
HI,
Before you do a complete upgrade, go to your Motherboard manufacturer site and download all of the drivers, chipset drivers, etc. Everything. Once you have everything, copy it to a cd (unzip first if necessary).
Then go get Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 and get that on a disk.
What i found that works best, is to start fresh. After loading your start up disks and come to the blue screen to accept the licensing agreement (same screen if you boot off of the cd), i delete the active partition. Just delete it and start over.
Recreate the partition, format using NTFS, and do a regular format, not a "Quick Format".
Then install.
Once Windows has been installed, go to the Motherboard manufacturer disk that you made and update your chipset files first. Reboot. Then go to the "Device Manager" and update all of your hardware and other drivers first.
From there, i would go strait to Service Pack 4 and install it.
After all the hardware and motherboard drivers are installed using the disk you created, Windows 2000 SP4 has been installed, then do a "Windows Update".
Install everything except for "Device Drivers".
Once every Windows "critical" and "recommended" items have been installed, reboot a few times. Play with IE, start setting up your desktop, etc. Get a feel for how the machine is behaving.
Once you can feel that your OS is stable, go back and do the device drivers 1 at a time. Reboot between the updates and then get a feel for the OS again. Do not update more than 1 driver at a time or it will be too difficult to determine if one of these updates is the cause of your problems.
We're trying to identify if it is a "Windows Update" driver that's causing your problems or something else.
On my machine, it's usually the Windows Update sound card drivers that causes problems.
The key for me, is to do the drivers 1 at a time to identify if and what is causing the problems.
Once all hardware and OS files have been installed, again, get a feel for the machine. If it's running fine, then start to install your regular software. Again, do not install 3 or 4 programs at once. Do them one at a time and reboot between installs. This will definately be more time consuming, however, it will also help you identify if one of your programs is causing the problems.
Just take things slow, be patient, and keep your eyes open for what item maybe be causing your problems.
On a side note, if you're not able to get to all of the driver updates, Window Updates, etc... then i would say you have a hardware issue, not a software issue.
The first thing to check is the Power Supply. A power supply that is going back can give you the symptoms that you are reporting. Blue Screens, rebooting without warning, locking up, etc. I've seen it many times.
The second thing to check is your ram. Take them out and put them back in. Use a different slot, if available.
The third thing to check are all of the ribbons to the floppies and hard drives/cd roms. Make sure they are tight. Replace if they are kinked, severly bent or look damaged in any way.
The fourth thing... get a can of air and blow out the fans. Blow out the fan on your processor, on the case (if there is one) and the fans on the back of your power supply.
MAKE SURE YOUR PC IS OFF AND UNPLUGGED before opening up the case and working inside.
Many times i have come across similiar "symptoms" as you and found first, that the power supply is going bad, and second, one of the ram chips is going bad.
I hope that my experiences and troubleshooting methods work for you like they did for me.
My problems almost always stemmed from 1: Sound Card driver updates via Windows Update (or incorrect Chipset Drivers), 2: Bad power supply and 3: Bad Ram modules.
Before you do a complete upgrade, go to your Motherboard manufacturer site and download all of the drivers, chipset drivers, etc. Everything. Once you have everything, copy it to a cd (unzip first if necessary).
Then go get Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 and get that on a disk.
What i found that works best, is to start fresh. After loading your start up disks and come to the blue screen to accept the licensing agreement (same screen if you boot off of the cd), i delete the active partition. Just delete it and start over.
Recreate the partition, format using NTFS, and do a regular format, not a "Quick Format".
Then install.
Once Windows has been installed, go to the Motherboard manufacturer disk that you made and update your chipset files first. Reboot. Then go to the "Device Manager" and update all of your hardware and other drivers first.
From there, i would go strait to Service Pack 4 and install it.
After all the hardware and motherboard drivers are installed using the disk you created, Windows 2000 SP4 has been installed, then do a "Windows Update".
Install everything except for "Device Drivers".
Once every Windows "critical" and "recommended" items have been installed, reboot a few times. Play with IE, start setting up your desktop, etc. Get a feel for how the machine is behaving.
Once you can feel that your OS is stable, go back and do the device drivers 1 at a time. Reboot between the updates and then get a feel for the OS again. Do not update more than 1 driver at a time or it will be too difficult to determine if one of these updates is the cause of your problems.
We're trying to identify if it is a "Windows Update" driver that's causing your problems or something else.
On my machine, it's usually the Windows Update sound card drivers that causes problems.
The key for me, is to do the drivers 1 at a time to identify if and what is causing the problems.
Once all hardware and OS files have been installed, again, get a feel for the machine. If it's running fine, then start to install your regular software. Again, do not install 3 or 4 programs at once. Do them one at a time and reboot between installs. This will definately be more time consuming, however, it will also help you identify if one of your programs is causing the problems.
Just take things slow, be patient, and keep your eyes open for what item maybe be causing your problems.
On a side note, if you're not able to get to all of the driver updates, Window Updates, etc... then i would say you have a hardware issue, not a software issue.
The first thing to check is the Power Supply. A power supply that is going back can give you the symptoms that you are reporting. Blue Screens, rebooting without warning, locking up, etc. I've seen it many times.
The second thing to check is your ram. Take them out and put them back in. Use a different slot, if available.
The third thing to check are all of the ribbons to the floppies and hard drives/cd roms. Make sure they are tight. Replace if they are kinked, severly bent or look damaged in any way.
The fourth thing... get a can of air and blow out the fans. Blow out the fan on your processor, on the case (if there is one) and the fans on the back of your power supply.
MAKE SURE YOUR PC IS OFF AND UNPLUGGED before opening up the case and working inside.
Many times i have come across similiar "symptoms" as you and found first, that the power supply is going bad, and second, one of the ram chips is going bad.
I hope that my experiences and troubleshooting methods work for you like they did for me.
My problems almost always stemmed from 1: Sound Card driver updates via Windows Update (or incorrect Chipset Drivers), 2: Bad power supply and 3: Bad Ram modules.
4Ryan6
Champion
- Apr 14, 2002
- 20,603
- 8
- 52,915
terster!!!, Has laid out an excellent guide for you, I would just like to add something I've discovered to it.
Install the latest version of DirectX, after you install your Motherboard Chipset Drivers, but before you actually install the drivers for the Graphics Card and Sound Card.
<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=2541" target="_new">My Rig</A>
Install the latest version of DirectX, after you install your Motherboard Chipset Drivers, but before you actually install the drivers for the Graphics Card and Sound Card.
<A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=2541" target="_new">My Rig</A>
sparky853
Distinguished
- Jun 25, 2003
- 908
- 0
- 18,980
The first thing you should do is download and use Memtest86, <A HREF="http://www.memtest86.com/" target="_new">here</A>, and check your RAM.
Then if your RAM is OK, reinstall as per the other posts here.
Spec:
Intel P4 2.4B
MSI 645E Max-U Mobo
1GB DDR333
R9600XT 128MB
SB Live 5.1
WD 60GB
Maxtor 120GB
LG DVD+-R/RW
WIN2K PRO SP4
Then if your RAM is OK, reinstall as per the other posts here.
Spec:
Intel P4 2.4B
MSI 645E Max-U Mobo
1GB DDR333
R9600XT 128MB
SB Live 5.1
WD 60GB
Maxtor 120GB
LG DVD+-R/RW
WIN2K PRO SP4
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