Basic - How To Reinstall

[Guest]

We have a computer with Windows 2000 Advanced Server installed on it. I am
not familiar with the ins and outs of how the server installation works. We
essentially just use it like a workstation - it is not used as a server. The
computer has been infected with something nasty that I can't get rid of, no
matter what I do it just seems to get worse. I've backed up all my data and
would love to start from scratch (reinstall everything). I have the Win2000
Adv. Server CD - but don't know of the best way to basically start fresh. The
hard drives are set up as an array, but the OS (I believe) is installed on a
drive outside the array.

Any advice is greatly appreciated as I'm not too sure where to go from here.
The person who originally set up the machine for us is unavailable.

Thanks!

 

[William Hutchison [MSFT]]

Julia,

Assuming you have a list of all the software you want to re-install (plus
the software itself), you can boot off of the CD-ROM and install a fresh
copy of Windows 2000. You may need to configure the BIOS on the system to
boot from the CD.

Once you get the system to boot from the CDROM, you should be presented with
an option to install the OS. The OS install will scan the hard disks and
identify any existing Windows operating systems that it finds. It should
give you the option of overwriting the existing OS. I wouldn't. Instead, I
would blow away the existing OS (including deleting the existing partition
and allowing the installer to create and format a new partition) in order to
do a fresh install. Then I would re-install the applications that you want
to retain.

In effect, this gives you a clean install and allows you start fresh. Hope
this helps. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

That's great - thanks! That was exactly the info I was looking for. Right now
the OS is installed on C: and all my other data is on D:. As of now I haven't
seen any unusual behaviour in any of my D: folders - all of the junk seems to
be happening on C:. When I reinstall the OS what do I need to know about
partitions? Probably sounds like a stupid question, but I don't know what I
will be asked by the OS in order to set up partitions. Do I need to know
anything special about partitioning when I'm doing the reinstall?

Thanks so much for your response - I'm not so nervous about it any more!
I've got all the installations disks for everything, so that shouldn't be a
problem.

Thanks,


Julia

Julia,

Assuming you have a list of all the software you want to re-install (plus
the software itself), you can boot off of the CD-ROM and install a fresh
copy of Windows 2000. You may need to configure the BIOS on the system to
boot from the CD.

Once you get the system to boot from the CDROM, you should be presented with
an option to install the OS. The OS install will scan the hard disks and
identify any existing Windows operating systems that it finds. It should
give you the option of overwriting the existing OS. I wouldn't. Instead, I
would blow away the existing OS (including deleting the existing partition
and allowing the installer to create and format a new partition) in order to
do a fresh install. Then I would re-install the applications that you want
to retain.

In effect, this gives you a clean install and allows you start fresh. Hope
this helps. Thanks.

--
William Hutchison [MSFT]
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

We have a computer with Windows 2000 Advanced Server installed on it. I am
not familiar with the ins and outs of how the server installation works.
We
essentially just use it like a workstation - it is not used as a server.
The
computer has been infected with something nasty that I can't get rid of,
no
matter what I do it just seems to get worse. I've backed up all my data
and
would love to start from scratch (reinstall everything). I have the
Win2000
Adv. Server CD - but don't know of the best way to basically start fresh.
The
hard drives are set up as an array, but the OS (I believe) is installed on
a
drive outside the array.

Any advice is greatly appreciated as I'm not too sure where to go from
here.
The person who originally set up the machine for us is unavailable.

Thanks!

 

[Dave Patrick]

Just choose to format C: during setup. Do not delete/ recreate the
partition.

Also you didn't mention the drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra DMA,
or ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the Windows
2000 setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important (at setup
is inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller
detection, and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be
prompted to insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your
drive's controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| That's great - thanks! That was exactly the info I was looking for. Right
now
| the OS is installed on C: and all my other data is on D:. As of now I
haven't
| seen any unusual behaviour in any of my D: folders - all of the junk seems
to
| be happening on C:. When I reinstall the OS what do I need to know about
| partitions? Probably sounds like a stupid question, but I don't know what
I
| will be asked by the OS in order to set up partitions. Do I need to know
| anything special about partitioning when I'm doing the reinstall?
|
| Thanks so much for your response - I'm not so nervous about it any more!
| I've got all the installations disks for everything, so that shouldn't be
a
| problem.
|
| Thanks,
|
|
| Julia