Prepping PC / sw for new 2000/XP reinstall - opinions

[- Bobb -]

I'm gonna wipe out a few of my systems and build just one with the differnet OS 'es on it.
I've been gathering info and what follows is a list of what I plan and a few questions : My comments are " just thinking out
oud" - any input on flow / apps you would recommend ?

New PC Config.txt
Hardware = ASUS An8-e mb, AMD3200+ 1gb memory, DVD/CDRW, Nvidia GeForce video, 160gb IDE disk ( yeah the motherboard supports SATA
but I've got plenty of IDE drives and can't justify buying another.)

1. OS'es to be installed Win2000 Pro , 2000 Small Business Server, XP Pro (upgrade) and Win XP64

Problem: need to install 2000 first (for boot loader) , but when I then install xp pro (upgrade version) how to have it prompt me
for my win98 license vs overwriting / assuming upgrade from Win2000 ? Will it do so by default ?
Also:
If I need to connect to Microsoft to "validate / authorize" each license , do it for each OS as I install last app ??
Then do all the updates ? After all these updates - I'll image the drives. To clean up disk space for all of the "$uninstall ..."
files - can I just go to the system folder and delete them. Then the temp folder. Any other references to them ?

Create 5 partitions - one per OS and one extra partition for Library. Or use multiple drives ?
Since I will mostly be using 2000 Pro or XP (still printer driver issues with xp64) AND I have XP64 already built - can I build new
C
drive with 2000 Pro, SBS and XP and then use the current xp64 drive (all sw on it was installed as C: ) when I need it ? How to
modify MBR to allow that ? Boot ini Ok with that - Use a Highpoint/ Promise RAID card to determine boot drive ?
-----------------------------------
2. Applications ( to be installed on EACH partition (for each OS): Any other useful (free) apps ?
============
Ad-aware/ spybots
Adobe Acrobat
MS Money
Logitech optical mouse driver
Creative "AudioPCI" sound card sw What audio is onboard ?
Ms Office ( 2000 on Win2000 and 2003 on others)
Export address book from current pc - be sure to choose / install Picture Mgr for 2003
Hauppauge WinTV ( or whatever sw for its TV card )
Network cards (Linksys LNE100 and built in - check it first)
Need onboard video Nvidia drivers ( on D:\MICROSOFT\X64\Nvidia for now )
Nero 7
Musicmatch (storebought version)
Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird ( OE for newsgroups - much easier to view " just my unread" replies)
PowerDVD (each DVD has it's own - go with the HP CD/DVD RW)
QuickTime (old version - without itunes)
Realplayer ( still needed ?? )
Winzip
Scanner, printers, camera software
Symantec NAV, or systemworks
ZoneLabs firewall

 

[Kerry Brown]

It would be a lot easier to use a virtual machine setup.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/virtualserver/default.mspx

http://www.vmware.com/products/ws/

http://www.vmware.com/products/player/

Kerry

 

[- Bobb -]

I don't mind the setup work and it's cheaper (free)

 

[Kerry Brown]

I don't mind the setup work and it's cheaper (free)

It's a very complicated setup. I don't know if a multi boot setup like you
propose could be done without a 3rd party boot manager. Check out the
following Google search for free boot managers.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=free+boot+manager&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Kerry

 

[- Bobb -]

Thanks kerry. I did try several of them but most that are have an issue with NTFS partitions - since they "can't be hidden like the
FAT partitions could" ( from a few of the readme.txt files in the apps) - the newer OS'es see both.

Bobb