Windows 2000 Problems

[1L]

I just installed 2000 over the weekend as an upgrade over NT. No real problems (minor modem trouble, fixed, and irritating settings and sounds, fixed) except that the computer will not restart. Yes, I can reset it with the button on the box, but the OS won't auto restart the system. It shuts down, then I get an aqua/green screen that stays there indefinitely. What can I do?

[1L]

Your upgrade to MSWindows2000 over WindowsNT must have been a decision for USB support. There could be no other reason, IMO. But go ahead and burn your money up.

Nope. My decision to go to W2K was actually 2 reasons: first (and most pressing) I needed an OS that could support a firewire card and virtually no such card runs on NT. Second, NT was showing it's age as of late and I've been planning an upgrade for over a year. However, I was waiting until a pressing issue such as number 1 came up.

You will eventually come to Linux.

You've shown your mindreading skills to be far below par. I'll take that comment for what's it worth.

[bigcheese]

Hmmm.... yeah, C# is supposed to be the "shake hands and make up" language for all the VBer's who have complained about VB not be completely compiled in native code, and the VCer's who have not wanted VBer's to be compiled into native code (speed advantage). So a mix of VB and VC++. Fine and dandy, it seems to me. But I still havent quite grasped what is supposed to be so revolutionary about the .Net platform, other then more OO oriented (I just like to show my O face ;-) and the ability to deliver your apps across the web. Am I missing something?

[1L]

Bingo. I had the same problem until I flashed the BIOS with an upgrade.

How exactly do I do that?

[tacticalogic]

Not sure. I'm more of a core OS guy, and the basic OS kernel and architecture is virtually unchanged from 2K to XP/.Net, so I haven't invested a lot of time in looking at the differences yet.

[RightOnline]

I have Win2K on all four systems that I regularly use. I'm just not quite sure what this means:

"...the OS won't auto restart the system."

What exactly are you trying to do? Go to the Start button and do a "soft reboot"? I'd like to help, but I need more information from you. Maybe you're referring to the completion of the install where the system was to automatically reboot?

In addition, have you downloaded (from Microsoft; free of charge) Service Pack 2? If not, do so......right away.

The poster who mentions "clean installs" being preferrable is dead right, but they're not always "essential". I've used Win2K Pro for some time now and have been VERY impressed with how solid it is.

[RightOnline]

FWIW, I'd stick with Win2K Pro if I was you. Like I just told the poster, I'm using it on a high-end ThinkPad, two IBM IntelliStations (including a 1.7 GHz P4 with 512MB RAM, loaded up with all the goodies, etc., etc.), and an IBM TransNote (cute little beastie). It's just damned solid, in my experience. I've looked at XP and see no reason on earth to upgrade to it. Stay put; you have a nice system just as it is. :)

[bigcheese]

Homebrew: Pop the bad boy open, take a look at the motherboard and get the name and numbers off it. Get online (wait a tic, you already are, duh)... search for FLASH BIOS and the name and numbers you have. D/L the proggie, usually it will make a system boot disk, boot on that disk, and run it. And pray.

Shiny Store Bought Computer: look online, find the model on the manufacturers site, look for flash bios for that model of computer. D/L the proggie, follow the instructions, and pray.

But it could be two other things. One, the boot sector. In which case... clean install with Low level formatting, backing up, etc.

but another poster reminded me of a problem I had with a 2k box... and that was the APM (i think it is called that). Anyway, it is a service in the Computer Management section I belive called "Automated Power Management". Double click on that, choose disabled (if i remember right). Some other poster needs to fill in and verify the details of this last step.

But you'll need SP2 too anyway, regardless of anything else. Might as well use windows update to go and get it. But i kinda doubt that wil fix it unless SP2 fixes that APM bug somehow. Not for sure on that.

[bigcheese]

Hmmm... so what do you do? I cant imagine someone just having a hobby of studying and playing with the kernel.

[DB]

Just SP2.

Your problem sounds like a driver or program that won't release itself when the machine is shutting down.

If it isn't a driver you can hit "Alt-Cntrl-Del" and go to the "Task Manager" and shut down each resident running program, one at a time and try restarting each time. You can identify the program that isn't releasing itself on shut down this way. Once you identify the problem program look for an update or don't use it.

[damnlimey]

One word of caution,I'd be extremely wary of flashing a BIOS without a UPS
'cos if you lose power in the middle of it praying won't help.

[tacticalogic]

I build networks for a bank holding company, and tend to specialize in server OS's, protocol diagnostics, and e-mail systems. Right now I'm busy plotting an upgrade to Active Directory and Exchange 2k for about 150 servers in what will be 15 AD domains with about 3k users.

[bigcheese]

Heathen! ;-) Of course praying will help... It does for me. For example, right before trying something critical like a FLASH bios, I say a little prayer. Then afterwards, if the system refuses to come on at all, I think that Almighty might still be listening, so I shorten my top of my lungs screaming obscentity laced tirade from 15 minutes to about one minute. See?!?!?!?!

But oh yea, don't forget about the UPS!

[bigcheese]

Email systems from the ground up, or using Exchange (which, I dont know too much about... we use Post.Office)? I have an idea for a 99% spam free email server I need a C programmer for.

[dwollmann]

Has it ever occurred to you that if you conducted yourself like an adult on this forum, others might treat you in kind?

I know, "they started it," but someone has to act like a grown-up sometime. Am I wrong?

[tacticalogic]

Exchange on the inside, SendMail running on NT on the outside.

[tacticalogic]

My C programming is pretty limited. I've taught myself enough to be able to hack someone else's code that already does almost what I want. Same with VB and Jscript. I am pretty good with NT command scripts and REXX for "quick and dirty" stuff.

[robertc5]

For your hard NT 4.0 drive to have the same NTSF as Windows 2000; you need to have installed (at least) Service Pack 4.

[robertc5]

Used to be; a good way to make an IDE hard drive unreadable was to do a low-level format. :) I have never found it necessary to low-level format an IDE drive.

[TomServo]

How exactly do I do that?

Determine the manufacturer of the board and go to their website and check for a BIOS update. But I would check and see if SP2 doesn't fix your problem first. BIOS flashing isn't for the faint of heart. And do a backup before flashing. Also check to see if you can find a utility that will back up your current BIOS to a floppy. Good luck and Merry Christmas!