Member Avatar for Buddha David

HELP!! As usual i follow instructions and mess up !!


1) Have a Dell Laptop with WIN 2000 OS, loaded WIN XP pro (with NTFS) and now i have both OS. When i boot i get the option of choosing any one OS.

2) How do get rid of WIN 2000 OS

3) Most of my program files (Norton Antivirus, Photoshop, Microsoft Office, etc) are on the 2000 OS and i do not know how to get them over to be used from the XP OS.

4) Lastly the Dell laptop comes with preloaded software like Speed step technology etc which is only available only on the WIN 2000 OS

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Catweazle

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A few focused facts and a safe, practical workflow you can follow now.

You can’t simply “map” programs from the old Windows 2000 folder and expect them to run under XP — most Windows applications write registry entries and system files when installed. Data (documents, pictures, PSTs, etc.) and some per‑user settings can be moved, but applications are best reinstalled under the OS you plan to keep. , that explains why your programs in the 2000 side aren’t available automatically.

Start by identifying what’s where (this answers ’s question): boot into XP, open Computer Management → Disk Management and note which partition is marked “System” and which is marked “Boot” (System = partition with the boot files; Boot = partition containing the running Windows folder). Also look at the root of each partition for files like ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini. Don’t delete a partition that contains the active boot files until you’ve made XP independently bootable.

Safe removal checklist (order matters):

  • Make a full backup or disk image first (so you can restore if needed).
  • Copy user data and export mail/accounts (Outlook PST export, browser bookmarks, application export tools). Use XP’s Files and Settings Transfer Wizard for profiles/settings where possible.
  • Reinstall applications from their installers into XP and re-enter license keys. Copying Program Files folders won’t work reliably.
  • Ensure XP can boot on its own: place ntldr/ntdetect.com and a correct boot.ini on the XP system partition or use Recovery Console/bootcfg to rebuild the boot entry. Back up boot.ini before editing; msconfig (XP) provides a safe GUI for the boot.ini tab.
  • Once XP boots standalone, delete/format the 2000 partition in Disk Management. To reclaim and merge the free space you may need a partition tool (or reinstall to set up one big partition).

On Dell utilities: check whether you have recovery media or a hidden recovery partition before removing anything. If a factory-only utility is missing, Dell’s support site (enter your Service Tag) is the place to get XP drivers and updated utilities.

If anything there is unclear, the safest next step is a full disk image so you can experiment without losing the original setup.

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Member Avatar for pike

hi when you installed xp pro you should have got the option to delete the old operating system or keep it obviously you want to format it and chose to install the xp pro. What you could do now though is save what u want to a disk and format the pc problem solved. hope this helps.

PIKE.

Member Avatar for Buddha David

Hi,
Okay when i loaded XP, it was the Install new OS and not upgrade from 2000 to XP, i dont think it offered me the option to delete 2000 OS.

Is there some way to Map the program files from the 2000 OS over to the XP OS; after which how do i delete 2000

Cheers

Member Avatar for pike

When you installed xp it should have told you that another os was already installed and do you want xp to delete this os first b4 new install.
If u have a book with your laptop it will tell you how to format eg when i format my laptop i insert disk turn on laptop whilst keeping the c button pressed.


PIKE

Member Avatar for DarphBobo

Unfortunately, running both OS "side by side", your apps won't be available in XP unless you first uninstall xp and go back to single boot win2000, and then you should re-try and hope you get the chance to upgrade 2000 to xp. OR Usually it's best to get your data off and nuke the current OS for a clean install of XP. Usually Dell gives you a CD with all your programs on it. It *might* install them to XP once you have installed it successfully. If you can, find someone with Ghost to image your HD so you can completely restore win2000 and retry if something goes wrong. (Sure wish Ghost would write to external USB2 drives!) Having used Dells at work for 6 years, I find you can almost always get drivers and other stuff on their web site if you look around. Dell Community forums are tons of help, kind of like DaniWeb for Dells!
Darph

Member Avatar for Catweazle

Hang on a bit! Are these OS's installed to different drive partitions? That's the first question which should be asked. Where are they located on the hard drive(s)?

If both are installed to separate partitions, then the Win2000 installation can be removed. Programs installed under Win2000 will have to be reinstalled under XP of course - they can't be 'moved over'. But data can stay in place and quite possible program settings can remain.

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