Can't install Windows 2000

[MiketheBook]

I just bought a laptop for my wife and since she likes things simple, I decided to remove Visa in favour of Linux Ubuntu. But I've had so many problems finding drivers etc for the laptop (an HP G7000) I would now like to install Windows 2000 which she is used to using but it won't work neither will my XP disk. And i seemingly can't go back to Vista. The restore programs are not on disk but in F11 when the machine is first booted. What can i do now? Help please.

[sknake]

I'm pretty sure that Windows 2000/XP doesn't have support for a lot of the newer hardware so that doesn't surprise me. I would recommend contacting the vendor where you purchase the laptop and ask them the steps for doing a recovery. Usually dell, hp, etc. has utilities online or on a separate partition where you can restore the system. This should be covered for the first month or so

[caperjack]

WOW ,cant believe you did it first ,then looked for drivers ,or if there was drivers for xp/2000 , most new laptops don't ,as suggested above you were suppose to created restore dvd's when you first booted comp, or at least before you formatted it .contact HP for recovery DVD's

[Jupiter 2]

You have possibly lost everything. You only possibly solution is to remove the hdd use a special connection and connect it to your Computer as an external drive. You can possibly access the drive from your computer.

Otherwise, consult a computer store technician. Not a chain store but the little bloke who has a little shop down the little road.

[MiketheBook]

I don't understand. I do have Ubuntu working and with a little help from their forums, I might have quite a successful system working within time. But is there no way back to another OS with a clean install? What about those Dell netbooks that are sold with Ubuntu installed. They cannot be coverted to Windows at any time?

[Jupiter 2]

I think you have learned a valuable lesson that no one ever follows -

"Please read the instructions before assembling the cot."

Time to fdisk then format then reload.
Ubuntu (all linux) software creates a hidden partition. You will have problems deleting it. I suggest you use partition magic after you load windows.

I stll think your best option is to do as I suggest before. It will only work if you have ubuntu on your PC as I doubt windows will be able to identify the ubuntu drive.

Computer experts do not exist, only novices in training.

[MiketheBook]

Hi,
So, even if I have recovery CD's they won't recognise the hard drive. Is that right? Can you enlarge further on what you said: Time to fdisk then format then reload. You will need to explain in more basic language and procedure. Is there in what you say hope of reinstalling a Windows OS when you say reload?

[gerbil]

This I do not follow. My sister has an HP, she made the recovery discs; I see that the recovery partition exists still on her machine, and is still accessible by F11. Why cannot you access it still, unless you managed to delete the recovery partition and overwrite it?
Admittedly I have almost no practice with HP lapppies, but I do not know why they say to make the recovery disks as a first step on initial startup. I also don't know why they fill 4 [FOUR!!] dvds....

[MiketheBook]

Yup, I managed to delete the recovery partition. Idiot. My question now is, if I can obtain recovery discs from HP, can I still overwrite Ubuntu and get Vista back.

[gerbil]

Ah. Right. You did that deliberately..? But has it been overwritten? If not, it is still there, and the partition can be rebuilt.
On another point, XP should certainly be installable on that machine. what happens when you try?
To amplify, on the main disk on my machine I have moved partitions , deleted some during initial setting up of it. Because it is a disk with plenty of free space still, some of those old partition [boundaries] and their files exist still, and with software I can recover them and the files if I so wish. I don't, but I can see the files, and they are good.

[MiketheBook]

The whole notion of partitions is a little beyond me. All I have on the machine is Ubuntu. When I try to load XP it stalls at XP setup but I'm not sure it's a good copy. It came with my own laptop as is probably meant just for that laptop. So you think I should be able to install XP over ubuntu if I can get a proper copy? I tried installing 2000 Pro but it didn't recognise any hard drives.

[caperjack]

I tried installing 2000 Pro but it didn't recognise any hard drives.

laptop likely has a SATA Harddrive ,not a IDE ,there you would need to install sata drivers ,that the hit F6 to install sata/scsi drivers when you first start the windows install same in winxp as win 2000 ,that is unless the correct sata drivers have been slipstreamed into the windows disk by you or someone else .,you would need a floppy drive in the laptop to do this ,and I say get the correct Vista DVD's and enjoy Vista !

[caperjack]

but I do not know why they say to make the recovery disks as a first step on initial startup. I also don't know why they fill 4 [FOUR!!] dvds....

I have 2 ,one old one new Compaq/HP[my daughters actually] Laptops , I had to Make recovery DVD's with both as none came with the laptop .they took 2 dvd's not 4,Staples and BestBuy and other large ripoff retailers charge an extra 100 dollars to do this .local shop where i hang out a bit charges 50 dollars to make the recovery's laptops they sell mostly Acer's r!

note: they can be made at any time as long as the laptop is working correctly ,usually a link to recover disk manager in start menu or control panel

[MiketheBook]

Okay, the drive is SATA. Can you explain further about installing SATA drivers and what F6 does and how this might affect instaling XP or 2000 . . . but in basic language. I realize doing this how little I know these days about computers. So little.

[caperjack]

Okay, the drive is SATA. Can you explain further about installing SATA drivers and what F6 does and how this might affect instaling XP or 2000 . . . but in basic language. I realize doing this how little I know these days about computers. So little.

ok i'll try , there are no sata drivers on the winxp/2000 disk ,there for you would need the correct drivers on a floppy disk ,as that is the only disk winxp will search and look for ,will not work with a thumbdrive or any other usb device ,,so with the drivers on a floppy disk and in the floppy drive ,when you start the window install you will see[along the bottom blue bar] hit F6 to install other drivers scsi and sata [something like that .]so if you laptop does not have a floppy drive ,new ones don't, you will need to use a program like Nlite to slipstream the correct drivers into a copy of winxp ,YOU will need to created this new copy using Nlite !not complicated ,reallyi can do it !lol
!see instructions and download Nlite if you so wish !
http://www.nliteos.com/guide/index.html

[MiketheBook]

Thanks for that!! I assume I could create the new copy of XP on a different computer and then install it complete with SATA drivers on the ubuntu computer.

[Jupiter 2]

Ubuntu is linux. It is not an any bit OS. Not 32 bit not 64 bit not any "bit". Any files you may want to recover will be lost in the partition where you will install windows XXXX.

[gerbil]

A simple way to get your sys loaded is to bypass the requirement for a SATA driver. You do this by setting in BIOS the Sata configuration as IDE, not AHCI. Then the driver is not required. Here is a wiki on AHCI functionality -most folks would not notice it missing... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Host_Controller_Interface
You get a blue screen? If I miss the F6 key I get a black screen [Windows has shut down to prevent damage to your ....] Oh, well.
You can add the AHCI driver later and modify registry to use it... but mos folk would lose a lot of hair trying it, maybe....