Ok, help me out. I used to be in tech support but have been out for a few years and things have gone out of my brain. Need step by step on how to get Windows XP off my NEW Desktop and how to load up Windows 2000. XP is just too slow for me and I have all the software for Windows 2000 versions. Can I install over the hard drive which has NTFS? I've heard conflicting reports.... Also, if I install Windows 2000, will I loose ALL the other Programs that are on my pc currently? Thanks Feel free to email me privately! Janet

Hi Janet, Use this guide: http://www.hexff.com/win98_install.php It's talking about w98, but stick with it until you get a fresh bootable HD. Then: xcopy [CD drive letter]:\i386 c:\i386\ [enter] c:\i386\winnt [enter] w2k will set up a dual boot with w98 DOS. Avoid NTFS for now. HTH M2

Janet Installing Win2000 is no problem. Saving existing setup is. I don't think this is possible. MS considers Win2000 to WinXP an upgrade path. So conversly they would consider the reverse a downgrade. Had you upgraded originally and elected to create restore files, maybe.

O H, Yep. M2

"Janet": presuming you haven't done it all yet... You can achieve it all without need of reformatting etc... But wise to backup all data etc. - first. (Safe rather than sorry). Then simply boot with the W2K CD (or 4 floppies + CD) and install W2K alongside XP - in same (ntfs?) partition. You will end up being able to boot to W2K only as the ntldr/ntdetect files installed by W2K will not work with XP; thus you cannot boot to XP using those W2K versions. (If you were to replace the W2K versions of those files with the XP versions then you could have a dual-boot - W2K/XP.) Obviously all apps/utils will have to be installed to the W2K installation... so install all apps/utils afresh for W2K installation and verify they all work OK. Presuming so, delete the XP folder from the drive/partition, edit boot.ini to remove references to XP, empty recycle-bin and and defrag the drive - to tidy up the scene. Finally make an ERD for W2K - keep it safe/current. Data should be safe throughout the operations - but a backup of data first is always wise nonetheless... Otherwise it's a backup data routine and then reformat the drive afresh etc... If going this rather drastic route I suggest it's worth reconfiguring/partitioning etc. the drive to have both Primary (for OS/apps/utils) and Extended (for data etc.) partitions. Allows re-installs (even reformat) of Primary without serioud risk to data in Extended areas. Also if going this route consider fat32 for data at least - allows more options (free) in terms of data recovery if OS goes belly-up???