Weird issue with Windows 2000 and VirtualPC 2007

[Commanderraf]

Greetings,

Out of nostalgia issues (and to have installed all of Microsoft's OS) I'm trying to install Windows 2000 on Virtual PC 2007. I've already installed Windows 3.1, Chicago, 95, 98 and ME with no problems at all, but when I try to install Windows 2000 from a CD image I ripped from my CD two things happen:

1.- After booting up with the CD image mounted (on the virtual drive D:), the virtual C: drive formatted and a MS-DOS bootdisk on A: (I've tried both a physical copy and a virtual one), the installation begins but stops almost instantly, stating that I have to insert the Windows 2000 image on the drive D:. Using another image I got from the net still triggers this error.

2.- If I boot with the images of the Windows 2000 setup disks (obtained from the CD itself) on the virtual A:, formatted virtual C: drive and no CD on the virtual D:, it loads the files on the disk images, starts the installation process, but again stops at the "Insert Windows 2000 CD in your CD-ROM drive" even if I load the image on the virtual drive D.

I've installed all of the other OSs with images of the CDs needed, and the fact that, if I mount the Win2K cd image and boot the virtualization it starts the set up process, makes me think that it is not an issue of the CD images or the virtual drive.

Anyone can point me to the right direction to install Windows 2000?

Thanks in advance.

-Commanderraf

[pizzaboy192]

Don't use an MS-Dos boot diskette?
I have never seen a need to boot Windows 2000 with the boot diskette (I didn't even know one existed).
My copy of Windows 2000 always loaded and installed just fine, even on systems without an A: drive, and I have never needed a boot diskette.

[Thlump]

Windows 2000 should be able to boot by itself to the setup without the need for a bootdisk. If that doesn't work boot with a MS-DOS bootdisk and type in D:\I386\winnt.exe

[Rob Jansen]

Windows 2000 should be able to boot by itself to the setup without the need for a bootdisk. If that doesn't work boot with a MS-DOS bootdisk and type in D:\I386\winnt.exe

Make sure that the bootdisk contains SMARTDRIVE, otherwise it will take so long to copy the files.
And you can use various switches with winnt.exe. (Just use /?)

[Commanderraf]

After trying and failing miserably yesterday, today I tried another approach.

I made a new Virtual Machine with all the requirements for Win2k but installed first Windows 98 SE. Then, with Windows 98 running I mounted the Windows 2000 disk and it began the set up. It checked the system for incompatibilities (found none) and restarted the "computer".

It booted up (still with the Windows 2000 disk mounted on the virtual drive) and in MS-DOS started the set up... Just to stop once again requiring a Windows 2000 Professional CD in the CD ROM drive. Not even using my physical copy of the Windows 2000 disk in the physical drive and letting VirtualPC use the physical CD ROM enables the setup to detect the disk.

Any suggestion to fix this situation?

-Commanderraf

[pizzaboy192]

Try a third time, this time, use a fresh, blank, empty, no-os-installed virtual disk. mount the Windows 2000 cd, and install it like you would Windows XP on a real PC (Both use the same installer) YOU DON'T NEED DOS! It will boot without the need of DOS or any sort of boot thinger, It has a boot sector, and will boot normally without a boot disk.

[Thlump]

Yeah, you should try what pizzaboy192 suggests. If that still doesn't work, disable hardware virtualization or download a copy of Windows 2000(maybe something is wrong with your physical copy of Windows 2000)

[Commanderraf]

Thanks for the prompt answers.

I created a new virtual image, and without adding or installing anything (not even formatting the virtual C: drive) I started it and mounted the Windows 2000 cd image. It starts the setup process as normal but then stops, asking for the Windows 2000 Professional CD on drive A:

I've tried with both Win2k images I have (the one from my disk and the one I downloaded it from the web) with the same results.

Virtualization is not available due the host computer specs, so its grayed out.

Is there a solution to my problem? It all seems too weird to me.

-Commanderraf

[pizzaboy192]

This is quite the strange predicament. I'll have to dig out my Windows 2000 disk and see what it does.

[Vista Ultimate R2]

Try using the physical disc rather than an image - the drive A:\ error tends to happen if the image is incomplete ie missing the CD identifier files - using the physical disc you can be sure it is all there as it should be.

[Commanderraf]

Try using the physical disc rather than an image - the drive A:\ error tends to happen if the image is incomplete ie missing the CD identifier files - using the physical disc you can be sure it is all there as it should be.

I tried using both the images I have and the physical disc, and the same problem happens in any situation.

Am I Jinxed? Now that I remember, I've used all of Windows since 3.1, except for the Windows NT family (But Windows XP is based on NT... Oh my God, just jinxed this computer. Great).

-Commanderraf

[pizzaboy192]

Try sacrificing a Vista disk to the PC gods... it might help...

Anyways, I just installed a copy of Windows 2000 on my VM (VMWare instead of VPC...) and it worked great...

Offtopic Comment

now to disable the annoying debugger that is in the VmWare Beta build

[Commanderraf]

Try sacrificing a Vista disk to the PC gods... it might help...

If I sacrifice a bunch of 3 1/4 diskettes do you think that would do the trick?

-Commanderraf

[pizzaboy192]

Try sacrificing a Vista disk to the PC gods... it might help...

If I sacrifice a bunch of 3 1/4 diskettes do you think that would do the trick?

-Commanderraf

You might have more luck with some 5.25" ones, but they might be satisfied with 3.25"s (although those are pretty hard to come by... 3.5" ones might be a little less painful to see burn)

[Kenneth]

Make zero length text files called: CDROMSP4.TST, CDROM_IP.5, CDROM_NT.5 and put them in your ISO.

[Rob Jansen]

Virtualization is not available due the host computer specs, so its grayed out.

Virtualization is not needed (optional) on VPC 2007.
It is however on the new Windows Virtual PC (on Windows 7).

[pizzaboy192]

Virtualization is not available due the host computer specs, so its grayed out.

Virtualization is not needed (optional) on VPC 2007.
It is however on the new Windows Virtual PC (on Windows 7).

Apparently your processor must have it for the new VPC, but for some reason, it doesn't need to be enabled... (according to VMWare, It isn't enabled, whilst according to my BIOS it is...)

[Kenneth]

Virtualization is not available due the host computer specs, so its grayed out.

Virtualization is not needed (optional) on VPC 2007.
It is however on the new Windows Virtual PC (on Windows 7).

I think that the Hardware Virtualization thing is an artificial limitation.

[zamadatix]

I think that the Hardware Virtualization thing is an artificial limitation.

I would say the same amount of bullshit they had for aero.

[Umz93]

When i tried installing windows 2000 on Virtual PC 2007 I did a clean install and it worked perfectly.Here is a great youtube tutorial on how to get it to install.