Trouble booting a new PC

[TechGaloot]

Just built a PC and at the first power on I went into BIOS and checked all the settings. I had a WD 160gb drive attached and a IDE CDRW drive. I set the CDRW as the 1st boot device and the WD 160gb as the 2nd, and nothing for the 3rd. Well, the CDRW crapped out when my wife was trying to install Windows 2000 to the new HDD. I have ordered a SATA CDRW drive that will arrive Monday (2/11). In the meantime, I wanted her to have computer access over the weekend, so I installed her old IDE HDD and disconnected the IDE CDRW. The first time I started the machine I pressed DEL to enter SetUP, however it booted directly to Linux. (Her old machine was a dual-boot Linux & W2K, with the default being Linux.) I initially thought that my timing was bad on pressing the DEL key, so I restart the machine several times trying to enter SetUp each time, but it just automatically boots to Linux. Any idea how I can get into SetUp.

System config: Asus M2N mb, AMD A64 X2 400+ 2.1G AM2 CPU, Corsair Twin2X2048-6400 Memory, HD 160G WD 7K 8M SATA2 HDD, WD 80gb IDE HDD, Radeon HD 2400XT video card.

[TechGaloot]

Update. I received the new SATA CDRW drive today, so here is what I did. I disconnected the IDE hard drive, connected the SATA CDRW and the SATA 160gb hard drive, and booted the machine. I went into BIOS and set the CDRW as the 1st boot device and the SATA hard drive as the 2nd boot device. I put the Windows 2000 disk in the CD drive and rebooted. I started the install of Windows 2000, and it brought me to a screen where I could set the partition and format the hard drive. I setup a 10gig partition for the OS (drive c: ), and it spent 20-30 minutes formatting. Then it asked me to reboot, which I did. When it rebooted it went back to the screen where it asks me to partition and format. I am aware that there is an issue with having to load SATA drivers to complete the Windows 2000 install, so I hit cancel, it rebooted, and I hit F6 to allow me to load the SATA drivers. I put the CD from Asus into the CD drive and hit enter. Nothing happens. I note that the screen is asking me to put a disk into the A: drive and I think, "oh carp", I don't have a floppy disk with the driver on it and I don't have another machine with a floppy drive.

But here is the real issue: When I now start up, I cannot enter the BIOS by hitting DEL. So if either hard drive, the IDE hard drive in my first post, or the SATA hard drive connected now, is connected I cannot enter the BIOS?!?!?!?

I need a plan. #1- I am considering making the IDE hard drive the boot drive. I believe I would have to reformat the c: drive on it and reinstall Windows 2000. Would this give me lesser performance than having the SATA drive as the boot drive?
#2- Find another machine where I can make a floppy with the SATA drivers and try to complete the Windows 2000 install on the SATA hard drive.

Any other advice or suggestions?

[TechGaloot]

Last update - I went with option #2 and made a floppy with the SATA drivers. All works now. (But it did take several tries and about 4 hours. Not fun.)

[Katreat]

Glad everything is up and running. Why did you want windows 2000 as your OS?

Kat

[TechGaloot]

Originally Posted by Katreat Glad everything is up and running. Why did you want windows 2000 as your OS? Kat

Because I already have it. Actually I'd prefer any OS other than Microsoft if it would play games.

[Katreat]

If you are playing games I would find yourself a copy of XP, will work much better for longer. It was also around for so long that in general it is very stable. XP was the first windows that I actually began to like........

Kat

[TechGaloot]

Kat, yes I know. But I still can't get over the online activation. That is way to intrusive for me.

[doubledragon5]

You may have to call MS if your having problems with the online activation... I have had to do this in the past..

[amdalex]

Does windows 2000 require an activation?

[TechGaloot]

Originally Posted by amdalex Does windows 2000 require an activation?

No.

I used this install CD for my last 4 home built computers. What kinds of hoops would I have had to jump through if I had XP? And yes, I uninstalled it from each computer being retired (and totally disassembled).

[amdalex]

Ok, thanks now I can use my Win. 2000 CD on a computer whose power supply destroyed everything hooked up to a molex connection but left the motherboard unphased.