Thread: Issues with Removing Windows 2000 and Reinstalling Windows NT 4.0

SUMMARY:

Remove Windows 2000 and installing Windows NT 4.0 is a manual process; there is no uninstalling process available. This article explains defensive steps that you should take to protect data before you try to remove Windows 2000 and install Windows NT 4.0 on your PC.

MORE INFORMATION:

The simplest way to remove Windows 2000 from your PC and install Windows NT 4.0 is the backup of all data and files you want to keep, repair and breakdown all drives, install Windows NT 4.0, install the latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack to install your programs, and then restore your data.

Before you delete Windows 2000 from your PC, view the following topics:
a. Backing up data
b. NTFS considerations
c. FAT32 considerations
d. Encryption
e. Profiles issues
f. Boot sector
g. Deleting files and folders
h. Dynamic disks
Backing Up Data
Before you remove or install an operating system, back up all files in the PC to avoid accidentally deleted files. This is especially important if you have FAT32-formatted partitions, because these partitions are not available under Windows NT 4.0. There are also some limitations of the NTFS file system after you upgrade your computer to Windows 2000 Copy all files on a network share on removable media, or a backup using a backup program that is friendly with both Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0. once Windows NT 4.0, the latest service pack and reinstall all programs, you can restore the data.

NTFS Considerations

When Windows 2000 install, all NTFS volumes on your PC, update to the version of NTFS that is included in Windows 2000. Although Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 or later can read and write access to these stations, there are some limitations. Applications like to Chkdsk integrated with Windows NT 4.0 are not working properly, and you can only access the repair and the Chkdsk utility included in Windows 2000, while both operating systems, or when the Recovery Console for both operating system . Some better functions and reparse points as encryption, are not available, and files are encrypted or reparse points are not accessible on Windows NT 4.0. For these reasons, Microsoft recommends that you back up all data and then reformat it NTFS drives during installation or after installation of Windows NT 4.0.


FAT32 Considerations

Windows NT 4.0 does not support FAT32 File system but windows 2000 support. FAT32-formatted partitions do not exist under Windows NT 4.0, and data on these partitions is not accessible unless you are dual-booting with another operating system that supports FAT32, such as Windows 98. The system drives have the boot files and the boot drives that have the Winnt folder cannot be a FAT32-formatted partition. You must back up all data placed in FAT32 partitions, and then format them with either FAT or NTFS. You can execute this also during Windows NT 4.0 Setup or afterward.

Windows NT 4.0 does not support the encryption of files on NTFS drives but windows 2000 support. Files encrypted under Windows 2000 do not exist under Windows NT 4.0. You need to decrypt the files before you back them up so that they are be existing after you install Windows NT 4.0.

Profiles Issues

Profiles are stored in many places by default in Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000. The default location for profiles in Windows NT 4.0 is the Systemroot \ Profiles folder. In Windows 2000, the default location is the SystemDrive \ Documents and Settings folder. However, if you upgrade from Windows NT 4.0, the profiles are still in the Systemroot \ Profiles folder. Profiles usually have a number of data files and any other information that may be essential, delete the System Root folder when you delete files, can delete these files. Because of this, it is important that you back up these files first.

Boot Sector

If you do not partition or format the system disk, and you do not install Windows NT 4.0, the boot sector is still at the station. This is not a problem if the disk is formatted with the FAT filesystem. However, if you reinstall Windows NT 4.0, the Windows 2000 boot sector overwritten. If not, you can use the Windows NT 4.0 Repair and selection process to overwrite the boot sector. In many cases, Microsoft advice that first you start with a Windows 98 / Windows 95 boot floppy first, and then the sys command on the drive to execute a repair process or the installation of Windows NT 4.0.

If you partition or format the drives, a few of these files and folders are not there. There will be files on the system drive that the PC boots from and there will be files and folders on the boot drive that contains the SystemRoot folder, usually the Winnt folder. These two drives/partitions can be the same place or they may be on separate volumes. Before you remove any folders, confirm that you have a good backup of any files that you want to have available after you reinstall Windows NT 4.0. If you delete these files, Windows 2000 is unavailable. You must have the Boot.ini, Ntldr and Ntdetect.com files from Windows NT 4.0 to boot Windows NT 4.0.

On the System Drive

• Ntldr
• Ntdetect.com
• Boot.ini
• Recycle Bin

On the Boot Drive

• The SystemRoot folder in most cases is the Winnt folder, by default.
• The Program Files folder
• The Documents and Settings folder, unless you upgraded from Windows NT 4.0
• The Pagefile.sys and Hiberfil.sys files.

Microsoft suggests that you install Windows NT 4.0 in its own partition, not a partition that contains an installation of Windows 2000. However, there may be cases where this is not possible, or installing Windows NT 4.0 back on your PC can be time considerably. If you have only one partition is available, and if that partition has enough disk space for installation, use the following method:

After you rename the two folders and swap the boot sector with one from the Windows 95 or Windows 98 Startup disk, you can install Windows NT 4.0. You must have the three Windows NT 4.0 boot floppy disks to start Windows NT 4.0 Setup. If not install, you can start by using a Windows 98 Startup disk or a bootable disk that contains your CD-ROM drivers, and then run Winnt.exe. These copy the files from the CD-ROM to the local hard disk and make the three boot floppy.

Dynamic Disks

Windows 2000 maintain dynamic disks but Windows NT 4.0 does not Convert dynamic disks to basic disks before you remove Windows 2000 and install Windows NT 4.0, if not they will not be existing under Windows NT 4.0.

Dynamic Disks

Before you delete Windows 2000 and install Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 supports dynamic disks but Windows NT 4.0 does not. Convert dynamic disks to basic disks, or else they will not be existing under Windows NT 4.0.