# reset of old windows 2000



## mnec01 (Oct 25, 2010)

we have a old NEC with win 2000 on it, my niece was using it and now my Mom has expressed a interest in learning about computer. Catch is that she doesn't want us to spend any money on a new computer and wants to use this old laptop to learn and see if she might want a newer one, Second catch my niece has long since forgotten her old admin password.

Is there a way to reset the the computer back to Day one from Doss or Bios? So that Windows 2000 is still functional but all the stuff my niece put on it gone. If so How would I do this?
I realize this is crazy question but mom is adamant that we do it this way.


----------



## Squashman (Apr 4, 2003)

Please read the forum rules before posting anymore questions on the forums.
Thanks,
http://www.techguy.org/rules.html


----------



## mnec01 (Oct 25, 2010)

I did read and saw the point about passwords but since I am not asking for help with the password but resetting a whole computer and a old one at that I didn't feel i was in violation of the password rule. I am sorry if you feel I was


----------



## TheOutcaste (Aug 8, 2007)

A system that old is unlikely to have a Recovery Partition, and without a password, your only option is to re-install Windows. If you don't have the Windows 2000 Disc, you can always install a version of Linux, which is free.

Knoppix
Linux Mint
Puppy Linux
Ubuntu


----------



## Ed999 (Aug 19, 2008)

Here's some useful information about Windows 2000 for you -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_2000

You will probably find the Recovery Console included on the Windows 2000 installation CD helpful to you in diagnosing and solving this problem -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_Console

From the recovery console you can: 

write a new Master Boot Record to a disc, using the fixmbr command
write a new Volume Boot Record to a volume, using the fixboot command
format volumes ("drives")
expand files from the compressed format in which they are stored on the installation CD-ROM
perform a full CHKDSK scan to repair corrupted disks and files, if the computer cannot be started properly.
All you need is a valid installation CD for this Operating System. Typical cost US$20 on eBay.


----------



## Ima Hallmark (Nov 13, 2010)

hera is a useful boot cd with alot of tools that should solve your problem. I don't think I'm in violation of password rules considering all the non password tools on the iso.


----------



## Ed999 (Aug 19, 2008)

Firstly a warning: I haven't tried this myself.

However, it has been suggested to me on occasion that a system powerful enough to run Windows 2000 will normally be powerful enough to run Windows XP instead. I've even bumped into people who tell me they've run Windows XP successfully on systems that originally used Windows ME, let alone Windows 2000.

So if you're intending to do a complete reinstall of Windows, an additional option that would probably work is to install Windows XP instead of Windows 2000 if you've lost the Windows 2000 installation CD, and are casting around for options.


----------



## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

Unless you have the install disk that came with the computer or unless the computer has a working recovery partition, then you'll have to treat any reinstall of an OS - even the Windows 2000 OS - as a complete new install on bare metal.

I have not installed Win2K in an eon, but I recall it being a real PITA to install on bare metal. I don't recall all the details but I seem to recall having some real issues a few times.

Also, after it is installed, then you have to do the driver hunt. Which will have you on the internet looking for things. Which is OK...but something you'll have to do.

For that matter, any fresh install of any OS on bare metal is likely to have issues that you'll have to resolve.

Your easiest choice is to just clean up the current installation and give it to your mother. The password can be cracked, and you'll have to google for that because of this forum's rules.

A better choice might be to install a Linux distro on the box. Since your mother is just starting out, she won't have the Windows preconceptions that get in the way of so many people, and those who start without preconceptions on a Linux distro with a modern desktop environment will like it just fine.

The downside to this, of course, is that you very well may have to deal with some hardware issues...it is an install on bare metal, after all...and if you do it and you don't know Linux it will be a problem for you. Also, if she comes to you for support and you don't know Linux...etc. 

That said, a fresh install of Linux on bare metal is probably more likely to work "out of the box" than a fresh install of Windows. This is because Linux expects to be installed on bare metal, where most Windows installations come pre-installed. So a modern Linux distro is quite good at probing hardware, determining what it needs, and going out on the net to get it.

One thing: due to copyright laws, most Linux distros will have limited multimedia capability out of the box and you'll have to download and install a lot of stuff on your own to bring the multimedia up to snuff. Some distros will help you with this (OpenSUSE for instance does a pretty nice job of helping with that, for instance), others leave you to do it on your own.

You can download a Linux Live CD that runs totally off of the CD and makes no changes to the hard drive in order to evaluate Linux on your box. There are many choices of live CDs, so you can try different distros and see how they do.

It is something for you to consider, anyway.


----------



## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

Hmmm...

Guess I should have checked the dates before posting...


----------



## Stoner (Oct 26, 2002)

Just noting that a fresh install of win2k can be accomplished by using the I386 folder that exists typically on the C drive.
Remember to save the install key before the original system is wiped.

Yeah, the thread is a little old, but the info can help others


----------



## Ed999 (Aug 19, 2008)

This o/p was being given a hard time for asking about serial numbers / product keys.

In fact, on most old versions of Windows the "product key" (serial number) is stored - in plain text, unencrypted - in the Windows Registry, and can be easily recovered from there.

I'm not familiar with Windows 2000 specifically, but in Win98/98SE/ME it was stored in the Registry at -

*HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion*

and could be obtained at the DOS prompt by typing the following at the C:> prompt (one command per line, press enter after typing each line) -

*PATH=A:;C:;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND*
*FIND "ProductKey" C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT > C:\ProductKey.txt*

You end up with a file called ProductKey.txt in the C: drive's root directory, containing the product key!


----------

