I've performed a few installations of Windows 2000 on the AL440LX, as well as on several other computers. There are no compatibility problems between Windows 2000 and the AL440LX.  From my perspective, I've seen great improvements in stability, networking, and power management.  The hibernate function is fully functional as well.

The biggest problem area you are likely to encounter is software/hardware compatibility. Microsoft provides a Windows 2000 compatibility utility, available from their website at www.microsoft.com/windows2000.  This utility performs a check on your system and reports any incompatibility it detects between your hardware and software.  The report that the program provides is not always 100% accurate; from my observations, it tends to err on the conservative side.  For example, the upgrade utility reported that my Paperport Strobe (parallel) would not work with Windows 2000. However, after tweaking the parallel port settings, my scanner worked fine.

This guide will step you through setting up Windows 2000 for a dual boot installation.  When your computer boots, you will have the option of booting to Windows 2000 or your existing operating system.  Windows 2000 set itself to be the default OS when you install it, but you can modify this to allow your existing OS to boot by default.

• Check your system for hardware and software compatibility

Run the Windows 2000 upgrade utility available from Microsoft.  This should alert you to any hardware/software problems that you'll likely encounter.

 

• Prepare your yourself

  Whether you are building a new system, upgrading an old one, or just installing (or reinstalling) Windows 2000, make sure you have all of the necessary files before you start the process.  The Windows 2000 upgrade utility should alert you to any hardware that will require updated Windows 2000 drivers from the manufacturer.  Also make sure that you have all of your Dial-Up Networking/Network/Internet settings written down before you begin.
   

• Prepare your system

  This installation is best accomplished with minimal hardware inside your computer. I recommend you remove all of your add in cards (with the obvious exception of your video card) and disconnect any peripherals from your parallel, serial, and USB ports (again, with the obvious exception of your keyboard and mouse).
   

• Clean up your hard drive

Take the time to go through your hard drive and delete any unnecessary programs and files.  You'll need about 500 MB for Windows 2000, plus room for any programs you need to install.
 

• Update the BIOS on your motherboard

  
  Make sure you using the most up to date BIOS for the motherboard (or the one that works best for you). You can obtain the BIOS and update utility from Intel's site, or you can check out my BIOS page.  My personal recommendation is BIOS 14.  There are a few minor bugs, but overall I believe it is the best revision available.
    

• Clear the ESCD portion of your BIOS

  Regardless of whether you just upgraded your BIOS, or already had your favorite BIOS version installed, you need to clear the ESCD portion of the BIOS. The ESCD portion of the BIOS is a writeable part of the system BIOS where Windows stores configuration data for your computer, such as I/O addresses and IRQs for PNP devices.

  To clear this portion of the BIOS, enter the BIOS setup and set "Reset Configuration Data" to "Yes." This will clear the ESCD portion of the BIOS on reboot.
   

• Check your BIOS settings

  
  While you're in the BIOS resetting the ESCD portion of the BIOS, go ahead and check your configuration settings. Here are my suggestions:

  Reset Configuration Data            YES                This will reset the ESCD portion of the BIOS

  Plug and Play OS                       YES                Windows 98 is a Plug and Play operation system, and works well with this selected

  Legacy USB Support                 Disabled          

  Under the boot menu, make sure that your CD-ROM is searched before your hard drive. I recommend that you make removable devices (your floppy drive) first, your CD-ROM drive second, and your hard drive third. Windows 2000 will boot and install directly from the CD-ROM.
   

• Install Windows 2000

  Insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM into your machine, and boot your computer. After the BIOS POST, you should get a message to "Press any key to boot from CD". Do so, and the installation process should begin.

  After you agree to the licensing agreement, setup should ask you which drive/partition you wish to install Windows 2000 to. I recommend installing it to a separate hard drive or partition, if you have one available.

  On the next screen, there will be a list of file system options. By default, "Leave the current file system intact (no changes)" will be highlighted. Press ENTER to accept this selection.

  NOTE: DO NOT convert the boot partition (C:) to NTFS. If the boot partition is converted to NTFS,  your previous installation of Windows 95/98 will be rendered inoperable.

  The setup program will scan the hard drive for errors and begin copying the Windows 2000 files to the hard drive. Once copying is complete, setup will ask to reboot the computer. When the computer reboots, you will be asked again to "Press any key to boot from CD".  Do not boot from the CD this time.

  Setup will continue, and ask you for information such as regional settings and the product key. Once this is complete, it will detect and install your hardware. When the installation is complete, reboot the system. Windows 2000 should start by default.

   

• Change the default operating system (optional)

  When you boot your computer, a text menu should pop up asking you which OS you wish to boot.  By default, Windows 2000 will be started, unless you select otherwise at the menu. It is possible to change the default OS by doing the following:

  1. Right click on "My Computer" and select Properties.

  2. Select the Advanced tab, and select the Startup and Recovery button.

  3. Change the setting in the Default Operating System drop-down window to Microsoft Windows, or the appropriate selection for your operating system. Select OK and close the window.

  The next time you boot your computer, your previous operating system should be started by default.

  

• Install your remaining hardware drivers and software

  You're done setting up the motherboard. Now it's time to finish installing any hardware or update the drivers that wasn't properly setup by the Windows 2000 installation, such as:

  Sound Card
  Scanner
  USB Devices
  Modem
  Printer
  Mouse
  Zip/Tape drive

  The detection algorithm for Windows 2000 is light years ahead of what was available in Windows 9x. However, I still suggest that you install your remaining hardware one item at a time, rebooting between installations. Once you have all of the drivers installed and the device is fully operational, move on and install the next one. The install will go much more smoothly this way.
   

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