Installing Win2K on Western Digital HDD

[CalGuyInFL]

Id like to know if anyone else has experienced this.
Ive got a generic WD 10Gb 5400rpm drive on my AMD K62-500 backup/experimental machine. It had Win ME and NT Server installed on it functioning perfectly. I wanted to install Win2k Pro. I tried various methods of installation including reformatting the entire drive and doing a clean install. Every install resulted in some error indicating the hard drive.
I ran WD's diagnostics on it and it indicated the drive had multiple errors, an error code, and contact Tech support. I did so, they sent me a new drive, it is no better. Win2k indicates a corrupt drive, WD diagnostics give me the same error code.
Now, I wrote zeroes to the drive using the WD Diags and a new scan of the drive results in an error free drive.
It is not the drive that causes the errors indicated by Win2k. Ive installed ME with no problems and am about to install NT 4 again. Ive used 2 different versions of Win2k, Server and Pro. Same results.
Does Win2k not like WD 10Gb drives? Im ready to give it away in favor of a Quantum but I thought Id see if anyone had a clue. Ill try WD Tech support at some point but the last guy I talked to seemed clueless.

Any ideas? Thanks, Mike

[GroundZero3]

have you tried the ez-installer from WD site??

JaYsin

[CalGuyInFL]

Not yet G Zero. Wasnt aware of it. Ive been installing using a Win98 startup disk as was recommended to me. Will give it a shot. Thanks.

[Jim999]

I think I'd shy away from ez-installer. You found the problem...

"I ran WD's diagnostics on it and it indicated the drive had multiple errors, an error code, and contact Tech support. I did so, they sent me a new drive, it is no better. Win2k indicates a corrupt drive, WD diagnostics give me the same error code."

You're trying to put Windows 2000 on a broken drive or on a drive that your system's BIOS can't correctly drive. If the mfgr's diagnostic program says it's bad, it's not going to get any better or more reliable with Windows 2000 on it.

Find a drive that has no errors reported bu the diag utility and Windows 2000 will most likely go on there just fine.

[CalGuyInFL]

Thing I dont get is that after writing zeroes to the drive after having received the error message, the drive shows no errors. ME installs no sweat, will let you know on NT.
Is it something in WD's firmware that Win2k doesnt like?

I appreciate the response.

Mike

[BFlurie]

How exactly did you partition it -- one single FAT32?
It sounds like your BIOS is having some trouble with the >8.4G drive. It may be that the error isn't enough to interfere w/WinME, but NTand/or W2K has more teeth and claws and may not be able to overlook it. It could be that the end of the partition is spilling over the drive "boundaries". D/l & run "Partinfo.exe" from the Powerquest site & see what it sez. Also, the latest mobo BIOS update may help.

[NDC]

Smooth sailing for me with WD on Win2K...