Unfortunately, it is not possible to boot a clean copy of Win2k (or any
version of NT) from a floppy disk. The startup disks that you can create
from the FreePCtech boot disk area are intended to start a new install
or repair an existing installation. A "simple boot" disk for NT consists
only of a few files to get you going and directs the true boot process
from the hard drive - that is what you wanted to avoid!

The only way to boot a clean version of Win2k for the purposes you
wanted is to install a second copy of Win2k into another system
directory. Name it "WinAlt" or something other than what your current
installation is named. Do a minimal install without any "extras". You
can then boot this minimal version which you know to be free of viruses
and then run the antivirus software on the whole drive. Of course, you
can do this minimal install using a CDROM as the boot device instead of
a floppy.

There is another operating mode for NT, and that is the management
console. It is a special boot option that loads a minimum of device
driers to avoid possible driver problems - not that we ever have driver
problems mind you :).

Hope this helps a bit. There is a whole lot to learn about NT for those
who had been used to the DOS (includes Win9x) environment.

Peter
------------------
The NoSpin Group
[log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
I think I understand what you said, Peter :--))

Except I'm not sure about the number of floppies.  You say "a single
floppy can get you started with the boot loader".

Er...well, as there are four of them, which one?

And do I understand that the floppy (which ever one it is) will only get
the boot started - but the boot won't complete without a (bootable, I
take it?) CD, or OS on the HDD?

Ian Porter

                         PCSOFT's List Owner's:
                      Bob Wright<[log in to unmask]>
                       Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>