Unable to reinstall old Windows versions 3

[vfp4ever]

Hello,


I am experiencing problems in reinstalling old Windows versions on an old PC equipped with a 300GB hard-disk drive (and NO internet access, seemingly virus free), where several versions have worked flawlessly for nearly two decades (Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP)... until the moment I had the bad idea to try Windows 7 - and soon afterwards Ubuntu.

Either Windows 7 and Ubuntu do install and work at some extent (RAM is limited to 512MB and a Sempron CPU does the best it can), but since the time I "polluted" the system with those "new" OSs I am not able to downgrade back to any of the above-mentioned older versions. All of the bootable CDs I have, whether it's Windows 98 ME 2000 or XP, will start formatting the hard-disk, copy their files and successfully get to the first reboot (when you remove the Setup disk from the CD drive). Once the computer is restarted all goes blank with no message whatsoever. It seems as if something is wrong with the master boot record (MBR) or the partition that has been newly created. If I try to resume the setup and get to the console recovery, I will see partition(s) are either unknown or damaged (although Setup itself did it - with no error message). On the other hand, if I install Windows 7 (or Ubuntu) the installation process completes and the OS runs fine (but still remains unusable compared to older Windows versions).

I believe either Windows 7 or Ubuntu have changed something in my HDD that no utility that I am aware of seems to fix: format, fdisk, diskpart. I have even tried with a Ubuntu live CD "Boot-Repair Disk", from which I create a NTFS partition and format the drive before launching a new Windows Setup, but every time Setup gets there the partition(s) seem to be unknown or damaged and a new format is needed. And the loop goes on forever.

Is there a way to convince my hard-disk drive that with an older OS installed it will run as fast as before? Thank you for any suggestion you might give.


Regards,
Dario

 

[pmonett]

Did you try deleting the Master Boot Record ? That's where "modern" OSes do their tricks these days.
Here is an

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/delete-mbr-partition-hard-drive-56123.html

explanation on how the MBR works.
You see, when you give the order to reformat the drive, most products will just reformat what comes after the MBR, so you never get rid of the problem.
I think you need to find a tool that will allow you to erase the MBR, then use your trusty old Windows install from last millenium and it should work.

I've got nothing to hide, and I demand that you justify what right you have to ask.

 

[goombawaho]

Why would people help others who are using ancient operating systems? That seems kind of like co-dependence in my mind.

 

[Andrzejek]

It is a free country. Well, a free world (unless you live in one of ‘those’ countries).
So, if someone wants to go back to Windows 1, or MS-DOS, or even GM-NAA I/O – why stop them? They don't harm anyone...



---- Andy

"Hmm...they have the internet on computers now"--Homer Simpson

 

[spamjim]

I have even tried with a Ubuntu live CD "Boot-Repair Disk", from which I create a NTFS partition and format the drive before launching a new Windows Setup, but every time Setup gets there the partition(s) seem to be unknown or damaged and a new format is needed.

The error here is creating a formatted partition. You need a drive without any partition data or table.

Boot from either the Ubunutu live CD and run gparted (or get a bootable gparted CD from

https://gparted.org/).

Then remove all partitions and leave the drive unformatted. I believe there's an option under gparted's device menu to wipe out the partition table.

The next step is to take a baseball bat and swing it at your head until the idea of installing old systems becomes a distant memory.

Finally, use another computer (or a piece of paper) to calculate the cost to the environment of continuing to power this relic versus putting it in a landfill. A $50 Raspberry Pi is better than this 20-y-o doorstop. If there is a legitimate need or nostalgia for running an old system, do so in a virtual machine. You're poking a stick at a corpse.

 

[goombawaho]

If you're on the internet with those older operating systems, it can be a problem with botnets. Sorry to hijack.

 

[Andrzejek]

goombawaho, from OP:

... and NO internet access, ...

---- Andy

"Hmm...they have the internet on computers now"--Homer Simpson

 

[goombawaho]

Understood that in THIS instance, but in general my statement applies.

 

[spamjim]

Also, from OP:

...seemingly virus free...

I'm not a fan of "seemingly". There are ways to know for certain. While the internet is a great place to get malware (or to join a botnet), it is not the only source. The "brain virus" from the pre-internet 1980s (or any other rootkit) could certainly mess with your MBR and cause boot troubles with unusual partitions.

 

[vfp4ever]

Thanks pmonett for your ideas,

while the creation of a GRUB by Ubuntu (messing up the MBR) might represent a valid explanation, I found out that I completely forgot about the 137GB size limit that Windows 2000 can see when it first installs. So eventually I managed to get Windows Setup to format an 80GB partition, install and successfully reboot. Then, after upgrading to Service Pack 4, I added the EnableBigLba registry key so that I could finally see in Disk Management my NTFS formatted C: partition of 80GB and the 220GB chunk of unallocated space. Now I am trying to merge the two to get back to the old 300GB drive. Although that would not explain why all this mess happened, it would definitely solve my problem. Anybody has an idea on how I can extend the current volume to its maximum size (just take into account that diskpart is not included in Windows 2000 SP4)? Windows 7's diskpart did the trick in just a couple of moves (launching Windows 7 Setup, opening the Command window with Shift+F10 and calling diskpart.exe). Now my 300GB C: hard-disk is up again and running.

As for the other posts... There are so many silly people out there insisting on driving vintage cars, listening to old long-playing records on vintage turntables and tube amplifiers, restoring and proudly exhibiting antique radios, dressing some silly clothes resembling 1970s outfits, etc... and nobody bothers them at all. Why dealing with an outdated piece of hardware/software always seems to raise such a silly opposition in all computer forums? I have seen hundreds of non-sense contributions such as "why do you want to do that?", "throw that piece of junk" and similar statements in so many forums around, addressed to a plethora of users who certainly have their own good reasons to use that junk. There could be several reasons why I would want to have an old system running a few metres away from my latest 2,000-dollar machine, perhaps just my old Agfa scanner whose drivers are not available for later Windows releases (and whose quality is far better than any non-professional scanner you can buy now).


Regards,
Dario

 

[spamjim]

There's nothing wrong with wanting to maintain old equipment. I have computers older than yours in storage for archival use. You simply gave signs that you didn't know what you were doing and I was trying to save you some time/energy. Your attempt to install Win7 and Linux revealed that this wasn't really an essential piece of hardware for running an old scanner. Win7 isn't even supposed to be installed on hardware with less than 1 GB RAM.

There are plenty of free virtual machine options to run older systems and applications on your new computer. You can also connect old scanners to it...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=usb+to+parallel+port

 

[german12]

I don't understand something.
VFP4ever just wanted to know how to get back to an old version of Windows.
He only needs a solution for this - and attempts have been made to help him.
But then someone comes with an opinion about the sense of such actions - and that puts you on the sidelines to search for a solution.
That is not does not lead to the goal that this forum should have.
You can propose a solution, but at the same time warn - but without offering a solution - and only warn - what's the point?
That certainly doesn't help VFP4ever.

Klaus

Peace worldwide - it starts here...

 

[spamjim]

german12, this is an open forum with no obligation for anyone to limit discussion to only offering a targeted solution. For example, your post has nothing to do with a solution. Discussions can always wander.

I value the input of anybody that answers my own questions with "are you sure you want to do that?...here's why that may not be ideal...

 

[xwb]

Another solution would be to wipe the entire disk with something like [URL unfurl="true"]https://dban.org/[/url]. I normally use this if
[ul]
[li]the MBR got corrupted[/li]
[li]there are partitions that just will not go away, however many times they get deleted[/li]
[li]the disk weirdly ends up with more than 1 primary partition. This confuses some of the tools and they refuse to do anything[/li]
[/ul]