[GUIDE] Windows 2000 on Intel Sandy Bridge and later with ACPI
Posted: 27 Oct 2021, 19:31
This guide will teach you how to install Windows 2000 to Intel Sandy Bridge or later platforms with working ACPI and SATA drivers.
Here's what you will need:
A separate laptop with 7 or later (Not sure about 7, but I do know 8.1 and later will for sure work).
nlite: https://www.nliteos.com/download/nLite-1.4.9.3.setup.exe
IMGBURN or your favorite CD/DVD image burning software.
SATA drivers: http://win2k.org/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?file=iata76_cd2ka.zip
Modded ACPI.SYS: http://win2k.org/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?file=acpi.cab
Latest 64bit Linux burned to USB with Rufus in Legacy mode.
Run as administrator command prompt (Open start menu, type CMD, right click, and click Run as Administrator)
MakeCab.exe (in the C:\Windows\System32 directory).
Cabarc.exe: https://www.mediafire.com/file/07aylmvglqm6k5h/cabarc.exe/file
Windows 2000 ISO extracted to folder named Windows 2000 on the Desktop using 7zip
A USB separate from the Linux USB with blackwingcat's modded ACPI.SYS stored on it (more on why this is necessary later).
1. Setup nlite, your favorite DVD burning software (such as IMGBURN), and 7zip (if you don't already have it).
2. Download the SATA driver and ACPI.CAB files linked to above and move the cab files to the desktop. Also download the Cabarc file I linked to above and place that on the desktop as well. Also locate MakeCab.exe as well. This is in the C:\Windows\System32 directory already so no installation is needed.
3. Next, we have to extract the SATA and ACPI cab files. Run this command (If you put the files where I told you to, you can just simply copy and paste this command, changing YourUserNameHere with your Windows account name) in an Administrator command prompt (Make sure you create a folder named iata76_cd2kh on the desktop): expand -F:* \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\iata76_cd2kh.cab \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\iata76_cd2kh (for the SATA) expand -F:* \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\acpi.cab \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\ (for ACPI). Once the commands complete, the SATA drivers should be in the aforementioned folder and the ACPI.SYS file should be on the desktop.
4. Navigate to MakeCab.exe and drag acpi.sys to it. This will create acpi.sy_. Rename it to ACPI.SY_.
5. If you haven't already, extract your Windows 2000 ISO to a folder on the desktop named Windows 2000.
6. Navigate to the i386 directory and find the original ACPI.SY_ file. Delete this and copy the modded ACPI.SY_ in. Next up, find the DRIVER.CAB file and move it to the desktop. Create a folder named DRIVER and then using an admin command prompt, run this command to extract the files: -F:* \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\DRIVER.CAB \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\DRIVER. Open up the DRIVER folder and find ACPI.SYS and delete it. Move blackwingcat's acpi.sys in and rename it to ACPI.SYS. Also delete the original DRIVER.CAB file from the desktop
7. In the command prompt, run this command: cd C:\Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\DRIVER. This will change the directory to the DRIVER folder. Once done, run this command: dir /b > ..\filelist.txt. It will create a file named filelist.txt on the desktop.
8. Next up, run this command: ..\cabarc.exe -m LZX:21 -p -r -i 65349 N ..\DRIVER.CAB @..\filelist.txt. This will rebuild DRIVER.CAB. Once it is done, you can move it back into the i386 folder.
9. Now, open up nlite and point it to the Windows 2000 folder on the desktop. On the options screen, select Drivers and Bootable ISO. On the next screen, select Insert and Multiple Driver Folder. Chose the iata76_cd2kh folder. Once it shows a list of drivers, select all of them. Let it integrate them. Once done, have it make a bootable ISO. Give it a name and then select Make Bootable ISO. Give it the same name again and save the ISO to the desktop.
10. Once done, open your DVD burner and burn it to a DVD.
11. Load up your computer and install Windows normally (Do not press F5, F6, or F7). After the second phase of setup is complete, insert the Linux USB and remove the Windows 2000 CD. Press F12 or whatever the hotkey is to boot into the USB. Select Try Ubuntu from the USB. Load it up. On the other computer, if you haven't already, copy blackwingcat's ACPI.SYS to a separate USB, Insert that into the other computer once done there. Navigate to your Windows 2000 hard drive and navigate to WinNT\System32\Drivers folder. Look for acpi.sys and delete it. Load up the other USB in a separate window and move in blackwingcat's ACPI.SYS to the folder. Also search for USBhub20.sys and delete it. Use Unbuntu's restart command, remove both USB's, press enter, and let it load Windows 2000. The last setup stuff it has to do will complete and you will be at your desktop in no time.
NOTE: There are USB wi-di adapters that support Windows 2000, so if you use one, you can use the unofficial Windows Update tool to grab the updates. You can also have success if your computer has Realtek Ethernet as that STILL has 2000 support even to this day!
I hope this helps you guys out! Credit to mswin.bat, Vruh 2, and lambdacore over at Betawiki Discord and also to blackwingcat for helping me out here! This would not have been possible without their help (with rebuilding the cab file and the custom made sata and acpi driver).
Here's what you will need:
A separate laptop with 7 or later (Not sure about 7, but I do know 8.1 and later will for sure work).
nlite: https://www.nliteos.com/download/nLite-1.4.9.3.setup.exe
IMGBURN or your favorite CD/DVD image burning software.
SATA drivers: http://win2k.org/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?file=iata76_cd2ka.zip
Modded ACPI.SYS: http://win2k.org/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?file=acpi.cab
Latest 64bit Linux burned to USB with Rufus in Legacy mode.
Run as administrator command prompt (Open start menu, type CMD, right click, and click Run as Administrator)
MakeCab.exe (in the C:\Windows\System32 directory).
Cabarc.exe: https://www.mediafire.com/file/07aylmvglqm6k5h/cabarc.exe/file
Windows 2000 ISO extracted to folder named Windows 2000 on the Desktop using 7zip
A USB separate from the Linux USB with blackwingcat's modded ACPI.SYS stored on it (more on why this is necessary later).
1. Setup nlite, your favorite DVD burning software (such as IMGBURN), and 7zip (if you don't already have it).
2. Download the SATA driver and ACPI.CAB files linked to above and move the cab files to the desktop. Also download the Cabarc file I linked to above and place that on the desktop as well. Also locate MakeCab.exe as well. This is in the C:\Windows\System32 directory already so no installation is needed.
3. Next, we have to extract the SATA and ACPI cab files. Run this command (If you put the files where I told you to, you can just simply copy and paste this command, changing YourUserNameHere with your Windows account name) in an Administrator command prompt (Make sure you create a folder named iata76_cd2kh on the desktop): expand -F:* \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\iata76_cd2kh.cab \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\iata76_cd2kh (for the SATA) expand -F:* \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\acpi.cab \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\ (for ACPI). Once the commands complete, the SATA drivers should be in the aforementioned folder and the ACPI.SYS file should be on the desktop.
4. Navigate to MakeCab.exe and drag acpi.sys to it. This will create acpi.sy_. Rename it to ACPI.SY_.
5. If you haven't already, extract your Windows 2000 ISO to a folder on the desktop named Windows 2000.
6. Navigate to the i386 directory and find the original ACPI.SY_ file. Delete this and copy the modded ACPI.SY_ in. Next up, find the DRIVER.CAB file and move it to the desktop. Create a folder named DRIVER and then using an admin command prompt, run this command to extract the files: -F:* \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\DRIVER.CAB \Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\DRIVER. Open up the DRIVER folder and find ACPI.SYS and delete it. Move blackwingcat's acpi.sys in and rename it to ACPI.SYS. Also delete the original DRIVER.CAB file from the desktop
7. In the command prompt, run this command: cd C:\Users\YourUserNameHere\Desktop\DRIVER. This will change the directory to the DRIVER folder. Once done, run this command: dir /b > ..\filelist.txt. It will create a file named filelist.txt on the desktop.
8. Next up, run this command: ..\cabarc.exe -m LZX:21 -p -r -i 65349 N ..\DRIVER.CAB @..\filelist.txt. This will rebuild DRIVER.CAB. Once it is done, you can move it back into the i386 folder.
9. Now, open up nlite and point it to the Windows 2000 folder on the desktop. On the options screen, select Drivers and Bootable ISO. On the next screen, select Insert and Multiple Driver Folder. Chose the iata76_cd2kh folder. Once it shows a list of drivers, select all of them. Let it integrate them. Once done, have it make a bootable ISO. Give it a name and then select Make Bootable ISO. Give it the same name again and save the ISO to the desktop.
10. Once done, open your DVD burner and burn it to a DVD.
11. Load up your computer and install Windows normally (Do not press F5, F6, or F7). After the second phase of setup is complete, insert the Linux USB and remove the Windows 2000 CD. Press F12 or whatever the hotkey is to boot into the USB. Select Try Ubuntu from the USB. Load it up. On the other computer, if you haven't already, copy blackwingcat's ACPI.SYS to a separate USB, Insert that into the other computer once done there. Navigate to your Windows 2000 hard drive and navigate to WinNT\System32\Drivers folder. Look for acpi.sys and delete it. Load up the other USB in a separate window and move in blackwingcat's ACPI.SYS to the folder. Also search for USBhub20.sys and delete it. Use Unbuntu's restart command, remove both USB's, press enter, and let it load Windows 2000. The last setup stuff it has to do will complete and you will be at your desktop in no time.
NOTE: There are USB wi-di adapters that support Windows 2000, so if you use one, you can use the unofficial Windows Update tool to grab the updates. You can also have success if your computer has Realtek Ethernet as that STILL has 2000 support even to this day!
I hope this helps you guys out! Credit to mswin.bat, Vruh 2, and lambdacore over at Betawiki Discord and also to blackwingcat for helping me out here! This would not have been possible without their help (with rebuilding the cab file and the custom made sata and acpi driver).