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A rchive Date
[ 22-02-2005 ]
Category
[ Information Technologies ]
sub-Categoy
[ Microsoft ]
      [Wide Angle

      Windows 2000's big headaches
      By John Taschek
      November 8, 1999 9:00 AM ET

      Software is supposed to be getting easier to use. Yeah, right. All software does is make it easier for someone to make money off you, as demonstrated by Windows 2000 Professional RC2. Granted, Windows 2000 is in beta, but so is every other operating system from Microsoft, including the ones in shipping form. That's why I have no problems writing about it.

      Here's my horrid account of getting the OS to run.

      My system is typical. I have a Tyan S1680S motherboard, a Diamond Monster sound card, an Adaptec 2940UW SCSI card for my UltraWide disk drives and an antiquated but totally functional Matrox Mystique video card. The only strange thing was a second SCSI card (an Initio) to manage slower SCSI devices, such as my scanner and Zip drive. My network card is an SMC EthernetPower II.

      Outside the box, I have an HP 820 Cse printer, a Philips Omniwriter CD burner, a 3Com OfficeConnect LAN modem, a Zip drive and a Umax 630 three - pass scanner.

      Then I installed Windows 2000, and everything went haywire.

      Of all the peripherals and devices on my system, only my monitor, Zip drive and a couple of disk drives remained standing after the Windows 2000 RC2 onslaught.

      I expected problems. Windows 2000 graciously generated an installation report that said I'd have problems with my printer and sound card. I anticipated printer problems, mainly because my HP printer was, of all things, a "Windows" printer.

      I moved on to the network issue, which was particularly bothersome because Microsoft clearly supports my card for use in Windows 2000. In fact, Windows 2000's diagnostics told me that the card worked. The facts to the contrary (it could receive packets but not send them) didn't matter.

      I moved on, sans Internet access, since my OfficeConnect software "automagically" broke. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, since my network card wasn't working. But for kicks, I replaced the OfficeConnect with an Eicon Diva LAN modem, which amazingly kick started the network card.

      OK, I thought. I'm still happy. Windows 2000 is going to give me all these new usability features, which I can't wait to experience.

      Any remaining Windows 2000 joy disintegrated when I tried to upgrade my hard drive to a Maxtor 25GB drive.

      Windows 2000 saw the drive, but I couldn't make it bootable, and the Max installation software wasn't compatible. Then I replaced my sound card with a Creative Labs sound card that was on the Windows 2000 hardware compatibility list. It worked fine, but my floppy drive stopped working.

      Then I gave up and went back to Windows 98, which, amazingly, looks just like Windows 2000. Surprisingly, I'm even more productive since my software and hardware actually work again.

      Windows 2000 is supposed to ship Feb. 17, which isn't that far away. But I'll be pretty far away from it - at least around my home office. ]



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