Getting the right W2K version

[Bill Troop billtroop@xxxxxxxx]

Regarding my Easy Install project for W2K and VMware, I encountered a
slight hitch last night.


I had assumed that any ISO install disk of W2K that was marked SP4 would
include the very latest and greatest.


The trouble-free ISO I used, which I downloaded from BitTorrent, is
marked


"Windows 2000 SP4 Final 2011 Edition (all updates)"


I had not realized that 'all updates' is a very important qualifier.



By contrast, the SP4 version I was using from


http://winworldpc.com/library.shtml; eudora="autourl">
http://winworldpc.com/library.shtml).


does not contain all updates. I wanted to use this version because
it is hosted from an apparently reliable website and easy for anyone to
acquire.


But a version without all updates is a problem, because unless you have
all updates, VMware Tools for Windows, an essential add-on which provides
a new video driver for W2K, as well as various other essential
integration features, will not work. The security update has to be
installed from within W2K and that means endless trouble. You don't have
VMware tools, so you can't share with your host hard drive. You therefore
must download the update from the Internet. Problem is, it never
downloads from the MS site, using IE5. It says it will, indeed it says it
has done so, but it doesn't and hasn't. I had to download it from my
host, and then email it to myself on W2K, and then, using Gmail, which
doesn't look pretty in IE5 but does at least work, execute it from within
W2K.


The winworld version of W2K also requires a serial number. Well, Google
will easily find you one, but it is an extra step, and annoying.


All of this I regard as insupportable fuss.


So I am putting my project on hold and am going to see if I can persuade
the winworld people to accept the superior ISO of W2K I have. I can do a
version of my how-to that would be acceptable, but it would require a
reliable method of acquiring the preferred ISO for those who don't want
to take a chance on BitTorrent.


This raises some questions:


1. Would anyone here like to host a preferred W2K ISO?

2. What is the legal status of W2K?

2a. The practical legal status of W2K seems to be that MS simply doesn't
care.

2b. The information in 2c below, published by MS, appears to indicate
that MS itself is barred from selling or distributing W2K in any manner
due to the terms of a settlement with Sun.


2c. The following page contains some interesting information:


http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/ff723773.aspx?siteID=rGMTN56tf_w-ajjaEICDqIYhkNLWKyKfTw; eudora="autourl">
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/ff723773.aspx?siteID=rGMTN56tf_w-ajjaEICDqIYhkNLWKyKfTw



which states:


"Products Unavailable due to Java-related
Settlement
Some products have been removed from Subscriber
Downloads due to the terms of Java-related settlements Microsoft made
with Sun Microsystems. These products are no longer available from
Microsoft in any form, but may be available through third-party resellers
or Web sites.


These include (although not necessarily a comprehensive list): Internet
Explorer 5.5, Map Point 2002, Office 2000, Outlook 2000, Project 2000,
eMbedded Visual Tools 3.0, Visual Basic (Alpha Systems), Visual Studio 6
MSDE, Visual Studio 6.0, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Back Office Server
2000, SQL Server 7, IIS 6.0, Office XP Developer, Visio 2000, Exchange
Server 2000, Exchange Server 5.5, FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions,
Handheld PC 2000 SDK, Infrared Communications for Windows 95 DDK, ISA
Server 2000, MapPoint 2002, Office 2000, Office 97, Plus! 98, Project
2000, Site Server 3.0, Small Business Server 2000, SNA Server 4.0 Service
Pack 3 & Service Pack 4, SQL Server 7.0, System Management Server
2.0, System Stress for Windows 2000, System Stress for Windows NT 4.0,
Visio 2000, Visual Basic 5.0, Visual C++ (Alpha Systems), Visual FoxPro
6.0, Visual SourceSafe 6.0c & 6.0d, Visual Studio 6.0, Windows 2000
DDK, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 98, Windows
98 DDK, Windows CE SDKs & DDKs, Windows CE Toolkit for Visual C++
6.0, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows NT 4.0 DDK, Windows XP (32bit)
SR2 Checked/Debug Build."


This appears to indicate that anyone who wants to use these products by
acquiring them from a "Web site" is now free to do so.