Reader How Tos: A System To Convert VHS and 8 mm Tape To DVD

Loading The Software

3:25 PM - Tried to boot MS-DOS 6.2. Couldn't do it!?! I found that quite interesting. The error message I got was, "Non-System disk or disk error. Replace and press any key when ready."

3:30 PM - In order to start the installation of Windows 2000, I had to change the boot order in the BIOS settings. Once that was done, I booted from the Windows 2000 CD. Oops, but which one? There are two CDs in the MS Windows 2000 package. A CD labeled "Step-by-step," and the one called "Windows 2000." Oh, and the little manual that Microsoft enclosed with the CDs ASSUMES the manufacturer has already installed the operating system, so it begins with the Windows Setup Wizard. Thanks, Microsoft. After inserting the "Step-by-step" CD, I quickly learned it was NOT bootable.

3:50 PM - I booted from the Windows 2000 CD. After a full minute of loading itself up, it found the 20 GB drive. Windows 2000 offered me the option of formatting the 20 GB hard disk with FAT, FAT32 or NTFS. I jumped out on the Internet to refresh my memory of these three formats. Although I didn't need the security aspect of NTFS, I did appreciate the fact that it did appear to be less sensitive to system re-boots in the middle of hung operations. What a relief - no more 'Scandisk' on start up. It took 20 minutes to format it with NTFS.

4:15 PM - I began the Windows 2000 installation to my newly formatted 20 GB boot system hard disk.

4:30 PM - I left the installation program running while my wife and I stepped out for dinner.

9:00 PM - I returned to resume the installation. The installation procedure had halted when it needed network installation information. I decided to skip this step for now. I didn't have the proper length cable to run it over to my network hub. (Why is it so difficult to get the network working if it is done at a later time (i.e., post-installation)?)

9:20 PM - The Windows 2000 installation procedure was completed. The total time was about 30 minutes.

9:25 PM - As a reference, I clocked the time it took Windows 2000 to shut down from the mouse click on "OK" to system off: six seconds. Some programs will cause the system to hang during shut down. I try to keep (or remove) those programs that take excessive amounts of time to boot-up or shut down the system.

9:30 PM - The system boot up time: 23 seconds to "Starting Windows" logo screen and one minute to the "Log on Window" screen.

9:35 PM - I installed the video drivers from MSI CD, and set the desktop video screen to 1024x768 16 bit color. Display Properties - Settings menu says the video can be set to 1280x1024 and 32 bit True Color with the MSI video card, but the print on an 18" video monitor gets awfully small at those settings. 1024x768 16 bit color works fine for me.