Win 2000 questions

[CAMS]

Hi I built a PC for someone who never plays games so I install Win 2000 which I am also new to. A few Questions.

1. IRQ 9 is sharing a few devices (modem/sound/usb etc) is this a problem under 2000? (So far OK)

2. I set the password to nothing but I suspect there is a time limit somewhere, where is it and can it be set to never?

3. User name is currently (Administrator), can it be change or even better not required?

4. The computer name, is there some setting or registry entry so I can rename it?

This person isn't too bright with computers, I dont want phone calls because he has locked himself out of admin access.

 

[AndyHui]

Windows 2000 has been installed in ACPI mode and that is how it assigns its plug and play resources. Most people have no problems, other people do have problems. Usually it's all assigned to IRQ9...supposedly it's used as a gateway to virtual IRQs above 15.

Anyway, here is the article from Microsoft dealing with it.

If you want to manually assign IRQs, or just let Windows do it properly, you have to change the ACPI mode HAL to Standard PC HAL.

To do this, go into Device Manager, and look under Computer. It should say Advanced Configuration Power Interface PC. Change this to Standard PC by changing the driver. Then reboot. Hopefully it should come out OK.

If you need to reinstall, hit F5 while it is detecting all the devices right at the very beginning to manually select the Standard PC HAL. You may also need to turn ACPI off in the BIOS if you have that option.

You can set the password to be normally not required, this is done through Passwords in the Control Panel (I think....I can't remember). You will always be promted for a password coming out of Hibernate though. You can't get around passwords completely. Administrator's name can be changed.

The computer name is not really important; you can change it by right-clicking My Network Places and selecting properties.

Sorry about these rather general answers.....my Win2K box isn't working at the moment....in the middle of an upgrade....

 

[CAMS]

AndyHui

Thanks, all good advice, will try tonight.

I am new to 2000, so similar but very different to 98. Only wanted to change the computer name because I used my name, now I am selling it I will change it to his.

 

[Daedalus]

You can just add a user in ctrl pnl, give the new user admin rights, tell it the password never expires, choose to assume that user is always the default login user.