🚀 go-pugleaf

I have been trying to install Windows 2000 Professional for several days
now, and I've been having nothing but problems.
I started with two Western Digital hard drives both ultra ATA/66 (I have an
Abit BE6 motherboard with a built-in ATA/66 controller).
Anyway I was trying to set-up a dual boot with windows 98.  I got Win98 to
successfully install on the C: drive.  Then I tried to start the Win2k
install.  I tried starting it in Win98 as a clean install not upgrade and
this did not work.  After the system rebooted, it stalled at the blue
"Starting Windows 2000" screen for over an hour.  Next I created the Windows
installation boot disks and tried the installation again.  Same result.
(note: I did install the drivers for my ATA/66 controller when prompted.)
After a  while I gave up on the dual boot and wiped my hard drive clean and
tried to install directly to the C: drive.  After another hang at the blue
screen for about a half hour, the install finally began.  When installation
was finished windows tried to boot and it stalled at the splash screen for
about an hour.  When I went into Windows Explorer it only recognized the C:
drive and not my second hard drive.  I went into device manager and it
listed both my drives here and said they were functioning properly.
Under disk management it only shows my C: drive.  It should be noted that
every time I try and check for my second hard drive my system hangs for up
to a half hour. There is disk activity however.
Next I just removed my second hard drive and Windows booted up in a matter
of seconds.
I called Western Digital and they say it has something to do with windows.
I spoke with a Win2k professional and he said that he has noticed problems
with Western Digital Hard drives, so there is probably something wrong with
my second hard drive.  So, I went out and bought a new Maxtor HD. I set this
as the master drive and the WD HD that was working, as the slave.  I tried
to install Win2k on this new HD and the installation stalled.  The only way
I could get it to proceed was by removing the WD HD.  So it can't be
something wrong with my HD, can it?  Or do these Western Digital hard drives
not like being slaves in a Win2k environment.

I've stumped a number of "experts" already and I am desperate for help.  I
have been shuffling several thousand crucial files between these three hard
drives.  I need at least one of these second hard drives to work soon.  I
could go out and buy another HD that is not Western Digital, but I need to
be sure that this is the problem.

This is where I stand right now.

Maxtor HD is partitioned (FAT32) into 3 drives.
drive C: has Win98.
drive D: has Win 2000 Professional
drive E: has 10GB of crucial files.
If I plug in one of the Western Digital Hard drives as a slave the system
stalls (yes, I do have the jumpers set properly, and my BIOS recognizes both
hard drives)

System info:
Pentium III 500
256 MB RAM

If you need more info I will be happy to provide.
If anyone has any suggestions PLEASE e-mail me at the address below:

conde@ucla.edu

Thanks in advance...Adam