Client Upgrade to Windows 2000
This article covers the following recommended procedures:
| • | Upgrading from Windows NT Workstation 4.0 or Windows NT Workstation 3.51 |
| • | Upgrading from Windows 98 or Windows 95 |
| • | Upgrading from Windows 3.1 |
Upgrading from Windows NT Workstation 4.0 or Windows NT Workstation 3.51
You can upgrade to Windows® 2000 Professional.
Windows 2000 Professional builds on the traditional strengths of Windows NT® Workstation 4.0 and 3.51, providing improved reliability with fewer reboots, an easier-to-use desktop, and increased performance and manageability.
If You Choose to Upgrade:
Check your BIOS and compatibility
See Important Upgrade Issues to Windows 2000 for critical information about BIOS (basic input/output system) and compatibility issues when upgrading to the Windows® 2000 Professional operating system. Visit the compatibility area (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search/default.asp) for tools to help you make sure your system is ready for the upgrade to Windows 2000. If you need updates, contact your hardware or software manufacturer.
Choose a file system
During Setup, Windows 2000 gives you the choice of using the NT file system (NTFS) or one of the file allocation table file systems (FAT or FAT32). NTFS is the recommended file system for use with Windows 2000. It offers:
| • | Better file security, including the Encrypting File System (EFS) which protects data on your hard drive by encrypting each file with a randomly generated key. |
| • | Better disk compression. |
| • | Better support for large hard disks (up to two terabytes.) |
Maximum drive size for NTFS is much greater than for FAT, and as drive size increases, performance with NTFS will not degrade as it does with FAT systems.
Note: The conversion to NTFS is one-way. You cannot convert your drive back to FAT if you choose to upgrade your drive. You may choose to use NTFS during Setup, or you can switch to it after you install Windows 2000.
Find help if you need it
If you want to implement Windows 2000 in your business, but you do not have an in-house IT department, there are thousands of Microsoft-trained service providers who can help you get the job done. Find a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider (http://mcspreferral.microsoft.com/) or contact your local provider for more information.
Upgrading from Windows 98 or Windows 95
You can upgrade to Windows® 2000 Professional.
Windows 2000 Professional incorporates the best business features of Windows 98--improved Plug and Play, easy-to-use interface, and Power Management--together with the strengths of Windows NT®--standards-based security, manageability and reliability.
Which Windows is Right for You?
Built on Windows NT technology, the Windows 2000 operating system offers business users reliability, manageability, strong Internet support, and support for new hardware devices.
For home computer users running Windows 98 or Windows 95, Microsoft strongly recommends waiting for the next consumer operating system from Microsoft, code named "Millennium." Use the guidelines below to determine which Windows is right for you:
| Use Windows 2000 Professional if you need... | Use Windows 98 Second Edition if you need... |
· The highest reliability to keep your business running. | · The best support for working with music and video. |
If You Choose to Upgrade:
Check your BIOS and compatibility
See Important Upgrade Issues to Windows 2000 for critical information about BIOS (basic input/output system) and compatibility issues when upgrading to Windows 2000. Visit the compatibility area (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search/default.asp ) for tools to help you make sure your system is ready for the upgrade to Windows 2000. If you need updates, contact your hardware or software manufacturer.
For better success, try a clean install
In certain Windows 98 or Windows 95 upgrade situations, you may prefer to do a new installation (or "clean install"), rather than an upgrade of Windows 2000. By installing the operating system from scratch, you place the operating system in a known state and avoid migrating any problems that may have exisited in the previous configuration. However, a clean install requires reformatting your hard disk, so you must back up your data, install Windows 2000, reinstall your applications, and then reload your data from backup.
If you plan to install Windows 2000 Professional on a large number of client computers, consider the Windows 2000 System Preparation Tool (SysPrep). When used in conjunction with an imaging program, SysPrep provides image-based deployments of multiple workstations. For more information on SysPrep, see the Windows 2000 Server Deployment Planning Guide.
Uninstalling Windows 2000
Unlike Windows 95 or Windows 98, Windows 2000 does not include an uninstall program that removes the new version of Windows and reverts to the previous version.
Choosing a file system
During Setup, Windows 2000 gives you the choice of using the NT file system (NTFS) or one of the file allocation table file systems (FAT or FAT32). NTFS is the recommended file system for use with Windows 2000. It offers:
| • | Better file security, including the Encrypting File System (EFS) which protects data on your hard drive by encrypting each file with a randomly generated key. |
| • | Better disk compression |
| • | Better support for large hard disks (up to two terabytes). |
Maximum drive size for NTFS is much greater than for FAT, and as drive size increases, performance with NTFS will not degrade as it does with FAT systems.
Note: The conversion to NTFS is one-way. You cannot convert your drive back to FAT if you choose to upgrade your drive. You may choose to use NTFS during Setup, or you can switch to it after you install Windows 2000.
Applications that cannot be upgraded
The following features and applications in Windows 98 and Windows 95 cannot be upgraded. You may find additional information about these items in the compatibility area (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search/default.asp ).
| • | System utilities and features not supported in Windows 2000. For example, compressed drives that use DriveSpace or third-party applications must be decompressed before upgrading. Also, disk defragmenters written for Windows 95 and Windows 98 will not work on Windows 2000; however, Windows 2000 includes a disk defragmentation application. Anti-virus programs must be upgraded to a version compatible with Windows 2000. |
| • | Software digital video disc (DVD) decoders. Contact your hardware manufacturer or a third-party vendor for decoder versions that are compatible with Windows 2000. |
| • | Custom keyboard or monitor buttons that control certain programs, such as audio volume or Internet connection. Contact your hardware manufacturer for updated drivers. |
| • | Applications and utilities that use virtual device drivers (VxDs) and .386 drivers. Contact your software manufacturer for updated applications. |
| • | Third-party Control Panel applets. Contact your software manufacturer for updated versions of the applets. |
| • | Network components that do not ship on the Windows 2000 CD, such as protocols, clients, and services. Contact your networking vendor for updated protocol stacks, client software, and services. |
| • | Custom power management and Plug-and-Play solutions and tools. Windows 2000 has Plug-and-Play and power management built into the operating system, so third-party solutions are not necessary. |
| • | Some other utilities that came pre-loaded from the computer manufacturer. Contact your computer manufacturer for updated utilities. |
Find help if you need it
If you want to implement Windows 2000 in your business, but you do not have an in-house IT department, there are thousands of Microsoft-trained service providers who can help you get the job done. Find a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider (http://mcspreferral.microsoft.com/) or contact your local provider for more information.
Upgrading from Windows 3.1
Full installation of Windows 2000 is required. It is not possible to upgrade the Windows® 3.1 operating system to Windows 2000; however, if your hardware meets the system requirements (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/upgradereqs/default.asp) for Windows 2000 you can install the full product.