Upgrades
Windows 2000 Professional supports the upgrade of the most recent
of the Windows-based family; this includes Windows 95 (OSR 1,
OSR 2, OSR 2.5), Windows 98 (and service pack), Windows 98
Second Edition, Windows NT 3.51, and Windows NT 4.0. Upgrading
from Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, Windows for Workgroups,
Windows NT 3.1, or Windows NT 3.5 is not supported and will
require a clean install. Additionally, those users still using Windows
2000 Professional Beta 3 and earlier must first upgrade to Windows
2000 Professional RC2 or higher before upgrading to the official
release of Windows 2000 Professional.
Network installations of Windows 95 shared from a server are
also not supported for upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional. To
install Windows 2000 Professional on these machines, a clean
installation must be completed. Other points to remember are that
during the upgrade process Windows 2000 Professional searches
the workstation's hard drive for other installations of Windows and
will fail if there are multiple operating systems installed on the
workstation. You cannot upgrade from Windows 9x to Windows
Friday, December 7, 2007
Upgrades vs. Clean Installs
Microsoft supports two methods of installing Windows 2000
Professional on target workstations: through upgrading or clean
installs. Upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional implies that the
target workstation already has an existing operating system that
may have its own settings and configuration. If the target workstation
is configured with an operating system that is supported for
upgrading (see Figure 1.1 in the following section), then the setup
program can be instructed to upgrade in place, migrating all user
settings and applications available.
If, however, the target workstation is a new machine, requires
reinstallation, or is configured with a non-supported operating system,
then a clean installation must be applied to the workstation. The
primary drive of the target workstation is then installed with Windows
2000 Professional without searching for existing data (though data
can be preserved), applications, or configuration settings.
Administrators and support engineers should take the time to
perform the upgrade and installation process numerous times to be
aware of potential problems. Identifying show-stopping problems,
such as that the application does not work, may be a great deal easier
than handling issues (such as the profile directory has changed
to the Documents and Settings folder) that manifest much more
subtly.
Several factors will influence your decision whether to upgrade
or to apply a clean installation of Windows 2000 Professional. These
include:
Current workstation management levels If modifications
to the workstation’s operating system and applications have
followed strict change controls, then the current state of the
workstation will be well known. An upgrade would best suit
a well-managed environment, preserving the investment in
your configuration information. If the state of the
workstations is indeterminate, then a clean install of
Windows 2000 Professional would allow you to revert the
configuration of the workstations back to a known state.
User preferences and settings If your users have a level of
control over their workstations, they may have personalized
certain settings and preferences. It can be difficult to
determine what settings exist. To preserve these settings the
best option would be to perform an upgrade.
Applications and data Some users may store data on their
local workstations, or install applications locally. An upgrade
would be the best choice to prevent inadvertently deleting
data, and would also ensure that applications would still
function (if compatible with Windows 2000 Professional).
Many businesses store data centrally for backup and
management purposes and as a result, a clean install could
be considered.
Existing operating systems on client workstations The
installation type you choose will also be dictated by the
operating system of the client (see Figure 1.1) prior to
deployment. If, for example, you are using Windows 3.1, the
only option available would be to perform a clean
installation. Upgrading from previous versions of Windows
NT (version 3.51 and later) is inherently easier than
upgrading from Windows 9x. This is due to the commonality
between the operating system kernel architecture, device
driver models, registry database, security architecture, and
file systems. Upgrading from existing Windows 9x
installations can present additional issues to be resolved.
Operating system history If your client workstations have
been through a regular cycle of upgrades, the preferred
option would be to perform a clean install, thus resolving
possible legacy issues. Migrating the workstation to
Windows 2000 Professional from a platform that has been
repeatedly upgraded could negate some of the advantages
(such as stability) of deploying Windows 2000 Professional in
the first place.
There are a number of ways to start the Windows 2000
Professional setup process. The setup or upgrade process can be
initiated by executing Winnt32.exe from a command line on a host
operating system that is compliant with the upgrade paths in
Figure 1.1 (Windows 3.51 Workstation or greater, and Windows 9x).
The setup executable, Winnt32.exe, is found in the i386 directory on
the Windows Professional CD-ROM. It is also possible to execute
setup from a bootable CD-ROM containing the relevant installation
files. Other solutions include using a network management application
such as Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS), or a
bootable floppy disk with network drivers and a connection to the
Windows 2000 Professional installation source.
When using the setup program Winnt32.exe to install Windows
2000 Professional, the command lines used to initiate an automated
installation are very similar in all methods. Winnt.exe is used when
starting setup from 16-bit Microsoft operating systems such as
when using a bootable floppy disk.
Microsoft supports two methods of installing Windows 2000
Professional on target workstations: through upgrading or clean
installs. Upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional implies that the
target workstation already has an existing operating system that
may have its own settings and configuration. If the target workstation
is configured with an operating system that is supported for
upgrading (see Figure 1.1 in the following section), then the setup
program can be instructed to upgrade in place, migrating all user
settings and applications available.
If, however, the target workstation is a new machine, requires
reinstallation, or is configured with a non-supported operating system,
then a clean installation must be applied to the workstation. The
primary drive of the target workstation is then installed with Windows
2000 Professional without searching for existing data (though data
can be preserved), applications, or configuration settings.
Administrators and support engineers should take the time to
perform the upgrade and installation process numerous times to be
aware of potential problems. Identifying show-stopping problems,
such as that the application does not work, may be a great deal easier
than handling issues (such as the profile directory has changed
to the Documents and Settings folder) that manifest much more
subtly.
Several factors will influence your decision whether to upgrade
or to apply a clean installation of Windows 2000 Professional. These
include:
Current workstation management levels If modifications
to the workstation’s operating system and applications have
followed strict change controls, then the current state of the
workstation will be well known. An upgrade would best suit
a well-managed environment, preserving the investment in
your configuration information. If the state of the
workstations is indeterminate, then a clean install of
Windows 2000 Professional would allow you to revert the
configuration of the workstations back to a known state.
User preferences and settings If your users have a level of
control over their workstations, they may have personalized
certain settings and preferences. It can be difficult to
determine what settings exist. To preserve these settings the
best option would be to perform an upgrade.
Applications and data Some users may store data on their
local workstations, or install applications locally. An upgrade
would be the best choice to prevent inadvertently deleting
data, and would also ensure that applications would still
function (if compatible with Windows 2000 Professional).
Many businesses store data centrally for backup and
management purposes and as a result, a clean install could
be considered.
Existing operating systems on client workstations The
installation type you choose will also be dictated by the
operating system of the client (see Figure 1.1) prior to
deployment. If, for example, you are using Windows 3.1, the
only option available would be to perform a clean
installation. Upgrading from previous versions of Windows
NT (version 3.51 and later) is inherently easier than
upgrading from Windows 9x. This is due to the commonality
between the operating system kernel architecture, device
driver models, registry database, security architecture, and
file systems. Upgrading from existing Windows 9x
installations can present additional issues to be resolved.
Operating system history If your client workstations have
been through a regular cycle of upgrades, the preferred
option would be to perform a clean install, thus resolving
possible legacy issues. Migrating the workstation to
Windows 2000 Professional from a platform that has been
repeatedly upgraded could negate some of the advantages
(such as stability) of deploying Windows 2000 Professional in
the first place.
There are a number of ways to start the Windows 2000
Professional setup process. The setup or upgrade process can be
initiated by executing Winnt32.exe from a command line on a host
operating system that is compliant with the upgrade paths in
Figure 1.1 (Windows 3.51 Workstation or greater, and Windows 9x).
The setup executable, Winnt32.exe, is found in the i386 directory on
the Windows Professional CD-ROM. It is also possible to execute
setup from a bootable CD-ROM containing the relevant installation
files. Other solutions include using a network management application
such as Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS), or a
bootable floppy disk with network drivers and a connection to the
Windows 2000 Professional installation source.
When using the setup program Winnt32.exe to install Windows
2000 Professional, the command lines used to initiate an automated
installation are very similar in all methods. Winnt.exe is used when
starting setup from 16-bit Microsoft operating systems such as
when using a bootable floppy disk.
Application Compatibility
The function of the network and the supporting infrastructure is to
service users to provide them with the tools that they need to perform
their work as effectively as possible. The tools that the majority
of users require are applications. Deploying Windows 2000
Professional should provide an environment that supports application
requirements to an equal or greater degree than does the existing
infrastructure.
The aim of application testing is to force compatibility and integration
issues into the open before they become a production problem.
Depending on the environment, testing can become increasingly more
complex, requiring both time and skilled resources. At a minimum,
there should be these two areas of exploration:
Application compatibility
Application integration
Testing for application compatibility is the process of ensuring
that applications perform as expected. Application testing is of critical
importance, even in environments that use Windows NT exclusively.
Windows 2000 has undergone major architectural
enhancements, several of which may change the way applications
function.
Testing application integration involves determining whether
applications can leverage the new and existing technology that
Windows 2000 provides. A slew of exciting new technologies are
available with Windows 2000, many of which are targeted at
enabling applications. Some applications may need to be rewritten
or may require updates to leverage the new technology.
The testing process is where a good relationship with your vendor
is essential. If the application sports the Made for Windows
2000 logo, you can be sure it is Windows 2000 compatible.
Applications that comply to the Windows 2000 Application
Specification (http://msdn.microsoft.com/certification) are guaranteed
to be compatible and leverage the new technology afforded by
Windows 2000.
Commercial applications can undergo testing by VeriTest, an
independent testing company, provided they comply with the
Windows 2000 Application Specification. Applications that pass the
tests conducted by VeriTest can then be certified. It is important to
note that applications can comply with the Windows 2000
Application Specification without being certified.
Many applications have already undergone testing, the results
of which can be found on the Microsoft Web site (www.microsoft.com/
windows2000/upgrade/compat/). The directory hosted by Microsoft
classifies applications according to the following criteria:
Certified The application completed tests run by VeriTest
and takes advantage of new Windows 2000 features.
Ready The application has been tested for compatibility by
the vendor and supports Windows 2000.
Planned The application is intended to achieve Certified or
Ready status sometime in the future.
The function of the network and the supporting infrastructure is to
service users to provide them with the tools that they need to perform
their work as effectively as possible. The tools that the majority
of users require are applications. Deploying Windows 2000
Professional should provide an environment that supports application
requirements to an equal or greater degree than does the existing
infrastructure.
The aim of application testing is to force compatibility and integration
issues into the open before they become a production problem.
Depending on the environment, testing can become increasingly more
complex, requiring both time and skilled resources. At a minimum,
there should be these two areas of exploration:
Application compatibility
Application integration
Testing for application compatibility is the process of ensuring
that applications perform as expected. Application testing is of critical
importance, even in environments that use Windows NT exclusively.
Windows 2000 has undergone major architectural
enhancements, several of which may change the way applications
function.
Testing application integration involves determining whether
applications can leverage the new and existing technology that
Windows 2000 provides. A slew of exciting new technologies are
available with Windows 2000, many of which are targeted at
enabling applications. Some applications may need to be rewritten
or may require updates to leverage the new technology.
The testing process is where a good relationship with your vendor
is essential. If the application sports the Made for Windows
2000 logo, you can be sure it is Windows 2000 compatible.
Applications that comply to the Windows 2000 Application
Specification (http://msdn.microsoft.com/certification) are guaranteed
to be compatible and leverage the new technology afforded by
Windows 2000.
Commercial applications can undergo testing by VeriTest, an
independent testing company, provided they comply with the
Windows 2000 Application Specification. Applications that pass the
tests conducted by VeriTest can then be certified. It is important to
note that applications can comply with the Windows 2000
Application Specification without being certified.
Many applications have already undergone testing, the results
of which can be found on the Microsoft Web site (www.microsoft.com/
windows2000/upgrade/compat/). The directory hosted by Microsoft
classifies applications according to the following criteria:
Certified The application completed tests run by VeriTest
and takes advantage of new Windows 2000 features.
Ready The application has been tested for compatibility by
the vendor and supports Windows 2000.
Planned The application is intended to achieve Certified or
Ready status sometime in the future.
Windows 2000 Setup
In order to understand how to automate the Windows 2000
Professional setup process, it is essential to understand the requirements
prior to installation. A good grasp of the upgrade and installation
process also helps in determining what type of installation
best meets the needs of the business.
Hardware Requirements
Windows 2000 Professional provides a greater degree of stability and
flexibility than its predecessors at the cost of increased hardware
requirements. Microsoft has published recommended minimum hardware
guidelines for running Windows 2000 Professional, but unfortunately,
these recommendations provide the lowest common
denominator and do not provide what everyone would agreeably call
acceptable performance. Table 1.1 provides a comparison of minimum
hardware requirements as issued by Microsoft and hardware recommendations
based on real-world use in a corporate environment.
Windows 2000 Professional has a larger base operating system
footprint than Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 9x, but, when coupled
with sufficient hardware, it can outperform its older brothers. In
particular, good performance gains have been associated with an
increase in RAM.
Windows 2000 Professional integrates hardware and computer
accessories more thoroughly than any previous Microsoft operating
system, and as a result, requires hardware to undergo meticulous
compatibility testing. Microsoft regularly publishes (usually quarterly)
the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), a list of Windows-compatible
hardware that has passed hardware compatibility tests. Windows 2000
Professional does not yet have the same driver and manufacturer support
as Windows 9x and Windows NT, so it is necessary to check the
HCL before attempting any installations. This should be done to
ensure that Windows 2000 Professional supports the hardware you are
planning to use. A plain-text version of the HCL can be found on the
Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM in the \SUPPORT directory. As
with Windows NT, a list of compatible hardware devices is located on
the Microsoft site (www.microsoft.com/hcl). Another initiative
www.hardware-update.com) provides additional information on topics
such as BIOS revisions and PC model compatibility for Windows 2000.
Microsoft also provides www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/
compat as a compatibility resource.
In order to understand how to automate the Windows 2000
Professional setup process, it is essential to understand the requirements
prior to installation. A good grasp of the upgrade and installation
process also helps in determining what type of installation
best meets the needs of the business.
Hardware Requirements
Windows 2000 Professional provides a greater degree of stability and
flexibility than its predecessors at the cost of increased hardware
requirements. Microsoft has published recommended minimum hardware
guidelines for running Windows 2000 Professional, but unfortunately,
these recommendations provide the lowest common
denominator and do not provide what everyone would agreeably call
acceptable performance. Table 1.1 provides a comparison of minimum
hardware requirements as issued by Microsoft and hardware recommendations
based on real-world use in a corporate environment.
Windows 2000 Professional has a larger base operating system
footprint than Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 9x, but, when coupled
with sufficient hardware, it can outperform its older brothers. In
particular, good performance gains have been associated with an
increase in RAM.
Windows 2000 Professional integrates hardware and computer
accessories more thoroughly than any previous Microsoft operating
system, and as a result, requires hardware to undergo meticulous
compatibility testing. Microsoft regularly publishes (usually quarterly)
the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), a list of Windows-compatible
hardware that has passed hardware compatibility tests. Windows 2000
Professional does not yet have the same driver and manufacturer support
as Windows 9x and Windows NT, so it is necessary to check the
HCL before attempting any installations. This should be done to
ensure that Windows 2000 Professional supports the hardware you are
planning to use. A plain-text version of the HCL can be found on the
Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM in the \SUPPORT directory. As
with Windows NT, a list of compatible hardware devices is located on
the Microsoft site (www.microsoft.com/hcl). Another initiative
www.hardware-update.com) provides additional information on topics
such as BIOS revisions and PC model compatibility for Windows 2000.
Microsoft also provides www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/
compat as a compatibility resource.
Automating Windows 2000 Setup
In these days of the mega-merger it is not unusual to come across a
company with more than 20,000 computer users scattered across
geographically disparate areas. There are also large numbers of
small-to-medium-sized corporations with a computing base ranging
from a couple of hundred users to thousands of users. All these
companies have one thing in common (other than a user base
demanding lightning-fast service)—the requirement to deploy operating
systems quickly and efficiently with maximum control.
The deployment of an operating system within a business can
prove to be a complicated and repetitive task. Manual installation of
even the most user-friendly operating system requires a substantial
investment in time and resources. Each time an operating system is
installed it requires general configuration and installation information.
Such information can range from the preferred display resolution
to the domain of a workstation. The process of collating the
installation information and feeding it to the operating system so
that it no longer requires human interaction during the installation
process is called automating setup.
The information required during the setup of Windows 2000
Professional can be quite varied and includes:
Acceptance of the end-user license agreement (EULA)
Username and organization Time zone
Computer name
Administrator password
Display settings
Network settings
Regional settings
Browser and shell settings
Installation folder
Printer setup
Often the operating system settings are the same along lines of
business, functional groups, or even throughout the enterprise.
Installing a thousand similar configurations of Windows 2000
Professional is no one’s idea of fun nor a constructive use of
resources. Setup automation is undertaken by organizations that
need to eliminate dead time (like repetitive operating system installation)
or deploy a number of workstations within a particular time
frame. The ability to rapidly deploy operating systems is considered
to be of essential importance to the modern IT department. Today’s
operating systems are complex and sometimes difficult to understand,
so it comes as no surprise to learn that the deployment
process at times requires special skills and understanding. A certain
level of preparation is also required before the automation of setup
can take place. A knowledge of the business, project requirements
and constraints, target workstations, network environment, and
other technical considerations are just a few of the factors that will
affect how Windows 2000 Professional is deployed.
Two deployment techniques often used in Microsoft environments
to automate the setup process are automated installation
scripts and disk imaging. Automated installation scripts use answer
files that can be submitted to the setup program in the form of a
clear text file that is relatively easy to manipulate and understand.
The answer file contains information on how to automatically
answer the configuration questions asked during setup. Disk
In these days of the mega-merger it is not unusual to come across a
company with more than 20,000 computer users scattered across
geographically disparate areas. There are also large numbers of
small-to-medium-sized corporations with a computing base ranging
from a couple of hundred users to thousands of users. All these
companies have one thing in common (other than a user base
demanding lightning-fast service)—the requirement to deploy operating
systems quickly and efficiently with maximum control.
The deployment of an operating system within a business can
prove to be a complicated and repetitive task. Manual installation of
even the most user-friendly operating system requires a substantial
investment in time and resources. Each time an operating system is
installed it requires general configuration and installation information.
Such information can range from the preferred display resolution
to the domain of a workstation. The process of collating the
installation information and feeding it to the operating system so
that it no longer requires human interaction during the installation
process is called automating setup.
The information required during the setup of Windows 2000
Professional can be quite varied and includes:
Acceptance of the end-user license agreement (EULA)
Username and organization Time zone
Computer name
Administrator password
Display settings
Network settings
Regional settings
Browser and shell settings
Installation folder
Printer setup
Often the operating system settings are the same along lines of
business, functional groups, or even throughout the enterprise.
Installing a thousand similar configurations of Windows 2000
Professional is no one’s idea of fun nor a constructive use of
resources. Setup automation is undertaken by organizations that
need to eliminate dead time (like repetitive operating system installation)
or deploy a number of workstations within a particular time
frame. The ability to rapidly deploy operating systems is considered
to be of essential importance to the modern IT department. Today’s
operating systems are complex and sometimes difficult to understand,
so it comes as no surprise to learn that the deployment
process at times requires special skills and understanding. A certain
level of preparation is also required before the automation of setup
can take place. A knowledge of the business, project requirements
and constraints, target workstations, network environment, and
other technical considerations are just a few of the factors that will
affect how Windows 2000 Professional is deployed.
Two deployment techniques often used in Microsoft environments
to automate the setup process are automated installation
scripts and disk imaging. Automated installation scripts use answer
files that can be submitted to the setup program in the form of a
clear text file that is relatively easy to manipulate and understand.
The answer file contains information on how to automatically
answer the configuration questions asked during setup. Disk
Windows 2000 Professional Setup Design Goals
Regardless of how advanced an operating system is, an oft-neglected
feature is the capability to set up and deploy it effectively. In an
effort to speed the adoption of Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft
worked with customers and IT professionals to provide a new framework
for operating system deployment. With the lessons learned
from the existing crop of deployment technologies and methods,
Microsoft began to construct a scalable and flexible deployment
framework.
The setup and installation design goals of the Windows 2000
Professional development team included:
Simplicity and reliability Ensuring that the operating
system is simple to install and exhibits reliability and
recoverability during installation.
Deployment friendly Designing the setup process in such
a way that it can be deployed throughout the organization
without extensive technical know-how.
Customization options Providing flexibility during the
installation process to satisfy the need to tailor operating
systems to the needs of diverse organizations.
Reduction of deployment time As operating systems have
increased in size and complexity, so has their deployment
time.
The support of disk duplication Disk imaging has proven
to be a swift and effective deployment technique that is
gaining popularity.
Automation Ensuring that the installation process can be
fully automated.
Ease of deployment Providing tools and features to make
the deployment process easier.
Regardless of how advanced an operating system is, an oft-neglected
feature is the capability to set up and deploy it effectively. In an
effort to speed the adoption of Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft
worked with customers and IT professionals to provide a new framework
for operating system deployment. With the lessons learned
from the existing crop of deployment technologies and methods,
Microsoft began to construct a scalable and flexible deployment
framework.
The setup and installation design goals of the Windows 2000
Professional development team included:
Simplicity and reliability Ensuring that the operating
system is simple to install and exhibits reliability and
recoverability during installation.
Deployment friendly Designing the setup process in such
a way that it can be deployed throughout the organization
without extensive technical know-how.
Customization options Providing flexibility during the
installation process to satisfy the need to tailor operating
systems to the needs of diverse organizations.
Reduction of deployment time As operating systems have
increased in size and complexity, so has their deployment
time.
The support of disk duplication Disk imaging has proven
to be a swift and effective deployment technique that is
gaining popularity.
Automation Ensuring that the installation process can be
fully automated.
Ease of deployment Providing tools and features to make
the deployment process easier.
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