MORE INFORMATION
Check System Requirements
Your computer should meet the following hardware requirements:
- 133 MHz or faster Pentium-compatible CPU
- 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM minimum; more memory generally
improves responsiveness (4 gigabytes [GB] RAM maximum)
- 2 GB hard disk space with a minimum of 650 MB of free space
(additional free hard disk space is required if you are installing over a
network)
NOTE: Windows 2000 Professional supports both single-CPU and
dual-CPU computers. You can also use the Microsoft Windows 2000 Readiness
Analyzer tool to audit the current status of your computer and get a report of
known hardware and software compatibility issues, based on Microsoft testing.
If you are concerned about the results of the report you should not upgrade
until these issues are corrected. Contact your hardware or software
manufacturer for updates that enable the products to run properly on Windows
2000.
For detailed information about upgrading to Windows 2000,
visit the following Microsoft Web site:
For more information about compatible hardware for Windows 2000,
check the Windows Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). This is a compilation of
computers and computer hardware that have been extensively tested with Windows
for stability and compatibility. Microsoft Product Support Services uses the
HCL to determine whether or not a computer is supported for use with Windows.
The latest HCL is available from the following Microsoft Web site:
To obtain the text file of the Windows 2000 HCL, click the following Microsoft FTP site:
Back Up Your Computer
WARNING: Windows 2000 does not have an uninstall option. You cannot
uninstall Windows 2000 after the upgrade.
You should completely back
up your computer, including all your data, before you begin the upgrade
process. Not only does this protect your data, but it allows you to return to
your previous operating system by restoring the backup files.
Upgrade the Computer's BIOS
Before you begin the upgrade process, obtain and install the
latest BIOS upgrade for your computer from the computer's manufacturer. If you
update the BIOS after you upgrade the computer, you may have to reinstall
Windows 2000 to take advantage of features such as Advanced Configuration and
Power Interface (ACPI) support in the BIOS. If possible, update the firmware in
all devices before beginning the upgrade.
Run the Upgrade Report
At a command prompt, run the following command from the I386
folder on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM:
winnt32 /checkupgradeonly
If you do not have a Windows 2000 CD-ROM, you can download this
tool from the following Web site:
This tool examines the computer and lists known software and
hardware issues. This may help you decide whether or not to upgrade the
computer to Windows 2000. After you read the report, make sure that any
hardware that is listed as not being supported has Windows 2000 drivers
available from the manufacturer (unless you do not need that hardware to work
in Windows 2000). Check the software listing for software that may need to be
reinstalled after the upgrade or for software that requires and upgrade before
it can work with Windows 2000. You may want to determine whether there are any
updates or service packs available for the software before you begin the
upgrade process. Having these available during the upgrade process may allow
the software to work correctly with Windows 2000.
Uninstall or Disable Antivirus Software
You should uninstall (or at least disable) any antivirus software
that is running before you begin the upgrade process. In some cases, Windows
2000 Setup disables antivirus software during the upgrade process, but in other
cases you must disable the software first. Most antivirus software must be
updated to work properly with Windows 2000.
You should also disable
any hardware antivirus features that are running. For example, the BIOS in some
computers contains antivirus functionality.
Uncompress Any Compressed Drives
Windows 2000 works only with the compression included with the
NTFS file system. You must first uncompress any drives that are compressed with
DoubleSpace, DriveSpace, or any other drive compression software. If you do not
uncompress a drive, the data on the drive is not available in Windows 2000. The
data on the drive is still intact, but it is not available in Windows 2000. To
be able to use the data on the compressed drive, you must dual-boot with the
operating system in which the compression method is supported. If drive C is
compressed, you cannot install Windows 2000.
Shut Down Running Programs
Shut down all running programs. To see a list of all running
programs, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to open the
Close Program dialog box. Limiting the number of running programs makes
additional resources available to Setup. It also limits potential issues
between Setup and the running programs.
Run ScanDisk
Run ScanDisk on all your drives before you begin the upgrade
process. This may help to prevent disk errors or file-copy errors during Setup,
and may prevent extra reboots during the upgrade process that may cause Setup
to take longer.
Empty the Temporary Internet Files Cache
Empty your temporary Internet files cache. Windows 2000 tries to
preserve as many of these files as it can, but very large folders may cause
problems with Setup. If this occurs, Setup may have to delete the temporary
Internet files. Removing these files before beginning the upgrade process can
speed up and simplify the Setup process.
Download Updated Drivers
Download any drivers for Windows 2000 that are listed as not
being available so that you have them when you are prompted, or after the
upgrade is finished.
Check the Microsoft Windows Update Web site
(
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/)
for any software upgrades that may be available. Also, check with your software
manufacturers for any upgrade packs that may be available. If a program
requires an upgrade pack to run with Windows 2000, you will need the upgrade
pack during the upgrade process. If it is not available, you may have to
reinstall the program after you upgrade to Windows 2000.
For
additional information about upgrade packs, click the following article number
to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
231418
Specifying additional upgrade packs when upgrading from Windows 95/98 to Windows 2000
To view a Microsoft Support WebCast about
Windows 2000 setup issues, please visit the following Microsoft Web site: