How to Upgrade from Windows NT Server 3.51 or 4.0
If you are currently running either Windows NT® Server 3.51 or Windows NT Server 4.0, you can upgrade to Windows® 2000 Server. Note that the Terminal Services feature in Windows 2000 Server replaces Windows NT 4.0, Terminal Server.
The information below outlines the steps you should take to prepare your system before upgrading to Windows 2000 Server, and then outlines how to begin the Setup program, whether you are using the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM or upgrading from a network server.
Before You Begin
- Make sure your computer meets the system requirements to run Windows
2000.
Check your hardware specifications to see if they meet the minimum system requirements for upgrading to Windows 2000. - Make sure your hardware and software are compatible with Windows 2000.
Go to the Hardware and Software Compatibility search area to find out if your hardware and software are compatible with Windows 2000. Setup generates a list of known incompatibility issues, but the tools available in the compatibility area will help you determine if you need BIOS (basic input/output system) or driver updates before upgrading. - Read the release notes.
Read the release notes in the root directory of the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM: the Read1st.txt file, as well as the Readme.doc, which has an "Application Notes" section with information about programs that need to be disabled or removed before running Setup. - Determine whether you need to upgrade or a new installation.
In certain situations, even if you are currently running Windows NT Server 3.51 or 4.0, you may prefer to peform a new installation (or "clean install"), of Windows 2000 rather than an upgrade. By installing the operating system from scratch, you place the operating system in a known state and avoid migrating any problems that may have existed in the previous configuration. However, a new installation 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.
You should upgrade if all of the following are true:
 | You are using a previous version of Windows that supports upgrading.
| You want to replace your previous Windows operating system with
Windows 2000.
| You want to keep your existing files and preferences. | |
You should perform a new installation if any of the following are true:
| Your hard drive is blank.
| Your current operating system does not support an upgrade to Windows
2000.
| You have two partitions and want to create a dual-boot configuration
with Windows 2000 and your current operating system. (Be sure to install
Windows 2000 on a different partition than your current operating system). | |
If you determine that you need to perform a new installation, please refer to New Installations of Windows 2000.
During Setup, Windows 2000 gives you the choice of using the Windows 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). | |
The conversion to NTFS is one-way. You will not be able to convert your drive back to FAT if you choose to upgrade your drive. If you decide to switch to NTFS, you can do so during Setup or after Windows 2000 is installed.
Microsoft recommends that you plan the roles your servers will have within domains in Windows 2000 before running Setup. However, you can still adjust these role assignments after Setup. You also need to decide whether you want to upgrade your domains by first upgrading domain controllers and then member servers, or vice-versa. Review the Windows 2000 Server online Help on upgrading an existing domain.
If you have a mass storage controller that requires a driver supplied by the manufacturer, or if you have a custom hardware abstraction layer (HAL) file supplied by the manufacturer, you need to provide the appropriate driver file or HAL file during Setup.
Windows 2000 Server does not provide an uninstall feature. You will not be able to return to your previous version of Windows after installing Windows 2000 unless you completely reinstall your older version of Windows and all of your programs.
Prepare Your System
- Install hardware and software updates, if necessary.
You may need Windows 2000-related hardware and software updates (drivers, BIOS updates, and so forth) from your hardware or software manufacturer. Check the Hardware and Software Compatibility area for tools to help you determine if you need updates. It is particularly important to make sure you have the latest BIOS available from your computer manufacturer. - Back up your files.
Back up your files to a disk, a tape drive, or another computer on your network. - Scan for viruses.
Use anti-virus software to scan for and eradicate any viruses on your hard drive(s). - Uncompress drives.
Uncompress any DriveSpace or DoubleSpace volumes before upgrading to Windows 2000. Do not upgrade to Windows 2000 on a compressed drive unless the drive was compressed using the Windows NT file system (NTFS) compression feature. - Uninstall power management or disk management tools.
If you are running power management or disk management tools provided by your computer manufacturer, you should uninstall these programs before upgrading. - Disconnect UPS devices.
If you have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to your target computer, disconnect the connecting serial cable before running Setup. Windows 2000 Setup attempts to automatically detect devices connected to serial ports, and UPS equipment can cause problems with the detection process. - Disable disk mirroring.
Before upgrading, if you have disk mirroring installed on your target computer, disable it before running Setup. You can re-enable disk mirroring after completing the installation.
Start the Upgrade
To start an upgrade using the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM:
- Insert the CD-ROM in the drive, and wait for Setup to display a dialog box.
- Follow the Setup instructions.
To start an upgrade using a network connection:
- On a network server, share the installation files, either by inserting the
CD-ROM and sharing the CD-ROM drive, or by copying the files from the I386
folder on the CD-ROM to a shared folder.
On the computer on which you want to install Windows 2000, connect to the shared Setup files:
| If you are sharing the CD-ROM drive, connect to the shared drive and
change to the I386 folder.
| If you are sharing a folder, connect to that folder. | |