Installing Windows 2000 Server

Windows 2000 Server is Microsoft's enterprise server operating system, released in February 2000. This guide walks you through a clean installation from the CD-ROM.

Pre-Installation Checklist

• Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM (or bootable ISO image)
• Valid product key (25 characters, printed on the Certificate of Authenticity)
• At least 2 GB free disk space on the target partition
• Hardware on the Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Boot from CD: Insert the Windows 2000 Server CD into the drive and restart the computer. Press any key when prompted to boot from CD-ROM.
2. Text-Mode Setup: The Setup program loads drivers and presents the license agreement. Press F8 to accept.
3. Partition Selection: Choose an existing partition or create a new one. Setup can format the partition as NTFS (recommended) or FAT32.
4. File Copy: Setup copies files to the hard drive and reboots the computer automatically.
5. GUI-Mode Setup: After reboot, the graphical portion of Setup begins. Configure regional settings, enter your name and organization, and provide the product key.
6. Licensing Mode: Choose Per Server or Per Seat licensing. Per Server limits the number of concurrent connections; Per Seat requires a CAL for each device.
7. Computer Name: Enter a NetBIOS name (up to 15 characters). This name identifies the server on the network.
8. Administrator Password: Set a strong password for the built-in Administrator account. This account has full control over the server.
9. Networking: Setup detects network adapters and installs TCP/IP. You can configure a static IP address now or use DHCP.
10. Workgroup or Domain: Join an existing domain or create a new workgroup. To create a domain controller, run dcpromo after installation completes.
11. Final Steps: Setup installs components, configures the Start menu, and removes temporary files. The server reboots into the logon screen.

Post-Installation Tasks

• Install the latest Service Pack (SP4 is recommended)
• Run Windows Update to apply critical security patches
• Configure the server role: file server, print server, application server, or domain controller
• Enable Terminal Services for remote administration

For system requirements, see Windows 2000 System Requirements.