Lesson 7: Upgrading Previous Versions of Windows to Windows 2000 Professional | MCSE Training Kit(c) Microsoft Windows 2000 Accelerated 2000

In most cases, you will be upgrading a previous version of Windows to Windows 2000 Professional. You can upgrade most previous versions of Windows operating systems directly to Windows 2000 to take advantage of the new features offered in the Windows 2000 Professional operating system. However, before upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional, ensure that the computer hardware meets the minimum Windows 2000 hardware requirements. You must also check the HCL or test the computers for hardware compatibility using the Windows 2000 Compatibility tool. You want to ensure that the hardware is compatible with Windows 2000 to avoid surprises when you start the upgrade on a large number of client computers.

Computers running previous versions of Windows that use compatible hardware can be upgraded directly to Windows 2000. If Windows 95 and Windows 98 client systems are using incompatible or insufficient hardware, you can still take advantage of the functionality of Active Directory directory services provided by a Windows 2000 domain by installing the Windows 2000 Directory Service Client on these systems.

After this lesson, you will be able to

Explain how to upgrade older Windows client operating systems to Windows 2000

Estimated lesson time: 25 minutes

Identifying Client Upgrade Paths

You can upgrade most client computers running older versions of Windows directly to Windows 2000. However, computers running Windows NT 3.1 or 3.5 require an additional step. Table 1.6 lists the Windows 2000 Professional upgrade paths for client operating systems.

Table 1.6 Windows 2000 Professional Upgrade Paths for Client OSs

Upgrade from	Upgrade to
Windows 95 and Windows 98	Windows 2000 Professional
Windows NT 3.51 and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation	Windows 2000 Professional
Windows NT 3.1 or 3.5	Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation first, then upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional

NOTE
Windows 2000 Professional also upgrades all released service packs for Windows NT 3.51 and Windows NT 4.0 Workstation.

Identifying Hardware Requirements and Compatibility

Before you upgrade a client computer to Windows 2000 Professional, make sure that it meets the minimum hardware requirements. Table 1.7 describes these hardware requirements.

Table 1.7 Windows 2000 Professional Minimum Hardware Requirements

Hardware	Minimum requirements
Processor	One processor, Intel Pentium 133 MHz or higher (dual CPU systems are supported)
Memory	Pentium-based: 64 MB
Hard disk	2 GB drive with at least 650 MB of free space on the boot partition
Video	VGA or higher video card and monitor
Other components	CD-ROM installation: CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive
Networking	Network interface card and related cables
Accessories	Keyboard and mouse or other pointing device

Most hardware devices that functioned properly in Windows NT 4.0 Workstation will also function properly in Windows 2000 Professional. However, you might have to replace some third-party drivers with new drivers designed for Windows 2000. You can obtain these new drivers from the manufacturer of the specific device.

Generating a Hardware Compatibility Report

You generate a hardware and software compatibility report using the Windows 2000 Compatibility tool. This tool runs automatically during system upgrades, but Microsoft recommends that you run it before beginning the upgrade to identify any hardware and software problems. This is especially important when upgrading many computers with similar hardware, so compatibility problems can be fixed before the upgrade begins.

Generating the Report

You can generate a compatibility report using the Windows 2000 Compatibility tool in two ways:

Run Winnt32/checkupgradeonly.
Using the /checkupgradeonly switch with the Winn32 command launches the first part of the Windows 2000 Setup program. Instead of running the entire setup process, it checks only for compatible hardware and software. This generates a report that you can analyze to determine which system components are Windows 2000-compatible.
Run the Chkupgrd.exe utility.
This immediately generates the compatibility report. You can download this utility from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/default.asp.

Reviewing the Report

Both Winnt32 /checkupgradeonly and the Chkupgrd.exe utility generate the same report. This report appears as a text document; you can view it in the utility's window or save it as a text file.

The report documents the system hardware and software that is incompatible with Windows 2000. It also identifies whether you need to obtain an upgrade pack for software installed on the system, and any additional changes or modifications you must make to the system to maintain functionality in Windows 2000.

Identifying Software Compatibility

Most applications that run in either Windows NT 4.0 Workstation or Windows NT 3.51 will run in Windows 2000 Professional. However, some applications will be incompatible. You should remove the following software applications before you upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional:

Any third-party networking protocols and any third-party client software that doesn't have an update in the i386\Winntupg folder on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM
All antivirus applications and disk quota software because of the changes in the NTFS file system from version 4, which was used in Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, to version 5, which is used in Windows 2000 Professional
Any custom power management software or tools because they are replaced by Windows 2000's support of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) and Advanced Power Management (APM)

Upgrading Compatible Windows 95 and Windows 98 Computers

For client systems that test as compatible with Windows 2000, you run the Windows 2000 Setup program (winnt32.exe) to complete the upgrade process by completing the following steps:

Run the winnt32.exe command.
Accept the license agreement.
If the computer you are upgrading is already a member of a domain, you must create a computer account in that domain. Windows 95 and Windows 98 clients don't require a computer account, but Windows 2000 Professional clients do.
You are asked to provide upgrade packs for any applications that might need them. Upgrade packs update software so it works with Windows 2000. Upgrade packs are available from the software vendor.
You are prompted to upgrade to NTFS. Select the upgrade if you don't plan to set up the client computer to dual boot operating systems.
The Windows 2000 Compatibility tool runs, generating a report. If the report shows the computer as Windows 2000 compatible, continue with the upgrade. If the report shows the computer to be incompatible with Windows 2000, terminate the upgrade.
The upgrade is completed without further user intervention. After the upgrade is complete, you must enter the password for the local computer's Administrator account.

If your computer is Windows 2000 compatible, it is now upgraded and is a member of your domain. If your computer is not Windows 2000 compatible, you must upgrade your hardware, if possible, or you can install the Windows 2000 Directory Service Client.

Installing the Directory Service Client

Windows 95 or Windows 98 computers that don't meet the hardware compatibility requirements can still take advantage of Active Directory directory services by using Directory Service Client. Directory Service Client upgrades Windows 95 and Windows 98 systems so that they support Active Directory features, and can do the following:

Use fault-tolerant Dfs
Search Active Directory directory services
Change your password on any domain controller

NOTE
Before installing Directory Service Client on a computer running Windows 95, you must install Internet Explorer 4.01 or later and enable the Active Desktop component. Otherwise, the Directory Service Client Setup wizard won't run.

You can complete the following steps to install Directory Service Client on a non-Windows 2000-compatible computer:

In the Clients\Win9x folder on the Windows 2000 Server or Advanced Server CD-ROM, run the Dsclient.exe command.
The Directory Service Client Setup wizard starts.
Click Next.
The Ready To Install page appears.
Click Next.
The Setup wizard copies files and displays a progress indicator. When copying is complete, the Installation Completed page appears.
Click Finish to complete the installation.
A Systems Settings Change message box appears, advising you that your computer must restart before the new settings will take effect.
Click Yes to restart the computer.

Upgrading Windows NT 3.51 and 4 Clients

The upgrade process for computers running Windows NT 3.51 and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is similar to the upgrade process for computers running Windows 95 and Windows 98.

Verifying Compatibility

Before you perform the upgrade, you must verify that the systems are compatible with Windows 2000. Use the Windows 2000 Compatibility tool to identify any potential problems before you start the upgrade.

Upgrading Compatible Systems

Computers running Windows NT Workstation 3.51 and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 that meet the hardware compatibility requirements can upgrade directly to Windows 2000. You can start the upgrade process by completing the following procedure:

Insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Run box, type d:\i386\winnt32 (where d is the drive letter for your CD-ROM), and then press Enter.
The Welcome To The Windows 2000 Setup wizard appears.
Select Upgrade To Windows 2000 (Recommended), and then click Next.
The License Agreement page appears.
Read the license agreement and then click I Accept This Agreement.
Click Next.
The Upgrading To The Windows 2000 NTFS File System page appears.
Click Yes, Upgrade My Drive, and then click Next.
The Copying Installation Files page appears.

The Restarting The Computer page appears and the computer will now restart.

The upgrade finishes without further user intervention.

Using Incompatible Systems

Computers running Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation that do not meet the hardware compatibility requirements can still log on to a Windows 2000 network, but they won't be able to take advantage of many Windows 2000 features. No Directory Service Client is available for computers running Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation.

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you learned that you can upgrade most client computers running older versions of Windows directly to Windows 2000. However, you must first upgrade computers running Windows NT 3.1 or Windows NT 3.5 to Windows NT 3.51 or Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, and then you can upgrade them to Windows 2000 Professional.

You also learned that before you upgrade a client computer to Windows 2000 Professional, you must make sure that it meets the minimum hardware requirements. You can generate a hardware and software compatibility report using the Windows 2000 Compatibility tool. This tool runs automatically during system upgrades, but Microsoft recommends that you run this tool before beginning the upgrade to identify any hardware and software problems. This is especially important when upgrading many computers with similar hardware, so compatibility problems can be fixed before the upgrade begins.

Finally, you learned that for client systems that test as being compatible with Windows 2000, you run the Windows 2000 Setup program (Winnt32.exe) to complete the upgrade process. If your computer isn't Windows 2000 compatible, you must upgrade your hardware, if possible, or you can install Directory Service Client. Computers running Windows 95 or Windows 98 that don't meet the hardware compatibility requirements can still take advantage of Active Directory directory services by using Directory Service Client. Directory Service Client upgrades Windows 95 and 98 systems so that they support Active Directory features and are able to use fault-tolerant Dfs, search Active Directory directory services, and change your password on any domain controller.