Easier Setup and Configuration

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One of the most vital enhancements in Windows 2000 is support for the Plug and Play standard. In most cases now, when you install a new hardware device, the operating system automatically detects the device, configures it, and installs the appropriate device drivers. The Add/Remove Hardware Wizard, a component of Control Panel, is available for those rare cases in which a device isn't correctly recognized and installed, such as older devices that don't have Plug and Play capability. Installing hardware in Windows 2000 is covered in Chapter 24, "Installing and Configuring Hardware."

Making network connections, configuring Internet service providers (ISPs), setting up virtual private networks (VPNs), setting up your system as a remote access server, and achieving direct-cable connections with other computers are all easier in Windows 2000, thanks to the new Network Connection Wizard. You can read about this wizard in Chapter 16, "Making Connections."

Further simplifying setup tasks, Windows 2000 includes an enhanced Add/Remove Programs Wizard and a sophisticated application installation and maintenance tool called Windows Installer. The refurbished wizard maintains statistics about how often you use the programs you've installed, so if and when you need to uninstall something to free up disk space, you'll know which programs you're not likely to miss. Windows Installer, if used in an Active Directory environment, allows administrators to assign or publish applications to users. Assigning and publishing are ways of making applications available to users so that they're installed automatically when they're needed. You can read more about these features in Chapter 15, "Installing and Removing Programs and System Components."