Preparing Domains and Computers for Upgrading

The first step in upgrading to Windows 2000 is to prepare the domains and the computers. This important step streamlines the upgrade process and makes it go as smoothly as possible.

Preparing the Domains

We recommend that you perform the following actions before upgrading a Windows NT-based domain to Active Directory:

• Verify that all PDCs and BDCs that you plan to upgrade are running Windows NT 4 Server or Enterprise Edition with Service Pack 5 or later (Service Pack 6a is preferable).
• Clean up the directories and user accounts to eliminate old baggage. When you upgrade the domain, all user accounts are moved into Active Directory—and although Active Directory is extremely scalable, disused accounts do take up a decent chunk of hard disk space. There's no point in storing and replicating disused accounts indefinitely, so delete them before you upgrade.
• Clean out unused directories and uninstall outdated software.
• Disable trusts that you don't want preserved.
• Synchronize the PDC with all of the BDCs, and then implement the recovery plan described earlier in the section Making a Recovery Plan, including taking one of the BDCs offline and disconnecting it from the network.

Preparing the Computers

To prepare the computers for the upgrade, follow these steps for each computer involved:

1. Check the Windows 2000 system requirements to make sure that the computer meets them. Just because the computer fulfills the minimum system requirements doesn't necessarily mean that it's up to the tasks you have planned for it. (For a reminder of Microsoft's minimum system requirements for running Windows 2000 Server, as well as our recommendations for a more realistic set of requirements for a useful system, see Table 5-1.)

   Real World

   Departing from the HCL

   Although it's true that many devices not in the HCL can be made to work most of the time, servers are needed all of the time. If you depart from the HCL when configuring a domain controller or other important server, you are taking an unjustifiable risk. Sooner or later, some traceable-to-the-hardware fault will show up, and you'll have no recourse. Microsoft will rightly point out that you should be using hardware from the HCL. The manufacturer of the hardware will shrug and say that they're "working on" the drivers. This is not a good position to be in.

   If you have machines that are not 100 percent compatible and certified, try them out as clients. Windows XP and Windows 2000 will work perfectly well with hardware that's not on the HCL.

2. Check the HCL on the Microsoft Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/hcl). If updated drivers are available for the hardware, download and copy them to a floppy disk or available local disk so that you can use them during installation, if necessary. If a component in the system is not listed in the Microsoft HCL, you can visit the manufacturer's Web site or contact the manufacturer of the device to see if updated drivers are available. In general, you should probably replace components that are not listed as 100 percent compatible.
3. Read the Read1st.txt and Relnotes.doc files on the Windows 2000 CD-ROM to check for application or hardware issues.
4. If you're upgrading from Windows NT 4, make sure that Service Pack 5, or preferably, Service Pack 6a is installed.
5. Check the Event Viewer. Fix any problems before you upgrade.
6. Uninstall any virus protection programs you have installed, unless you know that they work under Windows 2000 without modification.
7. Perform and verify a full system backup.
8. Create or update the emergency repair disk.
9. Record the hardware configuration of the system for reference in case of a hardware conflict or problem. Items to record include installed devices, interrupt requests (IRQs), jumper settings, and the hard disk configurations.
10. Disable disk mirroring if you are using it. (You can enable it after you finish upgrading.)
11. Uncompress the hard disk. (This applies to Windows 95/98 clients only.)
12. Disconnect the serial cable to any serial port uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices. (USB UPS devices can be left plugged in.)
13. Locate all drivers and get the Windows 2000 CD-ROM or connect to the network share with the Windows 2000 installation files.

Take a deep breath and begin. The remainder of this chapter covers upgrading systems to Windows 2000.