Operating System Windows NT Workstation 4.
Upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional This document gives an overview of the key steps and considerations when upgrading to Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional. Windows 2000 Professional has been designed to be the mainstream operating system for all users in businesses of any size. It will have the ability to upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional from all of the following, including for the first time, an upgrade from the Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating systems: • Windows NT Workstation 4.
OVERVIEW Windows 2000 Professional is the premier desktop operating system for organizations of all sizes designed to replace Windows 95 as the standard on business desktop and laptop computers. The upgrade process can be automated and in most cases will run smoothly. However, it is important to note that each upgraded operating system will require a different amount of planning and preparation in order to help ensure a smooth upgrade.
OVERVIEW (CONTINUED) In contrast, businesses upgrading from Windows NT Workstation 4.0 need only to • Verify that appropriate drivers are present for the few devices that need new drivers and replace and/or upgrade software (such as anti-virus software) that may rely on specific file systems. • Run the setup program which upgrades Windows NT Workstation 4.0 files The upgrade from Windows NT Workstation 4.0 is straightforward because Windows NT Workstation versions 4.
THE BEST UPGRADE IS A WELL PLANNED UPGRADE Creating the Test Environment Regardless of which desktop operating system(s) are currently deployed in a business, it is strongly recommended that a test lab is set up in order to verify the upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional for all possible scenarios. This is a key exercise to ensure a high degree of success with actual deployments.
THE WINDOWS 9X UPGRADE PROCESS As previously discussed, the registry structure, file locations, and system function calls differ between Windows 9x and Windows 2000 Professional based systems. As a result: • Businesses with customized line-of-business applications and third party system utilities may require significant preparation to ensure a smooth upgrade • Straightforward or standardized corporate desktops should upgrade relatively smoothly.
THE WINDOWS 9X UPGRADE PROCESS (CONTINUED) Migration DLL’s do three things: • Replace and/or upgrade Windows 9x specific files with Windows NT Workstation compatible files • Move Windows 9x application and user specific settings (that Setup did not already know about) to their proper location in Windows 2000 Professional • Map Windows 9x specific registry keys to the appropriate Windows 2000 Professional locations Businesses with internally developed line of business applications may want to 1 evaluate wri
THE WINDOWS NT WORKSTATION UPGRADE PROCESS Because Windows NT Workstation versions 4.0 and Windows 2000 Professional share a common registry, file system, security, and operating system kernel structures, nearly all applications that run on Windows NT Workstation 4.0 will run without modification on Windows 2000 Professional. The upgrade process itself is straightforward and in most situations will not require significant preparation outside of standard lab upgrade testing previously discussed.
CONCLUSION Windows 2000 Professional has been designed to be the mainstream business operating system of the future. In this respect it has been designed as the replacement to Windows 95. A key design goal has been to radically simplify the setup process to enable its rapid deployment across the organization. These advances are the most evident in the upgrade from Windows NT Workstation 3.51 and 4.0. The best way to prepare for Windows 2000 Professional is to deploy Windows NT Workstation 4.
Appendix - BASIC TEST PLAN The following pages detail a list of suggested basic compatibility tests that can be performed on applications. These are not exhaustive and should be used in conjunction with your own testing matrix.
Using the application • Open sample document that ships with the application, or make one and use it in future testing.
