Obtaining Help for Windows 2000 Server Operating Systems

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Microsoft has created product documentation to assist IT professionals in configuring and managing computers and networks running Windows 2000 server operating systems. If you manage users, servers, and other computers from a workstation, such as a computer running Windows 2000 Professional, and access product documentation from there, you may not be getting all the information available to you about protocols, tools, and services. This is true, even if you have installed the Windows 2000 Administration Tools.

The Windows 2000 Server Help files are typically located in the <systemroot>\Help folder. These files are interconnected to form an integrated Help system, and they contain shortcuts that open various tools. These Help files use approximately 30 megabytes (MB) of disk space.

You can access Windows 2000 Server Help in several ways. Because each method has its own advantages, use the method that best fits your particular situation or best complies with the administrative policy for your organization. Note that when you copy files from the Help folder, be sure to copy all files (including any hidden files) in the folder, otherwise the Help system may not function correctly.

  • Allow read-only access to the Help folder on the server. If you grant Read permission for the Help folder on a server computer, authorized users or groups can access server Help. The Help shortcuts that open administrative tools will function, provided the user has the proper permissions. However, granting even read-only access to server resources may constitute a security risk. To start Windows 2000 Server Help in a shared Help folder, double-click Windows.chm or create a shortcut to that file.

  • Copy all Help files to a shared folder on your network. You can copy all files in the Help folder to another computer on your network. Then grant the Read permission for the shared folder to authorized users or groups. The Help shortcuts that open administrative tools will not function. To start Windows 2000 Server Help in a shared folder, double-click Windows.chm or create a shortcut to that file.

  • Copy all Help files to your local computer. You can copy all files in the Help folder to your local computer, either to your <systemroot>\Help folder or another folder. Note that if you copy the server Help files to your local <systemroot>\Help folder, you may not be able to access some topics from Help menus and buttons for your local computer. However, if you copy the Help to a different folder, note that the Help shortcuts that open administrative tools will not function from the copied Help files. To start server Help in a folder on your local computer, double-click Windows.chm or create a shortcut to that file.

  • View the Help files on the Microsoft Web site. You can view the latest Help for You can view Help for the Windows 2000 Server family operating systems at: Microsoft Web site.