Introducing Windows 2000 Professional
This quick guide points you to chapters in this book that cover the new and improved features that make Windows 2000 Professional reliable, secure, and easy to use and manage.
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What benefits does Windows 2000 Professional provide to users and administrators?
Windows 2000 Professional is reliable, built for mobile users, easy to use, and easy to manage. It provides better browser integration and a platform for developing Web applications, enabling your business for the Internet.
See Overview later in this chapter.
See Part 1 Overview in this book.
How is Windows 2000 Professional easier to deploy?
For the first time, Windows 2000 Professional provides migration paths for upgrading computers from Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows 98 to a Windows operating system that is based on Windows NT technology. It includes an updated wizard, Setup Manager, that makes it easier to create setup scripts and distribution points for installation files. There are more and improved tools to choose from to customize and automate installations, such as an improved version of System Preparation Utility tool (Sysprep.exe) for image-based installations and the new Remote OS Installation that allows administrators to centralize and quickly duplicate Windows 2000 Professional installations from one desktop computer to another.
See Deployment and Installation later in this chapter.
See Part 2 Deployment and Installation in this book.
How is it easier to manage and support Windows 2000 Professional desktops in my organization?
Windows 2000 Professional is easier to manage with the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Windows Script Host (WSH), support for self-repairing applications, and comprehensive system, application, and driver protection. If you use Windows 2000 Professional with Windows 2000 Server, you can take advantage of the IntelliMirror technology for managing desktops from a central location.
See Configuration and Management later in this chapter.
See Using Windows 2000 Professional with Windows 2000 Server in this book.
See Part 3 Introduction to Configuration and Management in this book.
What new features help simplify setting up and administering corporate networks?
Windows 2000 Professional provides improved autoconfiguration of both intranet and Internet setups. It combines networking (intranet and Internet) and dial-up connectivity functions into the new Network and Dial-Up Connections folder in Control Panel. Windows 2000 Professional can automatically create an intranet for you, so that all of the computers on your intranet can talk to each other within minutes by using Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). Other networking improvements include better name resolution, network security, and TCP performance.
See Networking later in this chapter.
See Part 4 Network Configuration and Management in this book.
How can my existing environment coexist with Windows 2000 Professional?
Windows 2000 Professional can coexist with earlier versions of Windows (Microsoft Windows 3. x , Windows 95, Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0, or Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0) or third-party environments such as NetWare, UNIX, IBM mainframe, or Macintosh. NetWare interoperability is provided through Client Services for NetWare, NWLink, and Novell Client 32 version 4.51, UNIX interoperability is provided through an add-on pack called Windows Services for UNIX. Macintosh interoperability is provided by File Server for Macintosh, which allows Macintosh clients to use TCP/IP (AFP over IP) to share files and to access shares on a Windows 2000 Server–based computer.
See Interoperability later in this chapter.
See Part 5 Network Interoperability in this book.
How can I monitor performance and perform preventive maintenance of my Windows 2000 Professional system?
Windows 2000 Professional includes the Performance console to assess available memory, observe the effects of memory shortage, and monitor the file system cache. There are also new tools for monitoring processor activity, identifying bottleneck issues, and tuning disk performance.
See Performance Monitoring later in this chapter.
See Part 6 Performance Monitoring in this book.
How do I solve problems when they arise?
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional provides tools you can use to resolve problems that might occur. Windows Professional also includes a wide range of troubleshooters that help you solve many common problems.
See Troubleshooting later in this chapter.
See Part 7 Troubleshooting in this book.
How does Windows 2000 Professional make computers more accessible?
Windows 2000 Professional provides users with special needs better access to programs and applications with features such as hot keys, sound events, and Narrator, a text-to-speech tool. Windows 2000 Professional also supports the Human Interface Device (HID) firmware specification for specialized input and output devices.
See Accessibility later in this chapter.
See Accessibility for People with Disabilities in this book.