Determine System Requirements

The system requirements for Windows 2000 Server are greater than for Windows NT Server 4.0. Each server on the network must meet minimum requirements in order for Windows 2000 Server to operate efficiently. The minimum hardware requirements are as follows:

• A 133-MHz Pentium or higher processor
  A new installation of Windows 2000 Server supports computers with up to four processors. If you are upgrading a computer running Windows NT Server that supported more than four processors, you must then upgrade to Windows 2000 Advanced Server because it supports up to eight processors.

• At least 64 megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM), although 128 MB is recommended, with 4 gigabytes (GB) being the maximum.

• Hard disk partition with enough free space to accommodate the setup process
  To calculate the space needed, start with 850 MB and add 2 MB for each MB of memory on your computer. More space might be needed, depending on the following:

  • The components and services being installed.

  • The file system used.

  The file allocation table (FAT) file system requires 100 to 200 MB of additional free disk space.

  • The method used for installation.

  To install across the network, allow 100 to 200 MB additional space because additional driver files must be available during this process, as compared to installing from the operating system CD.
  In addition, an upgrade might require much more disk space than a new installation. As Active Directory functionality is added, the existing user accounts database can expand by up to a factor of 10.

Note

After setup is completed, actual disk space used for the operating system (excluding user accounts) is usually less than the free space required for Setup, depending on which computer components are installed.

For additional requirements see the \Support directory on the Windows 2000 Server operating system CD.