Installing Windows 2000 Professional

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To begin installing Windows 2000 Professional on your computer, run the Windows 2000 Setup program. For a clean installation on x 86-based computers, run Winnt.exe from an MS-DOS prompt.

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Note

If you are using Winnt.exe to start Setup, it is highly recommended that you load Smartdrv.exe or other disk-caching software before beginning Setup.

Winnt.exe Command Syntax

Running Winnt.exe performs a clean installation of Windows 2000 Professional. You can run the Winnt.exe command at an MS-DOS, Windows 3.1, or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 command prompt. Winnt.exe command switches are shown in Table 4.6.

The syntax of the Winnt.exe command is as follows:

winnt [/ s [:sourcepath]] [/ t [:tempdrive]] [/ u [:answer file]] [/ udf :id[,UDF_file]]

[/ r :folder] [/ r [x]:folder] [/ e :command] [/ a ]

Table 4.6 Winnt.exe Command Switches

Switch

Meaning

/ s:sourcepath

Specifies the source location of the Windows 2000 Professional installation files. The location must be a full path in the form x:\[path] or \\server\share[\path] . The default is the current folder. To simultaneously copy files from multiple servers, specify multiple /s sources.

/ t:tempdrive

Specifies a drive to contain temporary Setup files. If you dont specify a location, Setup attempts to locate a drive for you, and then uses the partition with the most free space.

/ udf:id [,UDF_file]

Indicates an identifier (id) that Setup uses to specify how a Uniqueness Database File (UDF) modifies an answer file (see /u ). The /udf switch overrides values in the answer file, and the identifier determines which values in the UDF files are used. If no UDF_file is specified, Setup prompts you to insert a disk that contains the $Unique$.udb file.

/ a

Skips the free disk space verification of the Setup startup floppy disks.

/ u [: answer file ]

Performs unattended Setup using an answer file (requires /s ). The answer file provides answers to some or all of the prompts you normally respond to during Setup.

/ r:folder

Specifies an optional folder to be installed. The folder remains after Setup finishes. Use additional /r switches to install additional folders.

/ r [x] :folder

Specifies an optional folder to be copied. The folder is deleted after Setup finishes.

/ E

Specifies a command to be carried out at the end of the GUI-mode portion of Setup.

Performing a New Installation by Using the Setup Startup Disks

The following procedure describes installing Windows 2000 Professional by using the four Setup floppy disks.

Before you begin Installing Windows 2000 Professional by using the Setup startup disks, make sure your BIOS is set to start from the floppy drive, then the hard disk drive. For example, Boot Sequence A, C (A being your floppy drive, C being your hard drive).

  1. With your computer turned off, insert the Windows 2000 Professional Setup startup disk #1 into your floppy disk drive.

  2. Start your computer.

  3. When your computer starts from the floppy drive, the Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears as blue text.

  4. Setup inspects your computers hardware configuration, and then begins to install the Setup and driver files. After a short time, it asks you to insert startup disk #2.

  5. After startup disk #2 is inserted, Setup continues to install files needed for installation. Insert startup disk #3 when prompted, and then startup disk #4 when prompted.

  6. Startup disk #4 will finish loading the driver files. After all the files are installed, the Welcome to Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears, asking you to chose from the following three options:

    • To Setup Windows 2000 Professional now, press ENTER.

    • To repair a Windows 2000 Professional installation, press R.

    • To quit Setup without installing Windows 2000 Professional, press F3 .

    Pressing ENTER continues installation.

  7. Next, a blue text screen version of the License Agreement appears. Read the License Agreement, and then press F8 if you agree to the terms to continue the installation.

  8. The Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears and welcomes you to Setup, and then a second screen appears with the following options:

    • To Setup Windows 2000 on the selected partition, press ENTER.

    • If you have unpartitioned space on your hard drive, Setup asks if you want to create a partition in the unpartitioned space. Press C to select this option.

    • To delete the selected partition, press D.

  9. If you elected to install Windows 2000 Professional on a FAT partition, Setup asks if you want to leave the current file system intact, format the partition as FAT16, convert the existing file system to NTFS, or format the partition using the NTFS file system.

  10. Next, Setup examines the existing hard disks, and then copies the files needed to complete the installation of Windows 2000 Professional. After files are copied, the computer restarts.

  11. When the computer finishes restarting, the Windows 2000 GUI mode Setup Wizard screen appears. Setup then proceeds to detect and install devices such as the mouse and keyboard. This can take several minutes.

  12. The next screen that appears is the regional options screen. At this point, you can customize your installation of Windows 2000 Professional for such settings as locale, number format, currency, time, date, and language.

  13. The Personalize your Software screen follows. You are asked to type in your name and the name of your organization.

  14. The next screen is the Product ID screen, where you are required to enter the 25-character product key that appears on the CD case.

  15. Next is the Computer Name and Password screen. You can either accept the default name that Setup generates, or you can give the computer a different name. You are also asked for an administrative password. You can leave this empty, but it is not recommended.

  16. The Date and Time settings screen asks you to set the correct date and time for your computer.

  17. Next is the Network Settings screen. Windows 2000 Professional detects your network settings, and then asks if you want to use Typical or Custom settings. Typical will set default network settings such as File and Print for Microsoft Networks, Client for Microsoft Networks, and TCP/IP protocol using DHCP. Custom settings gives you the ability to choose the network components that you require for your network environment.

  18. The Workgroup or Computer Domain screen is where you add your computer to a workgroup or join a domain.

  19. Next is the Installing Components screen, where Windows 2000 Professional Setup installs the operating system components. This can take a few minutes.

  20. During the final stage of installation, Windows 2000 Setup completes the following:

    • Installs Start menu items

    • Registers components

    • Saves settings

    • Removes temporary files

Setup is now complete. For further information about setting up accounts, joining a workgroup, or joining a domain, see Post-Installation Tasks later in this chapter.

Performing a Clean Installation From the CD-ROM

You can perform a clean installation of Windows 2000 Professional from within an existing Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, or Windows NT Workstation 3.51 operating system by using Winnt32.exe. From within Windows 3. x or MS-DOS, use Winnt.exe.

  1. Start your computer by inserting the Windows 2000 Professional operating system CD into your CD-ROM drive.

  2. If Windows automatically detects the CD, click Install Windows 2000 , and Setup begins automatically.
    If Windows doesnt automatically detect the CD, start Setup from the Run command prompt.

    • In Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT Workstation 4.0, from the Start , click Run .

    • In Windows NT Workstation 3.51 or Windows 3.1, in Program Manager , click File , and then click Run .

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    Note
    You can also run Setup.exe from the root of the CD.

  3. At the command prompt, type the following command, replacing D with the letter of your CD-ROM drive:
    D* *:\i386\winnt32.exe If youre using Windows 3.1 or starting from MS-DOS, type the following command at the prompt, replacing D with the letter of your CD-ROM drive:
    D* *:\i386\winnt.exe

The procedure from the CD is the same as performing a clean installation by using the four startup disks. After you start the installation, refer to Performing a New Installation by Using the Setup Startup Disks in Running Setup for a Clean Installation of Windows 2000 Professional earlier in this chapter.

Performing a Clean Installation From a Network Connection

Using your existing operating system, establish your connection to the shared network folder that contains the Setup files. You can also use an MS-DOS or network installation disk containing network client software to connect to the network server. (Make sure disk caching software, such as Smartdrv, is loaded.) The syntax is:

\\servername\sharename\i386\winnt.exe

The procedure for a network installation is the same as for performing a clean installation by using the four startup disks. After you start the installation, refer to Performing a New Installation by Using the Setup Startup Disks in Running Setup for a Clean Installation of Windows 2000 Professional earlier in this chapter.