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Lesson 11

Windows Install Requirements Conclusion

This module discussed the installation requirements for the Windows 2000 family of products.
You saw how Windows 2000 is much more demanding of hardware than Windows NT 4.0.
You learned that planning the installation of Windows 2000 before performing it is vitally important.
You need to consider what file system you want to use for your Windows 2000 installation.
You must also decide on whether a new Windows 2000 machine on the network is going to be a member of a workgroup or a domain.
Finally, you learned how to install Windows 2000 from the CD-ROM, which is what you will typically do for the first domain controller in a Windows 2000 domain, or when installing only one or two Windows 2000 Professional workstations. You saw what information needed to be entered during the different phases of the Windows 2000 Setup Wizard and what decisions had to be made along the way.
Now that you have completed this module, you should be able to

  1. Select the proper Windows 2000 operating system
  2. Define Windows 2000 hardware requirements
  3. Decide how and when to use disk partitioning
  4. Determine when to use NFTS or FAT during setup
  5. Define Windows 2000 licensing modes
  6. Determine requirements for joining a domain or workgroup
  7. Install Windows 2000 Professional and Server from a compact disc
  8. Install Windows 2000 using the Setup Wizard

New terms

Here are some terms that might be new to you.
  1. Active Directory:The database in which the domain user account, password and permissions information (in addition to information about resources and other objects) is stored on a Windows 2000 domain controller.
  2. Client Access License (CAL):A CAL is required for each computer that accesses a Windows server, in addition to the required operating system license.
  3. Disk partition:A division of a hard disk that can be formatted in a supported file system.
  4. Domain:A network configuration in which computers are grouped into administrative units, with access to all resources in the domain controlled by a centralized database.
  5. File system: A file system implements a particular set of naming and organization conventions for the storage and retrieval of files.
  6. Hardware Compatibility List (HCL): List of hardware components that have been tested by Microsoft for compatibility with Windows 2000. <br> The HCL is available on the Microsoft website.
  7. Accounts Manager (SAM):The database in which the local user account, password, and permissions information is stored on a Windows 2000 computer. Active Directory also refers to the Windows implementation of a directory service. Active Directory stores information about a variety of objects in the network. Importantly, user accounts, computer accounts, groups, and all related credential information used by the Windows implementation of Kerberos are stored in Active Directory. Active Directory first became available as part of Windows 2000 and is available as part of Windows 2000 Server products, Windows Server 2003 products, Windows Server 2008 products, and Windows Server 2008 R2 products. Active Directory is not present in Windows NT 4.0 or in Windows XP.
  8. Workgroup:A network configuration in which all computers function as independent peers. Each computer maintains its own separate SAM with no centralized security or administration.
In the next module, upgrading to Windows 2000 from prior versions of Windows will be discussed.

Installing Windows 2000 Quiz


Click the Quiz link below to assess your mastery of the installation process.  
Installing Windows - Quiz