During a Win2k installation, it is recommended that you choose to install only the absolute minimum of Windows Components. This is extremely important for OS stability. After install, go back and remove as many of the Windows Components that you can which were added by default (keep "Notepad", "Character Map", and "Internet Explorer"). For performance reasons, the "indexing service" in particular should be deactivated.
Tip: Always turn off "Windows Update", as this network feature is now defunct (and unnecessary, since the Win2k updates are here on this webpage).
Note that Windows 2000 Pro shipped with Internet Explorer as an integrated component to the OS. The Updates below will also update IE to version 6 sp1.
The Semi-official SP 5.1 is a service pack created by enthusiists from official Microsoft Win2k updates that were released after the last official service pack was issued by Microsoft. This SP is not recognized by Microsoft, even though it contains files created by that company. Install at your own risk; but it has garnered universal positive reviews from end users, without any reports of conflicts with 3rd party software or installers.
This is a recommended Service Pack update if using Win2k as a Server. At this point in the Server build you should also disable any features and strip out any applets which are not required to directly support the Server (always keep "Notepad", "Character Map", and "Internet Explorer").
Security Updates were issued by Microsoft to help protect Win2k from malicious attacks, mostly originating through a network connection. If you do not connect to the Internet (a reality becoming more common with the Win2k OS), then there is lesser need to install these optional Security Updates, and their presence may actually hurt by reducing your computers peppiness. On the other hand, if you intend to use Win2k on a Server, then you MUST install all these Security Updates (a fully patched Win2k OS is an astoundingly stable/inviolable Server OS).
If you choose to install these seven dozen recommended Security Updates, install them after all the other Win2k patches and service packs have been applied (installing the unofficial SP 5.1 is highly encouraged). When installing these Security Updates, apply them in the "KB" order of lower to higher numbers. Also included is a new Roots Update that installs under Win2k.
TIP: It is always a good idea to see the file extensions. By default, Windows 2000 hides the extensions. To make them visible; open "Windows Explorer" (not Internet Explorer), and open the pulldown menu: "Tools" - "Folder Options...". Next select the Tab "View". In the "Advanced settings" box under "Files and Folders" uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types". Under the "Hidden files and folders", also choose the "Show hidden files and folders" radio button. Additionally, if you also want to see "*.shs" (Shell Scrap Object) file extensions, you must edit the Registry and delete the value: [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - ShellScrap]"NeverShowExt".
Although there are better media players that can be installed for use as your primary player, you may wish to also keep the Windows Media Player applet that was bundled with Win2k, as some software may expect its presence when trying to play audio. If you do keep it, it is suggested that you install these upgrades.
To some extent, Microsoft made Windows 2000 too desirable. The user interface for example is very clean, having been optimized through thousands of hours of human movement studies. Yet Microsoft still made it relatively easy to "personalized" the OS to your liking.
Realizing their financial mistake, Microsoft has now instituted a limited time leasing policy (which forces you to "reactivate" the OS whenever you make hardware changes). More significantly, in an attempt to force users to upgrade they made some arbitrary file name and file placement changes in Windows XP and above that prevent new software installers from functioning on Windows 2000. Even more insidiously, when Microsoft felt Win2k had reached the end of its sales profitability cycle, they intentionally modified their interpreters (such as .NET 3.5) so that they will refuse to install onto Win2k (and thus prevent any software that relies upon these interpreters from working). Worse, they also subverted their programming tools (such as Microsoft Visual Studio) so that they are incapable of creating Win2k compatible software!
The ideal solution to this problem is for programmers to write Win2k software using non-Microsoft programming tools. In almost all cases software vendors can write their programs to be compatible with Win2k Interpreters without loss of functionality, and users should encourage software venders to do so. If this is not possible, Win2k users may still be able to use non-compatible 32-bit software if they install an "API Wrapper".
Wrapper Pack (ver 1.10) - Abandoned Freeware
Currently computing is moving back to a MainFrame topology where programs are not installed locally. Unfortunately Windows 2000 is weak in regards to using the Internet. Intriguing free alternatives such as KolibriOS or Haiku, while able to provide modern Internet access, are unfortunately unable to run Windows software. A potential Internet savvy alternative to Windows 2000 (and Windows XP et.al.) is ReactOS. ReactOS is freeware, will run most of the Win2k software offered on this website, and can run the latest Windows Web Browsers. Its current weakness though is that it is still under development, and thus not as stable as Win2k in some situations.
Take an older PC Desktop or Laptop computer which you no longer use that you can boot from a CD, and insert a bootable DOS 6.22 CD that has Fdisk and Format. Boot DOS and run FDISK. Remove all partitions, then create an active primary partition of 2GB. Close FDISK (computer will reboot) and FORMAT this new partition as a bootable FAT drive C:, using the command
Now replace the DOS CD with the Windows 2000 bootable Installation CD and reboot. Perform a new installation of Windows 2000. As you go through the installation you will be asked to add new partitions. Create a NTFS partition on the remaining portion of the hard drive, leaving the 2GB primary partition intact. This new NTFS partition will probably become drive E: (C: being the FAT partition, and D: the CDROM drive). Install Windows 2000 on this new drive E:. Now, when you start your computer, you will get a prompt asking if you want to boot into either Windows 2000 or DOS 6.22. Sweet!!!
Since Windows 2000 can access both the DOS and Win2k drives, you can now add files TO the DOS drive (from a DVD, Memory Stick, The Internet, etc.), or Print / Email / Backup / etc. files FROM the DOS drive, whenever you bootup Windows 2000. [Note that computers running Windows XP can use this same trick to triple-boot WinXP, Win2k, and DOS. Handy, since WinXP can run modern Browsers.]
NOTE: Windows 2000 should be able to run any DOS program that runs under MS-DOS 5.0 (although for a few programs you may have to load a supplemental NTVDM DOS hardware emulator to take advantage of all the programs features). Windows 2000 can also run most 16-bit MS-Windows 3.1 programs. This article provides more detail.
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