Windows 2000 is the most manageable, reliable, and secure version of Windows ever. Improved hardware support and increased software compatibility make using Windows 2000 even easier. And enhancements to networking, printing, and storage help you find resources more quickly and work more efficiently.
Desktop and window enhancements make Windows 2000 easy to use. You can customize menus and toolbars to tailor Windows 2000 to your needs. Microsoft Windows Explorer displays more information about files and folders, including thumbnail views and encryption information. Using the enhanced search capabilities, you can browse and see search results in the same window. In My Documents and My Pictures folders you have a convenient place to back up and store all of your work.
And Microsoft Internet Explorer gives you the best Internet experience and latest Web browsing features. For example, the AutoComplete feature finishes typing Internet addresses and previously-viewed files for you. The AutoDetect feature detects and configures a proxy server for your connection.
Windows 2000 includes hundreds of new printer, modem, and other hardware drivers, making hardware installation and setup easy and efficient. New wizards make configuring hardware simple. The Add/Remove Hardware wizard automatically detects and configures new devices. The Add Printer wizard helps you change printer settings from within applications. And Windows 2000 includes improved printing support—Internet printing, Image Color Management 2.0, and new font technologies.
Windows 2000 Professional is the best operating system for mobile users. The Network Connection wizard simplifies setting up network and dial-up connections. You can take network-based files and folders offline, making them available when you aren't connected to the network. Likewise, you can save Web pages for offline browsing. And Synchronization Manager ensures that offline and network versions of a file are up-to-date.
Building on the Traditional Strengths of Windows NT
Windows 2000 significantly expands the existing capabilities of Windows NT, providing a more stable and responsive computing experience. The new Encrypting File System ensures that information is completely private and secure, even for users who share a computer. You can now more easily create a virtual private network to securely connect computers over the Internet. Windows 2000 supports the following scalable security technologies: Kerberos V5 protocol, smart card, public key cryptography, and Internet Protocol security (IPSec). You need only log on once to use all Windows 2000 Server network resources.
With the latest installation technology, you can install, customize, and remove programs more reliably. Windows Installer helps prevent system file conflicts, repairs incomplete installations, updates out-of-date components, and removes all traces of a program, including registry entries.
For more efficient disk space allocation, Windows 2000 now supports the file allocation table (FAT) 32 file system. The NTFS file system includes many performance enhancements and new features such as per-user disk quotas and file encryption.
Information travels faster with improved TCP/IP stack performance, reducing network traffic. Files built with dynamic Hypertext Markup Language (DHTML) load more quickly. You can accommodate the latest transmission technologies, including cable modems, through support for asynchronous transfer mode technology.
Windows 2000 contains key Windows 98 features, such as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface power management, the DirectX technologies, and Web integration. It's as easy to install and use state-of-the-art hardware with Windows 2000 as it was with Windows 98 because Windows 2000 also supports Plug and Play, IEEE 1394, DVD, and the universal serial bus (USB) standards. And as in Windows 98, in Windows 2000 you can use multiple monitors with a single computer to dramatically increase the size of your workspace.
Windows 2000 is compatible with more applications than ever before, continuing to support software for previous versions of Windows—as well as older hardware. To ensure that you're using the highest quality hardware drivers, the drivers are digitally signed by Microsoft after testing. Also, Windows 2000 is ideally suited to support the demands of new programs, including distributed programs written using Windows Distributed interNet Applications (Windows DNA) architecture.
Windows 2000 can reduce the total cost of ownership—the costs involved in administering personal computer networks—compared with that of other versions of Windows. Remote installation, a disk imaging tool, support for Windows 95 and Windows 98 upgrades, and the unattended Setup tools help administrators easily deploy Windows 2000, saving time and expense. With Windows Script Host, you can also automate tasks with language-independent scripts. And Microsoft Management Console (MMC) consolidates several administrative programs into a single interface you can use to manage and support local and remote computers.
The breakthrough IntelliMirror technology uses the power of Windows 2000 Server to make it easier for administrators to manage desktops remotely—each user's documents, system files, and administrative settings are stored on a server. Administrators are able to quickly duplicate a Windows 2000 installation from one computer to another.
Whether administering small businesses or large corporations, you can manage desktops centrally using Active Directory directory service and its Group Policy support in Windows 2000. Administrators can deploy software applications using group policies. Support for Windows Management Instrumentation, a program management tool, reduces the maintenance cost of event reporting and makes managing device drivers easier.
And you can keep Windows 2000 current by using the Windows Update Web site, an extension of Windows 2000. From this Web site, you can download system enhancements, such as drivers and service packs.
Multilanguage technology lets you view, print, and share documents from any localized language supported in Windows 2000. A single version of Windows 2000 Professional can be deployed globally while still allowing users to access information in their preferred language.