This is the full version, NOT an upgrade. Windows 2000 Professional is the Windows operating system for business desktop and laptop systems. It is used to run software applications, connect to Internet and intranet sites, and access files, printers, and network resources.

Windows 2000 Professional lets you:

• Work how and where you want with new peripheral support and features that extend notebook capabilities.
• Rely on your PC to be up and running with enterprise level quality.
• Work the way you did with Windows 98, only much faster. Combine the ease of Windows 98 with the manageability, reliability, and security of Windows NT, at speeds 30 percent faster than Windows 98 on PCs with 64 MB of RAM or more.
• Communicate, share information, and use the Internet quickly and easily. With integrated support for Internet-enabled applications, business software developers incorporate the new ways to create and share information made possible by the Internet.

Why upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional?

#1: Value. The number one reason to move to Windows 2000 Professional is the overall value it offers your business. As this list proves, Windows 2000 Professional can help you reduce costs through improved management and increase productivity through improved reliability and ease of use. For example, analysis conducted at Credit Suisse First Boston predicted that using Windows 2000 Professional could reduce the firm's directly related IT costs by 15 percent, as well as improve employee productivity by cutting computer-related unproductive time by as much as 41 percent.

#2: Reliability. An essential requirement for business users is a personal computer they can count on. That's why Windows 2000 Professional includes fundamental improvements—such as modifications to the operating system core to prevent crashes and the ability for the operating system to repair itself—that make it the most reliable desktop operating system Microsoft has ever produced. On comparative reliability tests conducted by ZD Labs, the average system uptime of Windows 2000 Professional was over 50 times that of Windows 98 and 17 times that of Windows NT Workstation 4.0.

#3: Mobility. Mobile computing is simpler and more efficient with Windows 2000 Professional. This means you can work anywhere, anytime while also saving time and increasing productivity. As described in these news articles, "Finally, a Notebook OS" and "Mobile Users In Love with Win2K" , Windows 2000 Professional offers mobile users key productivity and time-saving features, including the ability to hibernate and restart the system without a reboot and the ability to easily take files and folders offline.

#4: Manageability. Windows 2000 Professional is easier to deploy, manage, and support. Centralized management utilities, troubleshooting tools, and support for self-healing applications all make it simpler for administrators and users to deploy and manage desktop and laptop computers. These improvements pay off in reduced costs, as illustrated by this Eastman Chemical total cost of ownership analysis.

#5: Performance. The advancements made throughout Windows 2000 Professional are accentuated by the operating system's speed. As shown in ZD Labs tests running the most popular business applications, with 64 MB of RAM, Windows 2000 was 32 percent faster than Windows 95 and 27 percent faster than Windows 98. It is also significantly faster than Windows NT 4.0 on configurations with 32 MB of RAM.

#6: Security. Windows 2000 Professional provides comprehensive security features to protect your sensitive business data, both locally on your desktop computer and as it is transmitted over your local area network, phone lines, or the Internet. With its support for Internet-standard security features such as IP Security, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, and Virtual Private Networking, Windows 2000 is so secure that banks, such as Credit Suisse First Boston , use it. For some organizations, such as the law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP, security is a key reason for moving to Windows 2000.

#7: Internet. The familiar user interface of Windows 98 combined with all the capabilities of Internet Explorer 5, makes using the Internet and your local desktop a unified user experience, as described by PC Magazine . This user interface, combined with integrated search capabilities, makes it easier to find and use information locally and on the Web.

#8: Usability. As described in this Windows 2000 Magazine review , Windows 2000 Professional combines the power and security of its predecessor, Windows NT Workstation, with the traditional ease of use of Windows 98. It also provides more wizards, a centralized location for common tasks, and menus that adapt to the way you work.

#9: Data Access. When you use Windows 2000 Professional in conjunction with Windows 2000 Server, you can take advantage of IntelliMirror technologies. By letting you store your important information and desktop settings on a central computer, IntelliMirror lets you work on any computer attached to your network as if you are at your own desk. The centralized management savings made possible by Windows 2000 IntelliMirror technologies are one of the reasons WFofR, Inc. is using Windows 2000 Professional.

#10: Hardware. Windows 2000 Professional lets you take advantage of new hardware devices, such as those with universal serial bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 (Firewire) connections. In addition, support for existing hardware makes Windows 2000 ideal for companies, such as Panasonic , that want to standardize on a single operating system across their organizations.

A number of factors determine how easy it is to use and maintain a desktop operating system. Users need a responsive system with a straight-forward interface. Users and administrators alike want new desktop systems that integrate gracefully with your existing systems. Your entire business benefits from systems that are secure. Lastly, administrators will particularly appreciate systems that are easier to deploy and manage. Here is how Windows 2000 Professional addresses all these factors.

Faster Performance Than Windows 98
Windows2000 Professional is faster than either Windows NT Workstation or Windows 98. How fast? With 64 megabytes of memory, Windows 2000 performs, on average, 25 percent faster than Windows 98. And it doesn't lag under a heavy load. Because it is entirely based on a 32-bit architecture, users can run more programs and perform more tasks concurrently. Adding extra memory and an additional processor improves performance even more. Windows 2000 supports up to four gigabytes of RAM and two-way symmetric multi-processing. Achieving a comparable level of performance in Windows 98 isn't possible.

Improved, Familiar Interface
Windows 2000 Professional improves the familiar Windows interface by, among other things, simplifying the Start menu and reducing desktop clutter, making it the easiest Windows to use, ever. Personalized Menus, a new "smart" feature that adapts the Start menu to the way you work, only displays the applications you use most often.

Works with Your Current Network and PCs
Windows 2000 Professional works well within your existing business infrastructure. Along with Windows 2000 Server, and Windows NT Server, it also works with Novell NetWare, and UNIX. Plus, built-in peer-to-peer support for Windows 9x and Windows NT Workstation enables Windows 2000 Professional to interoperate with earlier versions of Windows.

"Even in our mixed-server environment, deploying Windows 2000 Professional on our desktop PCs can help ASD deliver on our core values of emphasizing continuous improvement and best practices."—Minette Anderson, Director of Strategic Services at United Defense, ASD

Most Secure Windows
Windows 2000 Professional incorporates the security system that is a part of every Windows NT operating system. It allows users and administrators to select the appropriate level of protection for their information and applications, whether they're exchanging or storing information on individual computers, a LAN, an intranet, or the Internet.

With the Encrypting File System (EFS), Windows 2000 protects data on a computer's hard drive. EFS, which is part of the Windows NT File System, encrypts each file with a randomly generated key. The encryption and decryption processes are transparent to the user.

With support for Kerberos, Windows 2000 protects your corporate network or intranet. Kerberos is a security system that authenticates clients and servers. Rather than providing authorization to particular services and databases, it establishes a user's identity at log on. This means Kerberos saves time by allowing single sign-on in virtually any network environment, eliminating the need to request and re-grant access permission every time a user logs on to a different resource on the network.

Windows 2000 Professional safeguards even the most sensitive communications exchanged over a public network with its support for public keys, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), and smart cards.

Smart cards are new devices that provide even tougher safeguards. Instead of relying on a single factor to authenticate a user, they require a combination of credentials such as a username and password.

Easier Desktop Management
Windows 2000 Professional makes life easier for desktop managers, in several major ways. First, numerous wizards and troubleshooters help end users perform routine and challenging tasks, reducing both the time desktop managers spend helping them and the number of calls to the help desk. The Hardware Wizard helps users add, configure, remove, troubleshoot, or upgrade peripherals. The Network Connection Wizard lets users start network connections whether they are at the office, at home, or on the road.

The second way Windows 2000 Professional helps desktop managers is by giving them more control over individual desktops. With IntelliMirrorTM management technologies, administrators can easily manage and back up users' data. IntelliMirror also allows desktop managers to apply policies to user data, desktop settings, and software. Because IntelliMirror is based on Active Directory, these policies l are associated with the users themselves rather than a particular computer. This allows users to have the same environment on different computers. IntelliMirror requires Windows 2000 Server in addition to Windows 2000 Professional.

The third way Windows 2000 Professional helps desktop managers is by including a comprehensive set of management features that help them set up, maintain and troubleshoot desktops across an organization. The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) hosts other management consoles such as the Computer Management console in the Control Panel. The Computer Management console provides one place for administrative tools, which allow administrators to manage a variety of hardware, software, and networking components in Windows 2000 Professional. Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) allows system administrators to monitor and control system resources from any desktop. The Recovery Console allows managers to repair a system by copying a file from a floppy disk or CD-ROM to a hard drive, or to reconfigure a service that is preventing a computer from starting properly.

For global companies, Windows 2000 offers unparalleled multi-language support. Because of its implementation of Unicode 2, Windows 2000 can display documents in over 60 languages. For example, a user with an English language version of Windows 2000 professional can display a document written in Japanese without having to reboot to a Japanese version of Windows 2000. To further enhance multi-language support, Microsoft offers a separate multi-language version of Windows 2000 Professional , which provides up to 25 localized language versions of the Windows user interface. This means a user can log on to any computer and view the interface in the preferred language. And, of course, Microsoft ships separate language versions of Windows 2000 Professional in nearly 35 languages.

"Based on the TCO analysis, we think the Windows 2000 Professional implementation will be a self-funding project in Eastman's environment."—Roger Mowen, Chief Information Officer, Eastman Chemical Company.

Easier Deployment
Whether upgrading from previous versions of Windows or installing on clean machines, Windows 2000 provides deployment tools to make the process more efficient, and thus less costly. With the System Preparation Tool, managers can take a snapshot of one desktop, including all its system and applications settings, and mirror it on desktops across a large organization. Another tool called Remote Installation Services (RIS) lets desktop managers boot and install Windows 2000 on a machine whose only software is a network card.

Conclusion
Windows 2000 Professional includes a selection of improvements that make the operating system easier to use and easier to maintain, having a significant impact on your operating costs. From faster processing to simpler deployment and management, Windows 2000 Professional helps make desktop computing easier for everyone.

Windows 2000 Professional System Requirements:

Here are the minimum system requirements for running the Windows 2000 Pro operating system.

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