The Guide - win2K

Mini Win2000 FAQ
by Kushal Shah

Question: I have heard that new Microsoft windows 2000 Operating system is too good in terms of performance, stability & more device driver support. At present I am running windows 98, should I upgrade?

Answer: Well yes its right that windows 2000 has more stability, performance & other various improvements over previous version of windows. But it is not standardized yet. Like you maybe having some piece of hardware which may not be compatible under windows 2000. Even some applications can't run properly as the developer of those applications has yet to announce their support for windows 2000 & many other things like you need minimum of 128 MB Ram & no less then 200 MHZ Processor to make it run properly & smoothly. Also here is a point which should be strictly considered when thinking about upgrading is that the information in this article applies to only professional Version of windows which is meant to run on individual computers or computers connect to any server operating system.

First of all, it is important for you to understand that Windows 2000 is not an upgrade to Windows 98. Instead, it's an upgrade to Windows NT 4.0 that gives you the look, feel, and ease of Windows 98--with the power of NT. If you're looking for an upgrade to Windows 98, that may come later this year, with the release of Windows Millennium. Don't panic and upgrade to Windows 2000 now, thinking it's your only course of action.

Second, you need to understand that Windows 2000 isn't for everyone, well... not yet. Windows NT was once only the domain of the heavy-duty corporate administrator or developer. Today, Windows 2000 has evolved to make it much easier for the average user to perform the same basic functions they would on Windows 95/98. Windows 2000 removes some of the NT headaches involved in installing the hardware and playing many games. But if your needs are simpler, it's more cost- and time-effective to run Windows 95/98.

If u consider above points & still want to upgrade, ask yourself these questions:

Do I have the time?

With any new operating system comes a learning curve--and the inherent power of Windows 2000 means there is a lot under the hood. If you don't have the time, why frustrate yourself? As after installation it takes time to make any OS stabilize for day-to-day business work. This does not count reinstallation of software as well as hardware. If your hardware in not powerful enough to run windows 2000 upgrading it could be nightmare if you are not much familiar with hardware installation plus troubleshooting to make it work. Searching a new device driver for your existing hardware can also be a nightmare as most of people don’t know where to look in for, also not to forget some Application patches to make it run on windows 2000 & more Problems like network authentication problems etc.

Do I have the need?

This is a really good question, and a really good answer probably shouldn't be, "Because 2000 is the latest and greatest." If your priorities are to get by and get your work done, wait on Windows 2000. If you need to work with or support Windows 2000 at work, or need its features now, or need to learn it for your continuing education, upgrading is a great idea, but if all you do is just surf the Internet, or run simple applications on a single PC, or play games, Windows 98 will do all of that. However, if you want to learn standard protocols and configurations, if you want to set up your own professional Web server, if you want to call more of your own shots in PC administration, choose Windows 2000.

Do I have the equipment?

If your poor PC is barely running proper under Windows 95/98 because the hard drive is getting cramped, or memory is tight, or your system is showing signs of instability, upgrading to Windows 2000 isn't wise. Windows 2000 looks like Windows 98, but has a lot more power beneath it. Power needs resources. Plan a serious hardware upgrade, looking at the requirements for running Windows 2000, then try Windows 2000 on a clean machine.

Do I know what to do if there's a problem?

When problem comes like, Windows won't boot, or hardware isn't available, or Windows goes into Safe Mode? Too many Windows 95/98 users, still fairly new to the process, try to fix almost any problem by reinstalling the operating system. Or they format and then find themselves missing drivers. There are usually better fixes available, particularly with Windows 98/98SE. If system tools in Windows 98 stump you, Windows 2000 probably isn't a good match for you. If you don't know what a boot or emergency disk is, if you don't understand the basics of troubleshooting, if you're prone to PC problems, better to wait. Master Windows 95/98, and then move onto windows 2000.

Considerations when upgrading to Windows 2000

by Kushal Shah

coded by: vikrant