Windows 2000 Tips

Q. How can I test if my system is Windows 2000 compatible?
A. We have seen in previous FAQ's that if you have the Windows 2000 CD you can check your installations hardware and software by using the /checkupgradeonly switch of winnt32.exe but if you don't have Windows 2000 and just want to check Microsoft have made the Readiness Analyzer available via download in a number of forms.
If you goto http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/ready.asp there are 3 options to use the readiness analyzer.
* Online version runs on Windows 95,98, NT 3.51 and NT 4.0 and connects to the internet to check if your hardware/software is compatible with Windows 2000
* A disk based version can be downloaded and used on computers which are not connected to the Internet. This is larger than the first option since it has a list of all hardware and software as part of it
* SMS 2.0 plug-in can be installed as part of your SMS installation and automatically check all computers on your networkAn example of the report produced can be seen at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search/upgrade.txt.

Q. How can I check if software x is compatible with Windows 2000?
A. Microsoft introduced a Windows 2000 logo certified program but as of 1st May 2000 there are only about 45 certified applications!
Don't give up though as there are other levels, the most useful is the Windows 2000 Ready application level and this means its been tested with Windows 2000 and the manufacturer provides 2000 support.
To search for the Windows 2000 compatibility of an application enter the details at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/search/software.asp. Any software company can have their software listed here and you can apply at http://msdnisv.microsoft.com/msdnisv/win2000/.

Q. How can I install a Windows 2000 cluster by using a local quorum disk?
A. Whenever you create a cluster, you typically configure an external shared disk. However, to experiment with the clustering functionality, you can alternatively install a local quorum disk by performing the following steps:
1. From the Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
2. In the left pane of the Add/Remove Programs window, click Add/Remove Windows Components.
3. Select Cluster Service and click Next to finish the setup.
4. From \%systemroot%\cluster, run
cluscfg -localquorum
to start the Cluster Service Configuration Wizard.
5. Follow the wizard's directions to configure the local quorum disk.

After you configure the disk, you can proceed with the rest of the cluster configuration process as usual.

Q. My laptop runs Windows 2000 Pro, and I've connected an external monitor. A coworker runs Windows 98 Second Edition and can expand his desktop image across his laptop screen and his external monitor. Does Win2K Pro support this desktop expansion?
A. To stretch a desktop image across two monitors, you must attach either an AGP or PCI video card to each monitor. This requirement makes desktop-image expansion impractical for most laptops. However, if you can manage to attach the proper cards to both monitors, try the following: Right-click your desktop, choose Properties, and go to the Settings tab. You should see an image of two monitors, and you should have the option to expand the image across both. If you don't see two monitors, you can't proceed with the expansion. At that point, I recommend you contact your laptop or video-card support.

Q. I want to swap my Windows 2000 server NIC with a Gigabit Ethernet adapter. I can disable the NIC, but I'm told the IP address is assigned to another adapter. I removed the server from my existing NT 4.0 domain and now can't rejoin the domain. Suggestions?
A. This situation is a good example of a relatively easy task in NT 4.0 that has become a hidden and difficult task in Win2K. Let's start with the IP address problem. You can get the error message you refer to even when you simply move the NIC from one PCI slot to another. To do away with the annoying message, you must delete the old NIC from Win2K Device Manager. Open a command-prompt window and enter the commandsset devmgr_show_nonpresent_
devices=1
start devmgmt.msc
The first command permits Device Manager to show phantom devices; the second command launches Device Manager. From Device Manager's menu bar, select View, Show hidden devices. Expand the Network Adapter node, and delete the old adapter.
As for the inability to join the domain unless you select DHCP, several factors could be at fault. First, WINS could be responsible. Your PDC or BDC might be reading from WINS that your machine is at another IP address. Go to your BDC or PDC and try to ping the new server. If the BDC or PDC tries to ping the server at the address you assigned with DHCP, the quickest way around the problem might be to create an LMHOSTS file for the server. You should also look at the NetBIOS cache on your PDC and BDC. At the command line, type
nbtstat -c
If an entry for the new server references the DHCP-assigned IP address, you need to flush your cache. To do so, type
nbtstat -R

Q. When I try to install the Oracle SQLNet client on a few Windows 2000 workstations across the network, an error message tells me the client is unable to locate setup.exe. I never had this problem on my Windows NT 4.0 workstations. What's happening?
A. From your Win2K Workstation machine, map the drive on which the SQLNet installer resides. This step resolves the problem.

Q. Windows 2000 lets me change from dynamic to static IP addressing without rebooting my workstation. Our laptop users need to make this change because some of our subnets use static IP, others use DHCP. Is executing the change from within a script possible?
A. To make IP address changes from within a script, you can use Win2K's multipurpose Net Shell (Netsh) command. This command provides several functions that relate to viewing and changing IP addressing on a Win2K system. For example, to change a system from static IP addressing to dynamic DHCP-based addressing, open a command prompt and enter the following command:netsh interface ip set address "<connection name>" dhcp
where connection name is the name of the LAN adapter on which you're making the IP address configuration change. (By default, this adapter is called local area connection, but it might have a different name on machines with multiple LAN adapters or on machines that an administrator has manually renamed.)
To make the reverse changeÑthat is, to change a connection or adapter from DHCP-configured addressing to static addressingÑenter the following command:netsh interface ip set address "<connection name>" static <ip_address>
<netmask< <gateway> <metric>
where ip_address is the static IP address you wish to assign to the connection, netmask is the subnet mask (e.g., 255.255.255.0) associated with the IP address, gateway is the default gateway (if any) on the local IP subnet, and metric is an optional numeric value (e.g., 1, 2) that defines the number of hops to the default gateway (if one exists). For example, to change from DHCP-based addressing to the static IP address 10.1.1.2, mask 255.255.255.0, and gateway 10.1.1.1 (metric 1), you'd enternetsh interface ip set address "local area connection"
static 10.1.1.2 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.1 1

Q. Do you know a way to test various Active Directory (AD) designs over our WAN links without affecting our production network?
A. Although plugging a few Win2K servers and workstations into a lab to evaluate new features and application compatibility is simple, determining exactly how your new Win2K environment will behave on your existing WAN is tricky. You might have heard that AD sites permit more efficient and intelligent replication than NT 4.0 permits. However, in a Win2K network, you can perform other types of replication, such as replication of the three AD contexts, Global Catalog (GC) replication, File Replication Service (FRS) replication, and replication types that other Win2K services use.
You want to know how the new network will "feel" to an end user or administrator working from a particular site. Therefore, you need a WAN-link emulation tool that lets you model your proposed network design by strictly controlling the amount of bandwidth permitted to pass through various ports on a router (e.g., Ethernet ports on a multiport NIC or multiple NICs).
Because many organizations face the challenge you face, several companies have developed WAN-emulation solutions. Some of these solutions are hardware-based, some are software-based, and others are hardware-software hybrids. These solutions typically utilize Quality of Service (QoS) control mechanisms because bandwidth management is what QoS is all about. (Win2K's network device interface specificationÑNDISÑ5.0-enabled network drivers support these mechanisms.)
Typically, these products let you emulate any type of WAN linkÑfrom a modem to a T3 connectionÑwith speeds ranging from 2400bps to more than 100Mbps. You'll definitely want to shop around for your WAN-emulation solution because prices vary widely. An example of such a solution is Lightspeed Systems' QoS Control. As Win2K deployments accelerate, I predict that these products will become a necessity.

Q. Why does installing Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 (SP1) change the dynamic DNS functionality when I use Net Logon services?
A. If you've disabled the Register this connection's addresses in DNS option on the DNS tab of Advanced TCP/IP Properties, or set DisableDynamicUpdate, a REG_DWORD value, at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters to 1, the pre- and post-SP1 behavior is different. Before SP1, Win2K didnÕt dynamically register A records and PTR records, but it did dynamically register SRV records. After SP1, Win2K doesn't dynamically register A records, PTR records, or SRV records.
If you want Win2K to function as it did before you installed SP1, perform the following steps:
1. Use Regedt32 to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\Parameters.
2. From the Edit menu, select Add Value and type value name DnsUpdateOnAllAdapters as a REG_DWORD data type.
3. Set the data value to 1.

Q. What is Windows XP (Whistler)?
A. Windows Experience (Windows XP) is the name for the next version of Windows 2000 (formerly known as Whistler). Technically, Windows XP isn't the huge jump that Win2K was from Windows NT 4.0, but Windows XP does realize Microsoft's long-term plan of one code base. Starting with Windows XP, there will be no more Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) or Windows 9x.
The Windows XP family currently comprises the following products:
* Windows XP Personal (the Win9x replacement)
* Windows XP Professional (Win2K Professional)
* Windows XP Server
* Windows XP Advanced Server
* Windows XP DataCenter

The differences between Windows XP Personal and Windows XP Professional are minor. Windows XP Personal supports only one processor; Windows XP Pro supports two. In addition, Windows XP Personal doesn't support RDP, but Windows XP Pro does. In fact, with Windows XP Pro, even local sessions use RDP, which means that you can log off your machine, someone else can log on to your machine then log off, and you can log on again with all your programs still running! Windows XP also adds support for the 64-bit processor, Itanium, which will ship in Windows XP Pro and Windows XP Server.
Microsoft is adding some of the neat Windows Me features to Windows XP, including the Video Editor software. Windows XP also has an updated UI, although the older style UI is still available for those who prefer it. Windows XP beta 1 (build 2296) shipped October 31, 2000. Windows XP beta 2 is expected the middle of February 2001, with the final version in the second half of 2001.

Q. Where do I get updates for Windows 2000?
A. Normal service packs for Windows 2000 will be released but Microsoft are committed to provide more timely updates in the form of the Windows Update site which can be accessed from the Start Menu.
When selected Internet Explorer will be started and will connect to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. Once there select the 'Products Updates' page. This then check the system and a list of fixes needed for your system will be displayed.
Select the Updates that are needed for your installation and click Download.
Ê

A summary of what will be downloaded is shown and click the 'Start Download' button to begin. Click Yes to the displayed agreement.
Depending on the downloaded fixes a reboot may be required and if needed a dialog will prompt you.
If you would like the updates in a non-WindowsUpdate form goto http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/default.asp.
Also have a look at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/deployment/appcompat/default.asp which has an update to allow compatibility with a number of games/applications.

Q. Where is the Hardware Compatibility List for Windows 2000?
A. The HCL for Windows 2000 is supplied on the CD in both text and HTML Help format. It can also be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/.