3.6. Upgrading Windows

You will be responsible for understanding how to upgrade from previous versions of Windows to Windows 2000, XP, and Windows Vista. The following sections introduce you to the theory of upgrading an OS.

3.6.1. Preparing to upgrade

Many businesses run Windows, so understanding how to upgrade is important. Whether installing the OS from scratch or performing an upgrade, the process is pretty much the same. Note: With an upgrade, though, you will find many installation decisions already made for you during the installation of the previous OS. For example, when you upgrade a Windows NT 4.0 computer to Windows 2000, you will not be asked the name of the computer to be installed — this information is inherited from the previous OS.

Before you upgrade any OS, backup the system and any important data. You never know when an upgrade is going to go bad, so make sure you can at least put the system back to its previous state.

3.6.2. Upgrading to Windows 2000 Professional

To upgrade to Windows 2000 Pro, run the Windows 2000 upgrade program (winnt32.exe). To check the current OS for known problems with the installed software and hardware, run the upgrade program with the /checkupgradeonly switch to launch the Windows 2000 Readiness Analyzer, which reports any hardware or software compatibility problems Windows 2000 might have with your current system. Save the Readiness ...

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