********************************************************************** "Read First" Release Notes Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows 2000

Advanced Server ********************************************************************** This document provides late-breaking or other information that supplements the Microsoft Windows 2000 documentation. The Windows 2000 compact disc (CD) includes the following release notes files: * Read1st.txt, which contains important preinstallation information and is located in the Windows 2000 CD root directory. * Installation chapters from the Getting Started Guide, which include system requirements information and are located in the \Setuptxt folder on your Windows 2000 CD. * Readme.doc, which contains compatibility and post-installation notes and is located in the Windows 2000 CD root directory. * The Hardware Compatibility List. For the most up-to-date list of supported hardware, see the Hardware Compatibility List at the Microsoft Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/). Your Windows 2000 CD includes a copy of this list (drive:\Support\Hcl.txt) that was accurate as of the date Windows 2000 was released. To review the latest Application Compatibility information, see the Microsoft Windows 2000 Product Compatibility Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/compatible/ To review the latest release notes and updated information for Windows 2000, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the Microsoft Personal Online Support Web site at: http://support.microsoft.com/support/ Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, people, and events depicted herein are fictitious and no association with any real company, organization, product, person, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. (c) 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States

and/or other countries/regions. This product contains graphics filter software; this software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Contents How to Use This Document Read Me First 1.0 Supported Upgrade Scenarios from Pre-Release Versions of Windows 2000 2.0 Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator 3.0 Logical Disk Manager 4.0 Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 5.0 NetShield and VirusScan 4.03a 6.0 Storage Devices 7.0 Future Microsoft Support of the Alpha Processor ====================================================================== How to Use This Document ====================================================================== To view Read1st.txt onscreen in Notepad, maximize the Notepad window. To print Read1st.txt, open it in Notepad or another word processor, and then on the File menu, click Print. ====================================================================== Read Me First ====================================================================== Welcome to Windows 2000. Print and read this document for critical preinstallation information concerning this product release. After you install Windows 2000, print and read the Release Notes file (Readme.doc), which is located on the Windows 2000 CD, for important usage information. Windows 2000 Help describes new features in detail. To view Windows 2000 Help after you install Windows 2000, click Start, and then click Help. To get the latest documentation on the Web for Windows 2000 Professional or Windows 2000 Server: * View the latest documentation for Windows 2000 Professional by visiting the Windows Home Pages on the Microsoft Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=Win2000&sbp= Professional&ar=Help&sba=webhelp * View the latest documentation for Windows 2000 Server by visiting the Windows Home Pages on the Microsoft Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd=Win2000&sbp= Server&ar=Help&sba=webhelp * Download the latest documentation to your computer from Windows Update on the Microsoft Web site at:

http://www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/isapi/redir.dll?prd= windowsupdate ====================================================================== 1.0 Supported Upgrade Scenarios from Pre-Release Versions of Windows 2000 ====================================================================== For workstations and member servers, the following upgrade scenarios are supported: * If workstation and member servers are running Windows 2000 Beta 3 or RC1, you can upgrade them to Windows 2000 RC2. * If workstation and member servers are running Windows 2000 RC1, RC2, or RC3, you can upgrade them to the final version of Windows 2000. For domain controllers, the following upgrade scenarios are supported: * If domain controllers are running Windows 2000 RC1, you can upgrade them to Windows 2000 RC2. * If domain controllers are running Windows 2000 Beta 3 and you want to upgrade them to Windows 2000 RC2, you must first upgrade them to Windows 2000 RC1. * If domain controllers are running Windows 2000 RC2 or RC3, you can upgrade them to the final version of Windows 2000. Administrators who are migrating users from previous versions of Windows 2000 can use upgrade tools included on the Windows 2000 CD. The logon script and executable file below provide users with instructions, if applicable, about how to upgrade. To use the upgrade tools 1. On one of the Windows 2000 domain controllers within the domain, create the directory \netlogon\x86. 2. Copy \support\buildchk.exe from the Windows 2000 CD to the \x86 directory you created in Step 1. 3. Copy \support\chkbuild.bat from the Windows 2000 CD to the \netlogon directory. 4. Modify the user's existing logon script to include "start chkbuild.bat" or "chkbuild.bat" as the root logon script. For more information about modifying a user's script path on the domain controller, see Windows 2000 Help. 5. Modify \netlogon\chkbuild.bat to indicate the version of Windows 2000 (and/or Windows NT 4.0) to use as well as directions for how to upgrade. ====================================================================== 2.0 Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator ====================================================================== This section describes tasks that you must perform before you install Windows 2000. ---------------------------------------------------------------------2.1 Microsoft Transaction Server Application Transactions ----------------------------------------------------------------------

If you used Microsoft Transaction Server on Windows NT(r), Windows 95, or Windows 98, and if your Microsoft Transaction Server application updated an Oracle, IBM DB2, Informix, CA Ingres, or Sybase database under distributed transaction control, you must ensure that no transactions are in-doubt and require recovery before you install Windows 2000. This is essential because Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC) now stores transaction-related recovery information in a new way. Previously, MS DTC stored transaction-related recovery information in a separate Dtcxatm.log file. Transaction-related recovery information is now stored in the Msdtc.log file, along with all other MS DTC recovery information. The Dtcxatm.log file has been eliminated. To ensure that no transactions are in-doubt and require recovery 1. Start the Microsoft Transaction Server Explorer, and use the Transaction List screen to verify that no in-doubt transactions exist on your computer. This ensures that no unresolved in-doubt transactions are affecting your Oracle, IBM DB2, Informix, CA Ingres, or Sybase databases. 2. Use your Oracle, IBM DB2, Informix, CA Ingres, or Sybase database administration tools to verify that no in-doubt database transactions exist that originated from Microsoft Transaction Server. 3. If any in-doubt transactions exist, you should start MS DTC and your database, which allows automatic transaction recovery to occur. If in-doubt transactions remain, use your Oracle, IBM DB2, Informix, CA Ingres, or Sybase database administration tools to resolve them. For more information, see "Networking and Communications" in Readme.doc, located in the Windows 2000 CD root directory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------2.2 Ensuring That No In-Doubt MS DTC Transactions Exist Before Installing Windows 2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------If you used Microsoft Transaction Server on Windows 95 or Windows 98, you must ensure that no in-doubt MS DTC transactions exist on the Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating system before you install Windows 2000. This is essential because installing Windows 2000 on a Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating system changes the identity of MS DTC on that system. Other MS DTC systems are no longer able to communicate with MS DTC using its previous identity. To ensure that no in-doubt MS DTC transactions exist on the Windows 95 or Windows 98 operating system 1. Start the Microsoft Transaction Server Explorer, and use the Transaction List screen to verify that no in-doubt transactions exist on your computer. 2. If any in-doubt transactions exist, you must resolve them using the procedure for "Resolving MTS Transactions," which is described in the Microsoft Transaction Server Administrator's Guide. This guide is available on the

Microsoft Transaction Server CD. For more information, see "Networking and Communications" in Readme.doc, located in the Windows 2000 CD root directory. ====================================================================== 3.0 Logical Disk Manager ====================================================================== Do not reformat dynamic system or boot volumes during Windows 2000 Setup. Also, if you delete any partition on a dynamic disk during Setup, you must delete all partitions on that disk-you cannot start the computer, and all data on the disk is lost. No workaround is available at this time. ====================================================================== 4.0 Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 ====================================================================== If you are installing Windows 2000 on a computer with Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0 or if you are planning to install Proxy Server 2.0 on Windows 2000, you must install an update to Microsoft Proxy Server 2.0. This applies to Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server. Without the update, Proxy Server may not function. For more information, visit the Microsoft Proxy Server Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/proxy/ ====================================================================== 5.0 NetShield and VirusScan 4.03a ====================================================================== When the 4.03 versions of NetShield and VirusScan were tested under the Microsoft Driver Verifier for Windows 2000, these applications exhibited problems. If you enable the Driver Verifier in Windows 2000 against the drivers for either of these applications, your computer may not start. If this occurs, start your computer in Safe Mode and disable Driver Verifier until you have applied the NetShield or VirusScan hotfix, which is available from Network Associates. In addition to the hotfix, new versions of the product and driver are available that also address the conflict with the Microsoft Driver Verifier for Windows 2000. For more information about new versions of the product and driver or to obtain the hotfix, visit the Network Associates Web site at: http://www.networkassociates.com/asp_set/support/technical/intro.asp Note: Web addresses can change, so you may be unable to connect to the Web site mentioned here. ====================================================================== 6.0 Storage Devices ====================================================================== This section describes known issues with storage devices installed on computers that are running Windows 2000. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

6.1 Compaq Smart Array Controller ---------------------------------------------------------------------If you perform a clean installation of Windows 2000 on a Compaq computer that has a Compaq Smart Array controller installed, the following message appears: "Error loading Operating System" As a workaround, disable the onboard Controller cache, and then install Windows 2000. To disable the cache, use the smart suite utility that is shipped with this card. After Setup is completed, you can re-enable the cache. ---------------------------------------------------------------------6.2 Mylex AccelRAID 2500 Adapter ---------------------------------------------------------------------When you install Windows 2000 on an Intel SC450NX computer (also known as Micron/NetFrame NF6201) with a Mylex AccelRAID 2500 adapter installed, the computer stops responding during the first part of Windows 2000 text-mode Setup. No workaround is available at this time. For more information, contact Intel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------6.3 PERC II RAID Adapter ---------------------------------------------------------------------The PERC II RAID adapter (firmware version FWU81) does not correctly translate the geometry information of a hard drive that is larger than 4 GB. If your hard drive is larger than 4 GB, you may not be able to start Windows 2000 or read files until the miniport has loaded. As a workaround, create a boot partition that is smaller than 4 GB and install Windows 2000 to that partition. ---------------------------------------------------------------------6.4 Zero-Channel RAID (SCSI Interrupt Stearing Logic) Motherboard ---------------------------------------------------------------------If you run Windows 2000 Setup on a computer with a Zero-Channel RAID (SCSI Interrupt Stearing Logic) motherboard, Setup may not complete successfully and configuration data may be lost. As a workaround, you may need to install an updated device driver and/or a system BIOS from the hardware manufacturer. For specific information concerning this motherboard, contact your vendor. ====================================================================== 7.0 Future Microsoft Support of the Alpha Processor ====================================================================== For information about support for the Compaq Alpha processor, visit the Microsoft Windows NT Server Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/news/msnw/compaq.asp