Deciding whether to upgrade from Windows 95 or Windows 98 to Windows 2000

The information in this article may help you decide whether to upgrade from Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition to Windows 2000 Professional. This article lists similarities and differences between the operating systems and key points to consider.

For the most up-to-date information on hardware and software that is available for Windows 2000, please refer to the following Microsoft Web site: Use this link to search for hardware devices and software that are compatible with Windows 2000. Some search results include links to downloadable Windows 2000 drivers provided by manufacturers. The "References" section later in this article lists Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that detail various Windows 2000 upgrade issues.

System Resources

Before you upgrade to Windows 2000, be aware that Windows 2000 requires the following resources as a minimum. If your computer does not have these resources available, Microsoft does not recommend that you upgrade to Windows 2000:

• 133 MHz or faster Pentium-compatible CPU
• 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM minimum; more RAM memory generally improves responsiveness (4 gigabytes [GB] of RAM maximum)
• 2-GB hard disk with a minimum of 650 MB of free space (additional free hard disk space is required if you are installing over a network)

Similarities

Some of the similarities among Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 2000 include:

• Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 2000 support the FAT16 file system
• Windows 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2), Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 2000 support the FAT32 file system
• Universal Serial Bus (USB) 1.1 support
• Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) support
• File and printer sharing
• Plug and Play support
• Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 2000 support multiple monitors
• Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows 2000 support Internet Connection Sharing
• Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 2000 support FireWire 1394
• Long file Name Support
• Dial-Up Networking
• Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, and Windows 2000 support DVD

Differences

Some of the Windows 2000 features not supported by Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition include:

• The NTFS file system
• Multiple processors--Windows 2000 Professional supports dual processors (Microsoft Windows 2000 Server supports four processors)
• Security--you can apply file permissions at the file and/or folder level
• Built-in policies--you can use these for system configuration and security
• The Windows File Protection feature--this prevents designated system files from being over written by programs
• Driver signing--Microsoft tests and digitally signs other software manufacturers' driver files to make sure they do not cause issues.
• Enhanced power management and Plug and Play capabilities for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) computers
• Fewer reboots--fewer reboots are required after you make system changes such as changing your computer's IP address

Overall

In most cases, Windows 2000 is best suited for business environments in which high system security is a must, or if you have programs that require the power of dual processors. If you use your PC mainly used for Web surfing, computer games, 16-bit programs, or MS-DOS-based programs, you should consider staying with Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows 98 Second Edition. Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 98 Second Edition also support some earlier ("legacy") hardware and software, including MS-DOS-based and 16-bit programs, that is not supported in Windows 2000.

If you decide to upgrade to Windows 2000, you may want to read the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles before you upgrade: