Editing Windows 2000 (section)

{{Short description|Fifth major release of Windows NT}}
{{Distinguish|Windows Me}}
{{Redirect|Windows NT 5.0|the code name of this operating system|3=List of Microsoft codenames}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox OS
| name = Windows 2000
| version of = [[Windows NT]]
| logo = Windows 2000 logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| screenshot = Windows 2000 Professional screenshot.png
| caption = Screenshot of Windows 2000, showing the [[Start menu]] and the Getting Started with Windows window
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| family = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| working state = No longer supported<!-- "Current", "Discontinued" (operating systems), or "No longer supported" (releases) -->
| source model = {{ubl
| [[Proprietary software|Closed-source]]
| [[Source-available software|Source-available]] (through [[Shared Source Initiative]])<ref name="SharedSourceInitiative">{{Cite web |date=March 2003 |title=Microsoft Shared Source Initiative Overview |url=http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sharedsource/Initiative/Initiative.mspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030402214510/http://www.microsoft.com/resources/sharedsource/Initiative/Initiative.mspx |archive-date=April 2, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2017 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
}}
| discontinued = yes
| first release date = {{Start date and age|1999|12|15}}<ref name="RTM">{{Cite web |date=December 15, 1999 |title=Microsoft Releases Windows 2000 to Manufacturing |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1999/12/15/microsoft-releases-windows-2000-to-manufacturing/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604153505/https://news.microsoft.com/1999/12/15/microsoft-releases-windows-2000-to-manufacturing/ |archive-date=June 4, 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=News Center |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
| first release url = 
| GA date = {{Start date and age|2000|2|17}}<ref name="GA">{{Cite web |date=February 17, 2000 |title=Gates Ushers in Next Generation of PC Computing With Launch of Windows 2000 |url=https://news.microsoft.com/2000/02/17/gates-ushers-in-next-generation-of-pc-computing-with-launch-of-windows-2000/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003170256/https://news.microsoft.com/2000/02/17/gates-ushers-in-next-generation-of-pc-computing-with-launch-of-windows-2000/ |archive-date=October 3, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |website=News Center |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
| GA url = 
| release version = Service Pack 4 with Update Rollup (5.0.2195)
| release date = {{Start date and age|2005|9|13}}<ref name="Windows2000SP4UR1">{{Cite web |title=Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4 and known issues |url=https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/891861/update-rollup-1-for-windows-2000-sp4-and-known-issues |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302234843/https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/891861/update-rollup-1-for-windows-2000-sp4-and-known-issues |archive-date=March 2, 2017 |access-date=February 17, 2017 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
| release url = 
| marketing target = Business and Server
| programmed in = 
| language = <!-- Supported human languages (English, French, Italian, Arabic, ...) -->
| language count = 
| language footnote = 
| update model = {{plainlist|
* [[Windows Update]]
* [[Windows Server Update Services]] (WSUS)
* [[System Center Configuration Manager]] (SCCM)
}}
| package manager = <!-- dpkg, rpm, Windows installer, etc. -->
| supported platforms = [[IA-32]] ([[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] 64-bit in alpha, beta, and release candidate versions, preview release of [[IA-64]])
| kernel type = [[Hybrid kernel|Hybrid]] ([[Windows NT kernel]])
| userland = [[Windows API]], [[NTVDM]], [[Microsoft OS/2 subsystem|OS/2 1.x]], [[Windows Services for UNIX|SFU]]
| ui = [[Windows shell]] ([[Graphical user interface|Graphical]])
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[commercial software]]
| preceded by = [[Windows NT 4.0]] (1996)
| succeeded by = [[Windows XP]] Professional/Home (client)<br />[[Windows Server 2003]] (servers)
| website = {{URL|1=https://web.archive.org/web/20001203133300/http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/default.asp|2=microsoft.com/windows2000/}} at the [[Wayback Machine]] (archived December 3, 2000)
| support status = Mainstream support ended on June 30, 2005<br />Extended support ended on July 13, 2010<ref name="Lifecycle" />
}}
'''Windows 2000''' is<!--Do NOT change to "was". This violates [[MOS:TENSE]], which specifies that all articles on operating systems are written in present tense, even if discontinued.--> a major release of the [[Windows NT]] [[operating system]] developed by [[Microsoft]], targeting the server and business markets. It is the direct successor to [[Windows NT 4.0]], and was [[Software release life cycle#Release to manufacturing (RTM)|released to manufacturing]] on December 15, 1999,<ref name="RTM" /> and then to retail on February 17, 2000 for all versions, with Windows 2000 Datacenter Server being released to retail on September 26, 2000.

Windows 2000 introduces [[NTFS]] 3.0,<ref name="NTFS3">{{Cite web |title=New Capabilities and Features of the NTFS 3.0 File System |url=http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253845 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024100310/http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253845 |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=Microsoft Support |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> [[Encrypting File System]],<ref name="Windows2000EFS">{{Cite web |date=March 24, 2009 |title=Implementing the Encrypting File System in Windows 2000 |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd277413.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826201336/https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd277413.aspx |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=[[Microsoft TechNet|TechNet]] |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> and basic and dynamic disk storage.<ref name="DiskManagement">{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2012 |title=Disk Management |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/library/Cc960726 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222081401/https://technet.microsoft.com/library/Cc960726 |archive-date=December 22, 2016 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=[[Microsoft TechNet|TechNet]] |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> Support for people with disabilities is improved over [[Windows NT 4.0]] with a number of new [[Assistive technology|assistive technologies]],<ref name="Accessibility">{{Cite web |title=Windows 2000 Professional Accessibility Features |url=http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows2000/features.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031217031420/http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows2000/features.aspx |archive-date=December 17, 2003 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> and Microsoft increased support for different languages<ref name="Windows2000MUI">{{Cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions: Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000 MUI |url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/goglobal/bb688178.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218063904/https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/goglobal/bb688178.aspx |archive-date=February 18, 2017 |access-date=February 17, 2017 |website=[[Microsoft Developer Network|MSDN]] |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> and [[Locale (computer software)|locale]] information.<ref name="LocaleIDs">{{Cite web |title=Windows 2000 - List of Locale IDs and Language Groups |url=http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/win2k/setup/lcid.mspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030203143337/http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/win2k/setup/lcid.mspx |archive-date=February 3, 2003 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=Global Development and Computing Portal |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> The Windows 2000 Server family has additional features, most notably the introduction of [[Active Directory]],<ref name="Windows2000ServerFamily">{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2012 |title=Windows 2000 Server Family |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/library/Cc960357 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222152658/https://technet.microsoft.com/library/Cc960357 |archive-date=December 22, 2016 |access-date=February 17, 2017 |website=[[Microsoft TechNet|TechNet]] |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> which in the years following became a widely used [[directory service]] in business environments. Although not present in the final release, support for [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] 64-bit<ref>{{Cite web |date=1999-08-26 |title=Update: Microsoft cancels 64-bit Windows 2000 on Alpha |url=https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-8/update-microsoft-cancels-64-bit-windows-2000-alpha |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=ITPro Today: IT News, How-Tos, Trends, Case Studies, Career Tips, More |language=en |archive-date=December 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212200739/https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-8/update-microsoft-cancels-64-bit-windows-2000-alpha |url-status=live }}</ref> was present in its alpha, beta, and release candidate versions. Its successor, [[Windows XP]], only supports [[x86]], [[x64]] and [[Itanium]] processors. Windows 2000 was also the first NT release to drop the "NT" name from its product line.

Four editions of Windows 2000 have been released: ''Professional'', ''Server'', ''Advanced Server'', and ''Datacenter Server'';<ref name="Windows2000Packaging">{{Cite web |date=October 27, 1998 |title=Microsoft Renames Windows NT 5.0 Product Line to Windows 2000; Signals Evolution of Windows NT Technology Into Mainstream |url=https://news.microsoft.com/1998/10/27/microsoft-renames-windows-nt-5-0-product-line-to-windows-2000-signals-evolution-of-windows-nt-technology-into-mainstream/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090112171025/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/1998/Oct98/NT5.mspx |archive-date=January 12, 2009 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=News Center |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> the latter of which was launched months after the other editions.<ref name="FinalPackaging">{{Cite web |date=August 17, 1999 |title=Microsoft Announces Final Packaging for Windows 2000 |url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/1999/aug99/smppr.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508060259/http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/1999/aug99/smppr.aspx |archive-date=May 8, 2014 |access-date=February 14, 2017 |website=News Center |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> While each edition of Windows 2000 is targeted at a different market, they share a core set of features, including many system utilities such as the [[Microsoft Management Console]] and standard [[system administration]] applications.

Microsoft marketed Windows 2000 as the most secure Windows version ever at the time;<ref name="CyberSafePR">{{Cite web |date=January 17, 2000 |title=Microsoft and CyberSafe Extend Windows 2000 Security Across the Enterprise |url=https://news.microsoft.com/2000/01/17/microsoft-and-cybersafe-extend-windows-2000-security-across-the-enterprise/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218133509/https://news.microsoft.com/2000/01/17/microsoft-and-cybersafe-extend-windows-2000-security-across-the-enterprise/ |archive-date=February 18, 2017 |access-date=February 17, 2017 |website=News Center |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> however, it became the target of a number of high-profile virus attacks such as [[Code Red (computer worm)|Code Red]]<ref name="CERTCodeRed">{{Cite web |date=July 19, 2001 |title='Code Red' Worm Exploiting Buffer Overflow in IIS Indexing Service DLL |url=http://www.cert.org/historical/incident_notes/IN-2001-08.cfm? |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817050508/http://www.cert.org/historical/incident_notes/IN-2001-08.cfm |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |access-date=May 17, 2019 |website=[[CERT Coordination Center]] |publisher=[[Software Engineering Institute]]}}</ref> and [[Nimda]].<ref name="Nimba">{{Cite web |last=Swartz |first=Jon |date=September 25, 2001 |title=Nimba called most serious Net attack on business |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/tech/2001-09-26-nimba-virus.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170217223535/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/tech/2001-09-26-nimba-virus.htm |archive-date=February 17, 2017 |access-date=February 17, 2017 |website=[[USA Today]] |publisher=[[Gannett Company]]}}</ref> Windows 2000 was succeeded by [[Windows XP]] a little over a year and a half in October 2001, while Windows 2000 Server was succeeded by [[Windows Server 2003]] more than three years after its initial release on March 2003. For ten years after its release, it continued to receive patches for security [[Vulnerability (computing)|vulnerabilities]] nearly every month until reaching the end of support on July 13, 2010, the same day that support ended for [[Windows XP#Service Pack 2|Windows XP SP2]].<ref name="Lifecycle" />

Both the [[Xbox (console)|original Xbox]] and the [[Xbox 360]] use a modified version of the Windows 2000 kernel as their [[Xbox system software|system software]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trinder |first1=Garry |title=The Xbox Operating System |url=https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/xboxteam/2006/02/17/the-xbox-operating-system/ |website=Xbox Engineering |date=February 17, 2006 |publisher=MSDN |access-date=31 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102200600/https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/xboxteam/2006/02/17/the-xbox-operating-system/ |archive-date=November 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="leaked source">{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/21/21265995/xbox-source-code-leak-original-console-windows-3-5 |title=Xbox and Windows NT 3.5 source code leaks online |first=Tom |last=Warren |date=May 21, 2020}}</ref> Its source code was [[Source code leak|leaked]] in 2020.<ref name="leaked source" />