Editing Windows 2000 (section)

== History ==
{{see also|History of Microsoft Windows}}
{{Missing information|section|features (other than the boot screen and sounds) introduced during the development|date=May 2021}}

Windows 2000, originally named Windows NT 5.0, is a continuation of the Microsoft [[Windows NT]] family of operating systems, replacing [[Windows NT 4.0]]. Chairman and CEO [[Bill Gates]] was originally "pretty confident" Windows NT 5.0 would ship in the first half of 1998,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Veitch |first=Martin |date=20 March 1997 |title=NT 5.0 to ship in first half 1998 - Gates |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/nt-5-0-to-ship-first-half-of-1998-gates/ |publisher=[[ZDNet]] |access-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108034148/https://www.zdnet.com/article/nt-5-0-to-ship-first-half-of-1998-gates/ |url-status=live }}</ref> revealing that the first set of beta builds had been shipped in early 1997; these builds were identical to Windows NT 4.0. The first official beta was released in September 1997, followed by Beta 2 in August 1998.<ref name="ThurottWin2K">{{Cite web |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Thurrott |date=December 15, 1999 |title=Road to Gold: A Look at the Development of Windows 2000 |url=http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-2000/the-road-to-gold-the-development-of-windows-2000-reviewed-127364 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821170225/http://winsupersite.com/article/windows-2000/the-road-to-gold-the-development-of-windows-2000-reviewed-127364 |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |website=Supersite for Windows |publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 June 1997 |title=Bill Gates Speaks About 1998 Release of NT 5.0 |url=https://www.hpcwire.com/1997/06/06/bill-gates-speaks-about-1998-release-of-nt-5-0/ |access-date=March 20, 2023 |publisher=HPCWire |archive-date=January 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108034151/https://www.hpcwire.com/1997/06/06/bill-gates-speaks-about-1998-release-of-nt-5-0/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On October 27, 1998, Microsoft announced that the name of the final version of the operating system would be Windows 2000, a name which referred to its projected release date.<ref name="infoworldnt5">{{Cite web |last=Trott |first=Bob |date=October 27, 1998 |title=It's official: NT 5.0 becomes Windows 2000 |url=http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?981027.wcwin2000.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050302194632/http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?981027.wcwin2000.htm |archive-date=March 2, 2005 |access-date=April 22, 2006 |website=InfoWorld}}</ref> Windows 2000 Beta 3 was released in May 1999.<ref name="ThurottWin2K" /> Windows NT 5.0 Beta 1 was similar to Windows NT 4.0, including a very similarly themed logo. Windows NT 5.0 Beta 2 introduced a new 'mini' boot screen, and removed the 'dark space' theme in the logo. The Windows NT 5.0 betas had very long startup and shutdown sounds, though these were changed in the early Windows 2000 beta, but during Beta 3, a new [[piano]]-made startup and shutdown sounds were made, composed by Steven Ray Allen.<ref>{{Cite podcast |url=https://www.20k.org/episodes/tadaitswindows |title=Ta-da! It's Windows! |website=20k.org |publisher=Twenty Thousand Hertz |host=Fran Board |date=27 April 2022 |access-date=7 December 2022 |archive-date=May 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530002717/https://www.20k.org/episodes/tadaitswindows |url-status=live }}</ref> It was featured in the final version as well as in [[Windows Me]]. The new login prompt from the final version made its first appearance in Beta 3 build 1946 (the first build of Beta 3). The new, updated icons (for ''My Computer'', ''Recycle Bin'' etc.) first appeared in Beta 3 build 1964. The Windows 2000 boot screen in the final version first appeared in Beta 3 build 1983. Windows 2000 did not have an actual codename because, according to Dave Thompson of Windows NT team, "[[Jim Allchin]] didn't like codenames".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Thurrott |date=August 8, 2013 |title=SuperSite Flashback: NT's First Decade |url=http://winsupersite.com/windows/supersite-flashback-nt-s-first-decade |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801163850/http://winsupersite.com/windows/supersite-flashback-nt-s-first-decade |archive-date=August 1, 2017 |access-date=August 10, 2013 |website=Supersite for Windows |publisher=[[Penton (company)|Penton]]}}</ref> Service Pack 1 for Windows 2000 was codenamed "Asteroid".<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2000 |title=Windows 2000 service pack nearing release |url=http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/hardware/0,39042972,13024785,00.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529015721/http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/hardware/0,39042972,13024785,00.htm |archive-date=May 29, 2012 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |website=Zdnetasia.com}}</ref>

During development, builds for the 64-bit [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]] architecture were compiled, but the project was abandoned in the final stages of development (between RC1 and RC2<ref>RC1 was the build 2072 from June 1999 (and last public Alpha/2000 build), the last known internal build was 2128 and the "Gold" release of Windows 2000 was build 2195.{{Cite web |title=Windows 2000?|url=http://www.alphant.com/articles/windows2000.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111130205650/http://www.alphant.com/articles/windows2000.html |archive-date=November 30, 2011 |website=Alphant.com}}</ref>) after [[Compaq]] announced they had dropped support for Windows NT on Alpha. From here, Microsoft issued three release candidates between July and November 1999, and finally released the operating system to partners on December 12, 1999, followed by manufacturing three days later on December 15.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Windows 2000 history |url=http://www.activewin.com/win2000/history.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520203928/http://www.activewin.com/win2000/history.shtml |archive-date=May 20, 2006 |access-date=April 22, 2006 |publisher=ActiveWin}}</ref> The public could buy the full version of Windows 2000 on February 17, 2000. Three days before this event, which Microsoft advertised as "a standard in reliability," a leaked memo from Microsoft reported on by [[Mary Jo Foley]] revealed that Windows 2000 had "over 63,000 potential known defects."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foley |first=Mary Jo |author-link=Mary Jo Foley |date=14 February 2000 |title=Bugfest! Win2000 has 63,000 'defects' |url=http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2076967,00.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070113144123/http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2076967,00.htm |archive-date=January 13, 2007 |access-date=29 July 2014 |work=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref> After Foley's article was published, she claimed that Microsoft [[blacklist]]ed her for a considerable time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McLaws |first=Robert |date=20 September 2006 |title=Mary Jo Foley: The Exit Interview |url=http://www.windows-now.com/blogs/robert/archive/2006/09/20/Mary-Jo-Foley-Exit-Interview.aspx |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113004913/http://windows-now.com/blogs/robert/archive/2006/09/20/Mary-Jo-Foley-Exit-Interview.aspx |archive-date=January 13, 2015 |access-date=26 July 2014 |publisher=WindowsNow}}</ref> However, [[Abraham Silberschatz]] et al. claim in their computer science textbook that "Windows 2000 was the most reliable, stable operating system Microsoft had ever shipped to that point. Much of this reliability came from maturity in the source code, extensive stress testing of the system, and automatic detection of many serious errors in drivers."<ref>John Wiley & Sons (2010). Operating System Concepts with Java, 8th Edition, page 901.</ref> [[InformationWeek]] summarized the release "our tests show the successor to Windows NT 4.0 is everything we hoped it would be. Of course, it isn't perfect either."<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 6, 2003 |title=Special Report - Windows 2000 Review: Say Hello to Win2000 |url=http://www.informationweek.com/special-report---windows-2000-review-say-hello-to-win2000/d/d-id/1021618 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208175005/http://www.informationweek.com/special-report---windows-2000-review-say-hello-to-win2000/d/d-id/1021618 |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |website=InformationWeek}}</ref> ''[[Wired News]]'' later described the results of the February launch as "lackluster."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Heilemann |first=John |title=The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth |url=https://www.wired.com/2000/11/microsoft-7/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724133013/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.11/microsoft_pr.html |archive-date=July 24, 2008 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |magazine=Wired}}</ref> [[Novell]] criticized Microsoft's [[Active Directory]], the new directory service architecture, as less scalable or reliable than its own [[Novell Directory Services]] (NDS) alternative.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 17, 1999 |title=NDS eDirectory vs. Microsoft Active Directory? |url=http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/qna/6222.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050211000051/http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/qna/6222.html |archive-date=February 11, 2005 |access-date=April 22, 2006 |publisher=Novell |quote=NDS eDirectory is a cross-platform directory solution that works on NT 4.0, Windows 2000 when available, Solaris and NetWare 5. Active Directory will only support the Windows 2000 environment. In addition, eDirectory users can be assured they are using the most trusted, reliable and mature directory service to manage and control their e-business relationships – not a 1.0 release.}}</ref>

Windows 2000 was initially planned to replace both [[Windows 98]] and [[Windows NT 4.0]]. However, this would be changed later, as an updated version of Windows 98 called [[Windows 98#Windows 98 Second Edition|Windows 98 Second Edition]] was released in 1999.

On or shortly before February 12, 2004, "portions of the Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 [[source code]] were illegally made available on the Internet."<ref name="msstmt">{{Cite web |date=February 20, 2004 |title=Statement from Microsoft Regarding Illegal Posting of Windows 2000 Source Code |url=http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/Feb04/02-12windowssource.mspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805100108/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2004/Feb04/02-12windowssource.mspx |archive-date=August 5, 2011 |access-date=January 11, 2007 |publisher=Microsoft |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The source of the leak was later traced to [[Mainsoft]], a [[Windows Interface Source Environment]] partner.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2004-02-13 |title=Mainsoft Eyed as Windows Source Code Leak |url=http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3312621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309152137/http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3312621 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=2009-07-03 |publisher=internetnews.co}}</ref> Microsoft issued the following statement:
<blockquote> ''"Microsoft source code is both copyrighted and protected as a trade secret. As such, it is illegal to post it, make it available to others, download it or use it."'' </blockquote>
Despite the warnings, the archive containing the leaked code spread widely on the [[File sharing|file-sharing]] networks. On February 16, 2004, an [[Exploit (computer security)|exploit]] "allegedly discovered by an individual studying the leaked source code"<ref name="msstmt" /> for certain versions of [[Internet Explorer|Microsoft Internet Explorer]] was reported. On April 15, 2015, [[GitHub]] took down a repository containing a copy of the Windows NT 4.0 source code that originated from the leak.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Van der Saar |first=Ernesto |date=2015-04-15 |title=Microsoft Takes Pirated Windows NT 4.0 Source Code Offline |url=https://torrentfreak.com/microsoft-takes-pirated-windows-nt-4-0-source-code-offline-150415/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108091519/https://torrentfreak.com/microsoft-takes-pirated-windows-nt-4-0-source-code-offline-150415/ |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=2021-03-28 |website=TorrentFreak}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Advanced Server Limited Edition}}Microsoft planned to release in 2000<ref name="Win2k64bitItanium">{{Cite press release |title=Microsoft and Intel Announce Preview Release of 64-Bit Windows for Intel Itanium Processor |date=July 12, 2000 |publisher=Microsoft |url=http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2000/jul00/itaniumpr.mspx |access-date=October 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024030244/http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2000/jul00/itaniumpr.mspx |archive-date=October 24, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 7, 1999 |title=64-Bit Windows Overview |url=http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/guide/platform/strategic/64bit.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000301193850/http://www.microsoft.com/WINDOWS2000/guide/platform/strategic/64bit.asp |archive-date=March 1, 2000 |access-date=23 July 2014 |publisher=Microsoft}}</ref> a version of Windows 2000, specially codenamed "Janus",<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Thurrott |date=July 27, 1999 |title=64-bit Windows 2000 on track for mid-2000 |url=http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/news2/64-bit-windows-2000-on-track-for-mid-2000.aspx |url-status=dead |journal=Windows IT Pro |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529015759/http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/news2/64-bit-windows-2000-on-track-for-mid-2000.aspx |archive-date=May 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 26, 1999 |title=Windows 2000 to Launch at Comdex, 64-Bit Janus in the Wings |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_1999_August_26/ai_55572391 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718055750/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CGN/is_1999_August_26/ai_55572391/ |archive-date=July 18, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |website=Findarticles.com}}</ref> which would run on [[64-bit]] Intel [[Itanium]] [[microprocessor]]s. However, the first officially released 64-bit version of Windows was ''[[Windows XP 64-Bit Edition]]'', released alongside the 32-bit editions of [[Windows XP]] on October 25, 2001,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-05-23 |title=Microsoft Unveils Plans for 64-Bit Windows Platform - Stories |url=https://news.microsoft.com/2001/05/23/microsoft-unveils-plans-for-64-bit-windows-platform/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031050331/https://news.microsoft.com/2001/05/23/microsoft-unveils-plans-for-64-bit-windows-platform/ |archive-date=October 31, 2019 |access-date=2020-02-15 |publisher=News.microsoft.com}}</ref> followed by the server versions ''Windows Datacenter Server Limited Edition'' and later ''Windows Advanced Server Limited Edition'', which were based on the pre-release [[Windows Server 2003]] (then known as ''Windows .NET Server'') codebase.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bekker |first=Scott |date=March 5, 2002 |title=Datacenter Server Limited Edition Released |url=http://redmondmag.com/articles/2002/03/05/datacenter-server-limited-edition-released.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812101153/http://redmondmag.com/articles/2002/03/05/datacenter-server-limited-edition-released.aspx |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=23 July 2014 |publisher=Redmond Magazine |quote="Although Microsoft has pushed back the schedule for Windows .NET Server, the company is going ahead with the release of a limited edition of Windows Datacenter Server based on Windows .NET Server beta code."}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> These editions were released in 2002, were shortly available through the OEM channel and then were superseded by the final versions of Server 2003.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Introducing Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition |url=http://www.microsoft.com/windows.netserver/64bit/overview/default.mspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021022044243/http://www.microsoft.com/windows.netserver/64bit/overview/default.mspx |archive-date=October 22, 2002 |access-date=12 January 2013 |publisher=Microsoft}}</ref>