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The Windows 2000 CD-ROMs: What You Get

As an eager world awaits, Microsoft's partners are busy burning the CD-ROMs you'll receive in your boxed copies of Windows 2000, which are due in retail stores by February 17th. Wondering what you'll get? Well, wonder no more. Here's a first look at the contents of the Windows 2000 CD-ROMs!

All of the CD-ROMs (with the exception of the Resource Kit CDs) are bootable, meaning that you can boot a PC with them as long as your system supports that feature (and all modern PCs do). And all of the CD-ROMs will auto-play when placed in the drive tray of a running Windows system. This is probably obvious, but Windows 2000 ships only on CD-ROM: There are no floppy or DVD versions. For a complete look at all of the possible ways you can get Windows 2000 on CD-ROM, see my showcase, " Upgrading to Windows 2000: What upgrades what." This look at the CD-ROMs applies to at least the "retail," "OEM," and "evaluation" versions of Windows 2000.


The Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM includes the following directories and files in its root:

  • \BOOTDISK - Contains files necessary for creating four-disk boot disk set.
  • \DISCOVER - Contains an HTML-based "Discover Windows 2000" tour.
  • \I386 - Contains the Windows 2000 installation file set.
  • \SETUPTXT - Contains two release note setup files that are Windows 2000 Professional-specific.
  • \SUPPORT - Contains the HCL, the Application Compatibility tool, and the Windows 2000 Support Tools, a subset of the full Windows 2000 Resource Kit. 
  • \VALUEADD - Contains a small set of Microsoft and third-party tools. 
  • AUTORUN.INF - Causes SETUP.EXE to be run when CD-ROM is inserted in drive.
  • CDROM_IP.5 - File that identifies CD-ROM as valid Windows 2000 Professional installation media.
  • CDROM_NT.5 - File that identifies CD-ROM as valid Windows 2000 installation media.
  • READ1ST.TXT - Common README file for all editions of Windows 2000.
  • README.DOC - Common releases notes file for all editions of Windows 2000, in Word format.
  • SETUP.EXE - Graphical front-end for Windows 2000 installation (\I386\WINNT32.EXE).

Now let's take a look at the individual directories:

\BOOTDISK

  • CDBOOT1.IMG, CDBOOT2.IMG, CDBOOT3.IMG, CDBOOT4.IMG - Image files for each Windows 2000 Professional boot disk.
  • MAKEBOOT.EXE & MAKEBT32.EXE - command line programs that create the boot disks.

\DISCOVER

  • Contains a variety of files and sub-directories containing the "Discover Windows 2000" tour. Execute DEFAULT.HTM to view the tour from Explorer.

\I386

  • Contains a variety of files and sub-directories that make up the Windows 2000 Professional installation set. Execute WINNT.EXE from DOS or a Windows 9x boot-disk to start Windows 2000 Setup. Or, execute WINNT32.EXE or WINNT32.MSI to execute Windows 2000 Setup from Windows 9x, NT, or Windows 2000.

\SETUPTXT

  • PRO1.TXT and PRO2.TXT make up the Windows 2000 Professional-specific release note setup documentation. This was split into two files so that it could be read by the version of Notepad that ships with Windows 9x.

\SUPPORT

  • \TOOLS - Contains the Windows 2000 Support Tools, a subset of the full Windows 2000 Resource Kit. Execute \SUPPORT\TOOLS\SETUP.EXE to install the Support Tools.
  • APCOMPAT.EXE - The Applicaton Compatibility program, which can help fool applications into thinking that they are installing or running on Windows NT 4 SP3, NT 4 SP4, NT 4 SP5, Windows 98, or Windows 95.
  • HCL.TXT - The Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) as of December 7, 1999. A much newer version exists on the Microsoft Web site.

\VALUEADD

  • \3RDPARTY - A variety of unsupported third-party applications.
  • \MSFT -A variety of unsupported Microsoft applications.
  • BANNER.GIF - An image file used by VALUEADD.HTM.
  • VALUEADD.HTM - An HTML document that discusses the contents of the Value Added directory (\VALUEADD).

\VALUEADD\3RDPARTY

  • \CA_ANTIV - Contains Computer Associates International's InoculateIT AntiVirus AVBoot V1.1, a program that will check for viruses when booted on a floppy disk.
  • \LEVEL8\MQC.QUE - Level 8's Message Queuing Connector, a cross-platform application connectivity product that Microsoft recommends for implementing Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) API in non-Microsoft operating system platforms. 
  • \MGMT\AGENTS - Contains an HTML file that links to agents that support Windows Management Instrumentation on the Web.
  • \MGMT\CITRIX\ENG - Citrix ICA clients for MetaFrame on Windows 2000. This includes clients for Windows 3.x, 9x, NT, and Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\CIMOMPRO - Contains Smart Technology's CIMON to DMI Data Wrapper application, which allows an existing DMI application to run seamlessly on a WMI enabled system. 
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\DMISP - Contains Intel's DMI 2.0 Service Provider.
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\WBEMDMIP - Contains Intel's DMI to CIMON Data Provider 1.0.
  • \MGMT\WINSTLE - Contains Windows WinInstall LE ("limited edition"), an excellent program from Veritas that allows you to package normal application "setup" programs as packages for Windows Installer. 
  • \SECURITY\SDTI - Contains Security Dynamics' ACE/Agent for Windows 2000, which provides enterprises with the ability to add strong authentication management and encryption to their Windows 2000 environment.

\VALUEADD\MSFT

  • \FONTS - Contains two TrueType fonts, Arial Alternate Regular and Arial Alternate Symbol.
  • \MGMT\ADC - Contains the Active Directory Connector, which allows you to synchronize Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 mailboxes, custom recipients, and distribution lists with Windows 2000 users, contacts, and groups.
  • \MGMT\IAS - Contains the Windows NT 4.0 Internet Authentication Service snap-in, an MMC add-in that allows you to manage IAS from Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\MS_SMS - Contains the Systems Management Installation Wizard, which allows a Windows 2000 Professional computer to be a client of Systems Management Server (SMS).
  • \MGMT\MSTSC_HPC - Contains the Microsoft Terminal Server Client for the Handheld PC (HPC) version 2.11 and 3.0.
  • \MGMT\PBA - Contains the Phone Book Administrator for Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\WBEMODBC - Contains the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI/WBEM) ODBC adapter, which provides a standard API that allows ODBC-based applications to read the data in the WMI Common Information Management (CIM) repository as if it were a relational database.
  • \XTRADOCS\SCRIPT - Contains four Windows Help files documenting JScript, Windows Scripting Components, VBScript, and the Windows Scripting Host (WSH).
  • \XTRADOCS\SERK - Contains the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions Resource Kit. Execute DEFAULT.HTM to view the documentation. 

The Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM includes the following directories and files in its root:
  • \BOOTDISK - Contains files necessary for creating four-disk boot disk set.
  • \CLIENTS - Contains Active Directory and Internet Printing client software for Windows 9x.
  • \I386 - Contains the Windows 2000 installation file set.
  • \PRINTERS - Contains fixes for printer drivers that ship with Windows 2000.
  • \SETUPTXT - Contains three release note setup files that are Windows 2000 Server-specific.
  • \SUPPORT - Contains the HCL, the Application Compatibility tool, and the Windows 2000 Support Tools, a subset of the full Windows 2000 Resource Kit.
  • \VALUEADD - Contains a small set of Microsoft and third-party tools. 
  • AUTORUN.INF - Causes SETUP.EXE to be run when CD-ROM is inserted in drive.
  • CDROM_IS.5 - File that identifies CD-ROM as valid Windows 2000 Server installation media.
  • CDROM_NT.5 - File that identifies CD-ROM as valid Windows 2000 installation media.
  • READ1ST.TXT - Common README file for all editions of Windows 2000.
  • README.DOC - Common releases notes file for all editions of Windows 2000, in Word format.
  • SETUP.EXE - Graphical front-end for Windows 2000 installation (\I386\WINNT32.EXE).

Now let's take a look at the individual directories:

\BOOTDISK

  • CDBOOT1.IMG, CDBOOT2.IMG, CDBOOT3.IMG, CDBOOT4.IMG - Image files for each Windows 2000 Server boot disk.
  • MAKEBOOT.EXE & MAKEBT32.EXE - command line programs that create the boot disks.

\CLIENTS

  • \WIN9x - Contains the Active Directory client software for Windows 9x.
  • \WIN9XIPP.CLI - Contains the Internet Printing client software for Windows 9x.

\I386

  • Contains a variety of files and sub-directories that make up the Windows 2000 Server installation set. Execute WINNT.EXE from DOS or a Windows 9x boot-disk to start Windows 2000 Setup. Or, execute WINNT32.EXE or WINNT32.MSI to start Windows 2000 Setup from Windows 9x, NT, or Windows 2000.

\PRINTERS

  • \FIXPRNSV - Contains the Windows 2000 Printer Driver Fixer, which will fix incompatible print drivers left over during an upgrade.
  • \NT4 - Contains Windows NT 4.0 upgrade print drivers.
  • \WIN9x - Contains Windows 9x upgrade print drivers.

\SETUPTXT

  • SRV1.TXT, SRV2.TXT and SRV3.TXT make up the Windows 2000 Server-specific release notes for setup. This was split into three files so that it could be read by the version of Notepad that ships with Windows 9x.

\SUPPORT

  • \TOOLS - Contains the Windows 2000 Support Tools, a subset of the full Windows 2000 Resource Kit. Execute \SUPPORT\TOOLS\SETUP.EXE to install the Support Tools.
  • APCOMPAT.EXE - The Applicaton Compatibility program, which can help fool applications into thinking that they are installing or running on Windows NT 4 SP3, NT 4 SP4, NT 4 SP5, Windows 98, or Windows 95.
  • BUILDCHK.EXE and CHKBUILD.BAT, two command line applications that verify the Windows build number. 
  • HCL.TXT - The Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) as of December 7, 1999. A much newer version exists on the Microsoft Web site.

\VALUEADD

  • \3RDPARTY - A variety of unsupported third-party applications.
  • \MSFT -A variety of unsupported Microsoft applications.
  • BANNER.GIF - An image file used by VALUEADD.HTM.
  • VALUEADD.HTM - An HTML document that discusses the contents of the Value Added directory (\VALUEADD).

\VALUEADD\3RDPARTY

  • \CA_ANTIV - Contains Computer Associates International's InoculateIT AntiVirus AVBoot V1.1, a program that will check for viruses when booted on a floppy disk.
  • \LEVEL8\MQC.QUE - Level 8's Message Queuing Connector, a cross-platform application connectivity product that Microsoft recommends for implementing Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) API in non-Microsoft operating system platforms. 
  • \MGMT\AGENTS - Contains an HTML file that links to agents that support Windows Management Instrumentation on the Web.
  • \MGMT\CITRIX\ENG - Citrix ICA clients for MetaFrame on Windows 2000. This includes clients for Windows 3.x, 9x, NT, and Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\CIMOMPRO - Contains Smart Technology's CIMON to DMI Data Wrapper application, which allows an existing DMI application to run seamlessly on a WMI enabled system. 
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\DMISP - Contains Intel's DMI 2.0 Service Provider.
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\WBEMDMIP - Contains Intel's DMI to CIMON Data Provider 1.0.
  • \MGMT\WINSTLE - Contains Windows WinInstall LE ("limited edition"), an excellent program from Veritas that allows you to package normal application "setup" programs as packages for Windows Installer. 
  • \SECURITY\SDTI - Contains Security Dynamics' ACE/Agent for Windows 2000, which provides enterprises with the ability to add strong authentication management and encryption to their Windows 2000 environment.

\VALUEADD\MSFT

  • \FONTS - Contains two TrueType fonts, Arial Alternate Regular and Arial Alternate Symbol.
  • \MGMT\ADC - Contains the Active Directory Connector, which allows you to synchronize Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 mailboxes, custom recipients, and distribution lists with Windows 2000 users, contacts, and groups.
  • \MGMT\IAS - Contains the Windows NT 4.0 Internet Authentication Service snap-in, an MMC add-in that allows you to manage IAS from Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\MS_SMS - Contains the Systems Management Installation Wizard, which allows a Windows 2000 Professional computer to be a client of Systems Management Server (SMS).
  • \MGMT\MSTSC_HPC - Contains the Microsoft Terminal Server Client for the Handheld PC (HPC) version 2.11 and 3.0.
  • \MGMT\PBA - Contains the Phone Book Administrator for Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\WBEMODBC - Contains the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI/WBEM) ODBC adapter, which provides a standard API that allows ODBC-based applications to read the data in the WMI Common Information Management (CIM) repository as if it were a relational database.
  • \XTRADOCS\SCRIPT - Contains four Windows Help files documenting JScript, Windows Scripting Components, VBScript, and the Windows Scripting Host (WSH).
  • \XTRADOCS\SERK - Contains the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions Resource Kit. Execute DEFAULT.HTM to view the documentation. 

The Windows 2000 Advanced Server CD-ROM includes the following directories and files in its root:
  • \BOOTDISK - Contains files necessary for creating four-disk boot disk set.
  • \CLIENTS - Contains Active Directory and Internet Printing client software for Windows 9x.
  • \I386 - Contains the Windows 2000 installation file set.
  • \PRINTERS - Contains fixes for printer drivers that ship with Windows 2000.
  • \SETUPTXT - Contains three release note setup files that are Windows 2000 Advanced Server-specific.
  • \SUPPORT - Contains the HCL, the Application Compatibility tool, and the Windows 2000 Support Tools, a subset of the full Windows 2000 Resource Kit.
  • \VALUEADD - Contains a small set of Microsoft and third-party tools. 
  • AUTORUN.INF - Causes SETUP.EXE to be run when CD-ROM is inserted in drive.
  • CDROM_IA.5 - File that identifies CD-ROM as valid Windows 2000 Advanced Server installation media.
  • CDROM_NT.5 - File that identifies CD-ROM as valid Windows 2000 installation media.
  • READ1ST.TXT - Common README file for all editions of Windows 2000.
  • README.DOC - Common releases notes file for all editions of Windows 2000, in Word format.
  • SETUP.EXE - Graphical front-end for Windows 2000 installation (\I386\WINNT32.EXE).

Now let's take a look at the individual directories:

\BOOTDISK

  • CDBOOT1.IMG, CDBOOT2.IMG, CDBOOT3.IMG, CDBOOT4.IMG - Image files for each Windows 2000 Advanced Server boot disk.
  • MAKEBOOT.EXE & MAKEBT32.EXE - command line programs that create the boot disks.

\CLIENTS

  • \WIN9x - Contains the Active Directory client software for Windows 9x.
  • \WIN9XIPP.CLI - Contains the Internet Printing client software for Windows 9x.

\I386

  • Contains a variety of files and sub-directories that make up the Windows 2000 Server installation set. Execute WINNT.EXE from DOS or a Windows 9x boot-disk to start Windows 2000 Setup. Or, execute WINNT32.EXE or WINNT32.MSI to start Windows 2000 Setup from Windows 9x, NT, or Windows 2000.

\PRINTERS

  • \FIXPRNSV - Contains the Windows 2000 Printer Driver Fixer, which will fix incompatible print drivers left over during an upgrade.
  • \NT4 - Contains Windows NT 4.0 upgrade print drivers.
  • \WIN9x - Contains Windows 9x upgrade print drivers.

\SETUPTXT

  • ADVSRV1.TXT, ADVSRV2.TXT and ADVSRV3.TXT make up the Windows 2000 Advanced Server-specific release notes for setup. This was split into three files so that it could be read by the version of Notepad that ships with Windows 9x.

\SUPPORT

  • \TOOLS - Contains the Windows 2000 Support Tools, a subset of the full Windows 2000 Resource Kit. Execute \SUPPORT\TOOLS\SETUP.EXE to install the Support Tools.
  • APCOMPAT.EXE - The Applicaton Compatibility program, which can help fool applications into thinking that they are installing or running on Windows NT 4 SP3, NT 4 SP4, NT 4 SP5, Windows 98, or Windows 95.
  • BUILDCHK.EXE and CHKBUILD.BAT, two command line applications that verify the Windows build number. 
  • HCL.TXT - The Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) as of December 7, 1999. A much newer version exists on the Microsoft Web site.

\VALUEADD

  • \3RDPARTY - A variety of unsupported third-party applications.
  • \MSFT -A variety of unsupported Microsoft applications.
  • BANNER.GIF - An image file used by VALUEADD.HTM.
  • VALUEADD.HTM - An HTML document that discusses the contents of the Value Added directory (\VALUEADD).

\VALUEADD\3RDPARTY

  • \CA_ANTIV - Contains Computer Associates International's InoculateIT AntiVirus AVBoot V1.1, a program that will check for viruses when booted on a floppy disk.
  • \LEVEL8\MQC.QUE - Level 8's Message Queuing Connector, a cross-platform application connectivity product that Microsoft recommends for implementing Microsoft Message Queue (MSMQ) API in non-Microsoft operating system platforms. 
  • \MGMT\AGENTS - Contains an HTML file that links to agents that support Windows Management Instrumentation on the Web.
  • \MGMT\CITRIX\ENG - Citrix ICA clients for MetaFrame on Windows 2000. This includes clients for Windows 3.x, 9x, NT, and Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\CIMOMPRO - Contains Smart Technology's CIMON to DMI Data Wrapper application, which allows an existing DMI application to run seamlessly on a WMI enabled system. 
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\DMISP - Contains Intel's DMI 2.0 Service Provider.
  • \MGMT\INTELDMI\WBEMDMIP - Contains Intel's DMI to CIMON Data Provider 1.0.
  • \MGMT\WINSTLE - Contains Windows WinInstall LE ("limited edition"), an excellent program from Veritas that allows you to package normal application "setup" programs as packages for Windows Installer. 
  • \SECURITY\SDTI - Contains Security Dynamics' ACE/Agent for Windows 2000, which provides enterprises with the ability to add strong authentication management and encryption to their Windows 2000 environment.

\VALUEADD\MSFT

  • \FONTS - Contains two TrueType fonts, Arial Alternate Regular and Arial Alternate Symbol.
  • \MGMT\ADC - Contains the Active Directory Connector, which allows you to synchronize Microsoft Exchange Server 5.5 mailboxes, custom recipients, and distribution lists with Windows 2000 users, contacts, and groups.
  • \MGMT\IAS - Contains the Windows NT 4.0 Internet Authentication Service snap-in, an MMC add-in that allows you to manage IAS from Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\MS_SMS - Contains the Systems Management Installation Wizard, which allows a Windows 2000 Professional computer to be a client of Systems Management Server (SMS).
  • \MGMT\MSTSC_HPC - Contains the Microsoft Terminal Server Client for the Handheld PC (HPC) version 2.11 and 3.0.
  • \MGMT\PBA - Contains the Phone Book Administrator for Windows 2000.
  • \MGMT\WBEMODBC - Contains the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI/WBEM) ODBC adapter, which provides a standard API that allows ODBC-based applications to read the data in the WMI Common Information Management (CIM) repository as if it were a relational database.
  • \XTRADOCS\SCRIPT - Contains four Windows Help files documenting JScript, Windows Scripting Components, VBScript, and the Windows Scripting Host (WSH).
  • \XTRADOCS\SERK - Contains the FrontPage 2000 Server Extensions Resource Kit. Execute DEFAULT.HTM to view the documentation. 


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