- Confirm hardware compatibility. Don't skip this step.
* Check vendor's Web site to confirm compatibility of hardware as shipped from the manufacturer.
* If the computer is a white-box (generic), look up each component individually.
* If hardware was installed after purchase, confirm availability of drivers. This includes attached scanners, printers, and other external devices. - Confirm that hardware meets minimum requirements for Windows 2000. That means Pentium II/128 MB RAM, with enough hard drive space for the install.
- Confirm software compatibility. For any line-of-business application, check with the vendor to confirm compatibility before installing Windows 2000.
- Install Windows from the CD or a network share. To streamline the process, use prepatched installation files and an unattended installation file.
- Immediately after installation, check the Device Manager to see if any hardware was not automatically recognized. If necessary, install drivers for unrecognized hardware
- Install Windows Updates.
- Install standard software suite. A sample suite might be:
* Microsoft Office XP Professional
* Mozilla FireFox 0.93
* Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0
* Macromedia Flash Player
* Macromedia Shockwave Player
* RealOne Player
* QuickTime Player
* Allume Expander
* Norton AntiVirus
To streamline this process, use unattended installation scripts. Most all software can be installed in this way. - Install updates for Microsoft Office or other software
- Install updates for other software such as Microsoft Office
- Run Disk Defragmenter as the last step.
- Proceed to configure user's profile (another checklist altogether).