Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2

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Service Pack 2 (SP2) is a collection of updates for the Microsoft Windows® 2000 operating system. You can apply this service pack easily while Windows 2000 is running. SP2 includes the updates contained in Service Pack 1 (SP1). If you have not installed SP1, you only need to install SP2 to get all of the Windows 2000 updates. If you have already installed SP1, you should install SP2 without uninstalling SP1.

Important:

  • When you install SP2, your system security is upgraded. Any system at a standard encryption level (56-bit) is moved to a high encryption level (128-bit), in order to offer better online and local security and bring your system on par with the new worldwide standard of 128-bit encryption. After this upgrade is made, you cannot return to 56-bit encryption on your system even if you uninstall SP2. For more information, see the Windows 2000 SP2 Readme file (ReadMeSP.htm).

  • If a previous software installation did not complete successfully, you should restart your computer before installing the service pack. Update.exe automatically detects any installations that are pending completion and blocks the installation of the service pack until the computer is restarted.

  • If you have already installed SP1, you should install SP2 without uninstalling SP1.

  • If you have not installed SP1, you only need to install SP2 to get all of the Windows 2000 updates.

  • SP2 is not a required upgrade; however, some applications might require SP2 to run correctly.

  • Before you install SP2, see Before You Install the Service Pack later in this article.

  • You cannot use Windows 2000 integrated installations to update Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, or Windows 2000 with Server Appliance Kit. This applies whether or not you installed SP1 on your operating system. (See the Using the Integrated Installation Method to Install Windows 2000 and SP2 later in this article.)

On This Page

Install SP2 What's in SP2 Uninstalling SP2

Install SP2

Download Windows 2000 Service Pack 2

To install from the Windows 2000 Service Packs CD:

  1. Insert the Windows 2000 Service Packs CD into your CD-ROM drive.

  2. Open the W2kSp2 directory.

  3. Locate and double-click on W2ksp2.exe.

    Note: If Setup prompts you to download W2ksp2.exe or to save it to disk, click Run this program from its current location, and then click OK.

  4. Follow the instructions that appear.

Note: During the installation process, the W2ksp2.exe program installs the service pack files on your computer and automatically creates a backup of the files and settings that the service pack installer changes and saves them in a $NTServicepackUninstall$ folder in your systemroot folder.

To stop W2ksp2.exe from automatically creating a back-up:

  • For an attended installation, clear the Backup files necessary to uninstall this Service Pack at a later time check box.

  • For an unattended installation, add the -n switch to the command line when you run W2ksp2.exe. For more information about the W2ksp2.exe command-line switches, see the SP2 Readme file.

    Important: If you turn off the automatic backup option for W2ksp2.exe, you cannot use the uninstall SP2 mechanism and, therefore, cannot uninstall the service pack.

What's in SP2

SP2 is a collection of updates for Windows 2000. These updates pertain to:

  • Operating system reliability

  • Application compatibility

  • Windows 2000 Setup

  • Security issues

SP2 is available from the Microsoft TechNet Windows 2000 sCD, which includes:

  • W2ksp2.exe, which is a self-extracting installer that contains SP2 installation files. If you extract the installer to a network share folder or local share folder using the -x switch, you can then run Update.exe (the installation program) to install SP2.

  • SP2 documentation.

  • The Deploy.cab file in the \Support\Tools folder. The Windows 2000 Resource Kit Deployment Tools assists system administrators in installing Windows 2000 on multiple computers. The Deploy.cab file contains updated deployment tools and documentation. It is not automatically loaded when you install SP2. For more information about the deployment tools, see the Help file titled "Windows 2000 Resource Kit Deployment Tools" (Deptool.chm), which is included in Deploy.cab. The Help file provides a list of tools, instructions on how they are used, and further information about performing an unattended setup.

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Guide to Unattended Setup white paper (\Support\Tools\Unattend.doc on your service pack CD).

  • The Support.cab file in the \Support\Tools folder. The Windows 2000 Support Tools help support personnel and network administrators manage their networks and troubleshoot problems. The Support.cab file contains updated support tools. It is not automatically loaded when you install SP2. For more information about the support tools, see the Help file titled "Windows 2000 Support Tools" (W2rksupp.chm), which is included in Support.cab. The Help file provides descriptions of the tools and examples of how they are used. You can also find additional information in article 292003 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (search using your Microsoft TechNet Technical Information CD). Windows 2000 Datacenter Server customers should consult their OEM for the updated support tools.

  • Additional Windows components, which can be installed as needed from the \ValueAdd folder. These include Terminal Services Advanced Client (TSAC), a Win32 ActiveX® control that you can use to run Terminal Services sessions within Internet Explorer. Management tools that use TSAC are also provided.

    Important: Terminal Services Advanced Client is not part of the SP2 installation; you must install it separately. For more information about using and installing TSAC, see \ValueAdd\TSAC\Readme.htm.

  • Service pack debug symbols. For more information about the debug symbols, see the \Support\Debug\Dbg_sp.htm file on your service pack CD.

Uninstalling SP2

This service pack contains an uninstall mechanism that you can use to restore your computer to its previous state. When you run W2ksp2.exe to install SP2, a subfolder named $NTServicepackUninstall$ is automatically created in your systemroot folder. To turn off this W2ksp2.exe option, see the Install SP2 earlier in this artlcle.

Important:

  • If you install any programs or services that require SP2 or that have fixes contained in SP2, uninstalling SP2 could adversely affect those programs.

  • If you turn off the automatic backup option for W2ksp2.exe, you cannot use the uninstall SP2 mechanism and, therefore, cannot uninstall the service pack.

Using Add/Remove Programs to Uninstall SP2

You can uninstall SP2 by using Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel.

To uninstall SP2 by using Add/Remove Programs:

  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

  2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, click Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, and then click Change/Remove.

  3. Follow the instructions that appear.

Using the Uninstall Program to Uninstall SP2

You can uninstall SP2 by running the uninstall program from the command prompt.

To uninstall SP2:

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.

  2. In the Open box, type cmd, and then click OK.

  3. Type cd %systemroot%\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\, and then press ENTER.

  4. Type spuninst.exe, and then press ENTER.

  5. To close the Command Prompt window, type exit.

For more information about SP2, see the Windows 2000 Service Pack Readme file (ReadMeSP.htm).