Automating Client Installation and Upgrade

Automating the Installation of Windows 2000 Professional

In the enterprise environment, it is not cost-effective to install Windows 2000 using the standard interactive setup on each computer. To greatly lower the total cost of ownership (TCO), you can perform automated installations of Windows 2000 Professional on multiple computers.

You can automate the installation of the following:

The core operating system of Windows 2000 Professional.
Standard productivity applications such as Microsoft® Office 2000 or any other application that does not run as a service.
Additional language support for Windows 2000 Professional through the installation of various language packs.
Service packs for Windows 2000 Professional.

Automated installation of Windows 2000 Professional involves running Setup with an answer file. Setup can take place in unattended fashion. An unattended Setup includes the following steps:

Creating an answer file.
Determining and implementing a process to configure computer-specific information.
Using Windows Installer packages to prepare for installing additional files.
Determining and implementing the process to automate the selected distribution method, such as using a network distribution point or hard disk duplication.