Windows 2000
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows 2000 is the direct predecessor of Windows XP, and as such has always stayed somewhat it its shadow. It had 4 different versions: Professional, Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server. It was a somewhat radical departure from the previous Windows 95-98 Microsoft operating system lineup for private users. It no longer had a MS-DOS base, but rather was built on the Windows NT kernel, but with a different user interface, an updated Explorer, including the Active Desktop for the first time, and NTFS 3.0. It replaced Windows NT 4.0, and was initially designated to be called NT 5.0. However, Microsoft decided to change the naming to underline the updates. Despite first being intended to replace the home-user Windows 98 as well as Windows NT, Windows 2000 ended up being mainly an NT replacement, with Microsoft releasing Windows 98 SE and later Windows Me for the lower-end consumer market.
Although Windows 2000 marketing described it as the most secure Windows ever, it has proven to be somewhat vulnerable to various kinds of worms and exploits, such as the famous Code Red, and still is being updated with security patches for customers who have it in use until today.
The official successor of Windows 2000 is Windows XP.See also:
