How to Install Windows 2000 on VMware Workstation 17

Running old operating systems on modern hardware is tough today. Still, it can be a rewarding task. Additionally, VMware Workstation 17 Pro offers a fix. This software helps you explore Windows 2000 once more.

In this guide, I will show you how to install Windows 2000 Professional SP4 on VMware Workstation 17 Pro. Also, you will see how to run it on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. You may explore computer history or use old apps. This VM guide will help you either way.

How to Install Windows 2000 Professional SP4 on Windows 10 Using VMware Workstation 17

Microsoft released the Windows 2000 operating system on February 17, 2000. Microsoft built it for personal, laptop, and server computers.

At first, the original name for Windows 2000 was NT 5.0. Yet Microsoft changed the name to 2000 on October 27, 1998. Additionally, people also called it Windows 2K. Win2K replaced NT 4.0 and focused on reliability. However, this system faced heavy criticism. Reports found more than 63,000 flaws in it.

Microsoft aimed Windows 2000 mainly at corporate business computers. Moreover, it offered a safer Internet connection compared with Windows 95 and 98.

Win2K supports FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS file systems. Also, Encrypting File System (EFS), directory service, Distributed File System (DFS), Automated System Recovery (ASR), and Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) stand out as key features.

In addition, developers offered Remote Access Service (RAS), Virtual Private Network (VPN), and Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) services for data traffic. The company also prepared Internet Information Services (IIS), Active Directory, and Remote Installation Services (RIS) tools.

Additionally, Microsoft introduced the Guest account with Win2K for the first time. This account includes user accounts and system access limits.

Microsoft ended support for Win2K on July 13, 2010. Even so, you can still install this system on an old computer with ease.

If that is not possible, you can use VMware Workstation Pro and Player to run this old OS on physical computers.

You can also run later Windows versions as virtual machines. This way works well. For instance, a Windows XP virtual machine is a great next step.

Creating a New Virtual Machine for Windows 2000

You do not need an old PC to try Win2K. Install VMware on a computer that has virtualization support. Then create a new virtual machine. Moreover, you can use this OS virtually on your host.

To install Windows 2000 with VMware, you need the system ISO image file. If you have a physical CD/DVD install disc, you can use that too.

However, installing from an ISO file gives you better performance. Therefore, download the image file to your computer first.

Setup Wizard and Basic Settings

Step 1

First, install VMware 17 Pro software on your computer. Next, open the program. Then click Create a New Virtual Machine on the home screen.

After that, the VM wizard opens as shown in the image. Select Custom (Advanced) and click Next.

Step 2

VMware sets Workstation 17.x as the default hardware compatibility. That is because you have the latest version of the software installed. If you use an older VMware version, you will see its hardware version here.

First, set the hardware version to Workstation 10.x. This helps Win2K run without issues. Then click Next.

Vista is also an old system. But setting it up in VMware is easy. Windows Vista setup steps give you a clear idea. You can reuse the same hardware match settings.

Step 3

As noted above, select Installer Disc in this window if you have a CD/DVD.

You already downloaded the ISO file. Therefore, choose ‘I will install the operating system later’ at this step.

Step 4

In the guest OS selection window, select the vendor first, then the version. Therefore, select Microsoft under Guest Operating System. Then choose Windows 2000 Professional under Version.

Step 5

Here you can change the name of your new VM. Additionally, you can select the install location with the Browse button.

If you have an old computer, install the VM on an external SSD. This gives you better speed and data safety. Therefore, change the install path and click Next.

If you have a newer computer and your disk is an SSD or NVMe, you can install the VM on the host disk.

Hardware and Disk Configuration Steps

Step 1

In the processor settings window, set one processor and one core for Win2K. If you set more, the VM may not run well.

Step 2

In the memory setup window, allocate 1 GB of RAM for the VM.

Step 3

On Workstation Pro, choose Network Address Translation (NAT) for the virtual PC network adapter.

Step 4

In the I/O Controller types window, select BusLogic. This makes the virtual disk run faster.

Step 5

Choose Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) as the virtual disk type. It is the default choice.

Virtual Machine Hardware and Settings Configuration

Step 1

You will install a fresh Windows 2000 system. Therefore, use the ‘Select a Disk’ window. Choose ‘Create a New Virtual Disk’ here. If you have a backup of a disk from a prior install, add it in this window.

Step 2

Set the virtual disk size based on your tasks and applications. You can select the 8 GB size that Win2K suggests. You can also set a larger size. Additionally, store the virtual disk as a single file on your host or an external HDD.

Step 3

You can rename the disk file and change its path in this window. However, we suggest you keep the default settings.

Step 4

Review the VM settings summary. Then click Customize Hardware to move to the hardware steps.

Step 5

First, click the Processors device. Then select all options under Virtualization Engine. This turns on the virtualization feature.

• Virtualize Intel VT-x/EPT or AMD-V/RVI
• Virtualize CPU Performance Counters

Step 6

First, add the Windows 2000 ISO file to the CD/DVD device. Turn on ‘Use ISO Image File’. Then click the Browse button. Select the ISO image file you downloaded and open it.

Step 7

To use Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices in your virtual system, select USB 2.0 in the USB Controller settings.

Step 8

For the Display setting, turn on 3D Graphics. Do not change the display scaling option.

Step 9

After you prepare the VM, close the summary window. Then move to the installation steps.

Step 10

Click Power On to start the Win2K Professional VM.

Windows 2000 Installation

Start the Microsoft Win2K virtual machine after you set it up. The system boots from the ISO image file you added. When you see the setup wizard, you can begin the installation without issues.

Step 1

Wait a moment while the Win2K Setup screen opens as shown below.

Step 2

On the welcome screen, press R to repair your system. In this guide, we will do a fresh Win2K installation. Therefore, press Enter.

Step 3

Accept the Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional license agreement on your virtual computer.

Step 4

You can see the size you assigned to the virtual disk here. Press C to create a new partition on the disk.

Step 5

Press Enter to accept the value that the system set for the virtual disk.

Step 6

After you create the C partition on the disk, press Enter to start the installation.

Step 7

You want to format the disk with NTFS. Therefore, select “Format the partition using NTFS file system” and press Enter.

Step 8

Wait while the setup wizard formats the disk. This takes very little time on a VM. However, it may take longer on a physical computer.

Step 9

Wait while the setup wizard copies Win2K system files to the disk.

Step 10

Your VM restarts when the timer ends. However, press Enter to restart your system manually.

Setup Wizard and System Configuration

Step 1

Wait while your Win2K virtual system boots up.

Step 2

Be patient while Microsoft Win2K Professional (Built on NT Technology) starts.

Step 3

The Win2K setup wizard says it will collect data about your virtual computer. Therefore, click Next to continue.

Step 4

Wait while the setup wizard installs drivers for devices such as the keyboard and mouse. Your virtual PC screen may flicker at this step. Therefore, do not shut down the system.

Step 5

Set the region and location options based on where you live.

Step 6

Choose a proper user account name for your virtual system. Then click Next to move on.

Step 7

Enter the product key for Windows 2000 Professional correctly.

Step 8

Type a computer name in this window. Also set an administrator password for your system.

Step 9

Set the date and time for your virtual system based on your country and location.

Step 10

Wait while Windows installs system and network components.

Network and Desktop Configuration

Step 1

Set the network settings to Typical for Win2K and continue.

Step 2

If your network uses Active Directory on a server, you can join the VM to a domain. Otherwise, set WORKGROUP for the default local network.

Step 3

Wait while the setup wizard configures Start menu items, registry components, and other settings.

Step 4

When Windows Setup ends, click Finish to close the window. This restarts your virtual computer right away.

Step 5

Wait while Windows 2000 Pro starts up.

Step 6

When the Network Identification wizard appears, click Next to move through the steps.

Step 7

By default, you will use only one user account on the system. Here you can set a password for it. Also, you can require a password at login to block unauthorized access.

Step 8

After you finish the network and login settings, click Finish to end the setup.

Step 9

When Win2K starts, you will see the first desktop screen as shown below.

Step 10

Right-click the My Computer icon and choose Properties to check your system information.

VMware Tools Installation

You installed Win2K on the virtual machine successfully. Next, install VMware Tools to fix screen resolution issues.

Thanks to VMware Tools, you can use the VM more efficiently and with better performance.

Step 1

First, right-click the My Computer icon and select Properties. Then go to Hardware and Device Manager tabs to check for missing drivers.

Step 2

Go to the VM menu in Workstation Pro. Then click Install VMware Tools.

Step 3

If you get the error below while the VMware Tools wizard opens, install KB835732 on your system. You can find the KB835732 update inside the Win2K ISO file you downloaded.

Microsoft Runtime DLLs cannot be installed on this operating system. 
Please see Microsoft KB835732 for details.

Step 4

Add the KB835732 ISO file to the VM’s CD/DVD device.

Step 5

Open My Computer. Then copy the executable (.exe) file from the image file to the desktop.

Step 6

Open the setup file to install the Win2K KB835732 update.

Step 7

Accept the license agreement for the Windows KB835732 update and continue.

Step 8

Wait while the setup wizard updates your system. Do not turn off the virtual system.

Step 9

After the installation ends successfully, click Finish. Then restart your system right away.

Step 10

When you start VMware Tools setup again, the wizard opens this time. Click Next.

Completing VMware Tools Installation

Step 1

On the setup type screen, select Complete. Then click Next to move on.

Step 2

Click Install to start the virtual machine tools setup.

Step 3

Wait while the setup wizard loads graphics card, keyboard, and mouse drivers.

Step 4

Finish the VMware Tools setup and click Finish to close the window. Then restart your virtual system to apply the changes.

Step 5

After the system starts, open Device Manager again. You will see that all drivers are now installed.

Step 6

To use your Windows guest machine in full screen, click View / Full Screen. Also, check that the VM resolution matches your host PC screen.

Step 7

You can also move files from your host to the guest system quickly. Drag and drop any file you want.

Configuring Internet Connection

Another task on your virtual computer is to check the network and Internet connection. After you set up the Internet, you can easily reach services such as Google.

Step 1

First, open Run from the Start Menu. Type CMD in the text box and press Enter. In the command prompt, type ping 8.8.8.8 to verify access to Google servers.

Step 2

If your Internet works, click the Internet Explorer icon. In the Internet Connection Wizard screen, select LAN and click Next.

Step 3

Select the LAN connection option again and click Next.

Step 4

Turn on the option to find proxy servers automatically. Then continue.

Step 5

If you want to set up an Internet Mail account, choose Yes and enter the details. For now, select No to skip the mail account.

Step 6

After you configure the Internet connection, click Finish to complete the task.

Step 7

When Internet Explorer opens on its own, visit Google to check your connection.

Shared Folder Configuration

Turn on the Shared Folder feature on your virtual computer. This lets you move files between host and VM with ease.

Step 1

Click VM / Settings to enable Shared Folder on the Win2K VM.

Step 2

In the Virtual Machine Settings window, first select Options > Shared Folders.

Turn on Folder Sharing on the right side. Then select the option to use the shared folder as a network drive. Finally, click Add to choose a shared folder on the host.

Click Next when the Shared Folder wizard opens.

Step 3

Use Browse to select a folder on your host system.

Step 4

In this window, enable the shared folder and click Finish.

Step 5

Open My Network Places. This gives you easy access to the shared folder on the host.

Step 6

Also, you can use the shared folder as a network drive. Select Map Network Drive from My Computer. Then add the Shared Folder location using Browse in the Folder field.

Using USB Flash Drives

You can use a USB flash drive on Windows 2000 through the USB port. Additionally, you can run an external disk without installing a driver.

Step 1

Plug the USB flash drive into the host port. Then VMware shows a New USB Device Detected window. Select Connect to the host and press OK.

Create a folder called Backup on your USB drive in the host system.

Step 2

Connect the USB drive to the VM. Navigate to VM > Removable Devices > your USB name > Connect from the Workstation tools menu.

Step 3

The system installs drivers for your USB flash drive on its own. When you check Device Manager, you will see KINGSTON DataTraveler 3.0 USB Device active.

Checking Direct3D

You can play games after you install Win2K on the virtual PC. Also, you can easily run applications that need 3D acceleration.

Suppose you pick a hardware compatibility value higher than 10.x. In that case, Direct3D Acceleration will not turn on. Therefore, you will see this feature as disabled.

Check if Direct3D is on for your system. Press Windows and R together. Then type dxdiag in the window and run it.

When DirectX Diagnostic Tool opens, click the Display tab. Then check DirectDraw and Direct3D Acceleration under Features.

Deleting the Virtual Machine

You may no longer want to run the Win2K guest machine on your host PC. In that case, we suggest you delete all VM files to save disk space.

Right-click the guest machine in the left panel of Workstation Pro. Then select Manage > Delete From Disk. In the warning window, click Yes to confirm deleting all files for your virtual system.

Video

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Watch on YouTube

Installing Older Versions

Windows 2000 Virtual Machine FAQ

Conclusion

In short, you can run Windows 2000 in a virtual machine with VMware Workstation 17 Pro. This lets you try the classic operating system on modern hardware.

With the steps in this guide, you can create a new virtual machine. Additionally, you can install Windows 2000 with ease. Whether for nostalgia or special software needs, this method works well.

Virtualizing Windows 2000 opens new doors. In today’s computing world, it helps you connect with the old system. Users can interact with the legacy OS this way.

After you finish the Windows 2000 install, you can try other old versions too. A Windows 98 virtual machine setup gives a nostalgic feel and works well for old games. Windows 95 install steps follow a similar path. Old drivers need some care, but setting it up in a virtual space is easy. Both guides suit anyone who wants to explore the old Windows era.