12.7 Windows NT4/2000 Troubleshooting Problems
12.7.1 Windows NT/2000 installation problems (Review)
The most common types of installation problems that occur when installing Windows NT or 2000 are hardware and software compatibility issues. Before installing Windows 2000, check to make sure that the hardware is capable of running Windows 2000. The processor must be at least in the Pentium class, and the system must have at least 64MB of RAM. The hard drive or partition that the operating system files are installed on must be at least 2GB. A VGA monitor and a CD-ROM that is at least capable of reading at a 12X or higher speed are also required. Windows 2000 is a network operating system and to enable networking, a network card is required.

Microsoft has a tool called the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) that can be used before installing Windows 2000 to verify that the hardware will actually work with Windows 2000. Microsoft provides tested drivers for only those devices that are included on this list. Using hardware that is not listed on the HCL might cause problems during and after installation. View this HCL by opening the Hcl.txt file in the Support folder on the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM.