Upgrades in a Windows NT 4.0 Domain

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Upgrades in a Windows NT 4.0 domain

This section provides information about upgrading servers in a Windows NT 4.0 domain, that is, a domain where all domain controllers run Windows NT 4.0. The guidelines provided are for a network with one to five servers and 100 or fewer clients (the size of network discussed in these Getting Started topics). For information about upgrading servers in a domain where one or more domain controllers run Windows 2000, see Upgrades in a domain containing Windows 2000 domain controllers.

The following list describes the topics about upgrading servers in a Windows NT 4.0 domain:

• For information about initial preparations such as checking hardware compatibility and reviewing the size of partitions on server hard disks, see Basic preparations for the upgrade of servers in a Windows NT domain.

• For more information about planning steps that help you tailor the upgrade to your specific situation, see the following topics:

  • Planning server roles and the order of server upgrades from Windows NT

  • Planning the order of server upgrades in a Windows NT 4.0 domain

  • Planning DNS for the upgrade of domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0

• For more information about the final preparations to make just before beginning an upgrade, and guidelines about choices to make during the upgrade of domain controllers, see Performing final preparations and carrying out upgrades of domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0.

Important

• If you have servers or client computers that run Windows NT 3.51, it is recommended that you install or upgrade to a newer operating system on all these computers, or retire them from operation. If you have more than one domain, you must upgrade domain controllers running Windows NT 3.51 for reliable logon validation. In any case, upgrading or retiring computers running Windows NT 3.51 strengthens security and reduces the number of version differences between computers, simplifying management and troubleshooting.

Note

• The Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration is enabled by default when you upgrade. The security settings in this configuration can help make your computer more secure by limiting its exposure to malicious Web sites. Therefore, with this enhanced level of security, you might find that some Web sites do not display correctly in Internet Explorer when you are browsing Internet and intranet Web sites. Also, you might be prompted to enter your credentials when accessing network resources, such as files in Universal Naming Convention (UNC) shared folders. You can easily change the enhanced security settings. For more information, see Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration overview.

For additional information, see:

• For more information about Active Directory in relation to an upgrade from Windows NT, see Upgrading from a Windows NT domain and Domain and forest functionality.

• For information about deployments and upgrades in multiple domains or in domains larger than five servers, see the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit at the Microsoft Windows Server System Web site. For information about obtaining the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit, see Using the Windows Deployment and Resource Kits.