Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWindows 2000 Release Candidate 2 (RC2), identified in September 1999 reporting as build 2128, was a late-stage prerelease—not the finished Windows 2000 product. Contemporary coverage described a round of refinement focused on setup, usability, administration, and compatibility. Windows 2000 Professional, Server, and Advanced Server later became generally available on February 17, 2000.
What Windows 2000 RC2 was
RC2 was a pre-release milestone in the development of Windows 2000. An ActiveWindows archive records reporting in September 1999, including an item dated September 17 that reported RC2 as released and a September 20 entry saying Microsoft planned to distribute it to DevDays attendees that week. That coverage identifies the build as 2128.
The reports establish the release period and build number, but not an exact official Microsoft announcement or public-download timestamp. A September article characterized RC2 as one of the final milestones and the last planned release candidate with major changes, while noting that a third candidate remained possible and that any fixes were expected to be minor. That was a report of the plan at the time, not confirmation of what ultimately happened.
What was reported to change in RC2
The archive reproduces an excerpt attributed to Microsoft’s RC2 FAQ describing further “fit-and-finish” work: making setup and configuration easier, clarifying wizards and error messages, creating a more consistent administration experience, and improving hardware and software compatibility. The examples below are claims in that reproduced FAQ excerpt, not independently verified test results.
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Setup, desktop, and device support
- Plug and Play support for multifunction peripherals and support for additional printers, including the HP OfficeJet series.
- Start Menu cleanup, more meaningful icons, and InfoTips.
- Local Security Settings and Services snap-ins made easier to find from the Start Menu.
Administration and network management
- Event Viewer descriptions gained hyperlinks, and event data was consolidated on one property page.
- The FAQ excerpt also cited improvements to Active Directory, security, computer management, performance, DHCP, DNS, WINS, and routing tools.
- Windows Media Services was included for streaming audio, video, and other media over networks.
International certificate authorities
The excerpt reported 30 additional international Certification Authorities, described as covering approximately 20 countries. Both figures belong to the FAQ excerpt as reproduced in the archive.
When Windows 2000 became generally available
Microsoft’s February 17, 2000 launch announcement said that Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows 2000 Advanced Server were generally available. It described the editions by their intended roles:
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- Windows 2000 Professional: for desktop and laptop computers.
- Windows 2000 Server: a multipurpose network operating system.
- Windows 2000 Advanced Server: aimed at business-critical application servers.
Those editions were the released Windows 2000 products; RC2 was a build in the prerelease process, not a separate edition.
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