Windows 2000 Hardening Script

Below is a simple batch‑file you can run on a Windows 2000 Advanced Server to apply a few common hardening steps.
Because Windows 2000 predates PowerShell, the script sticks to built‑in command‑line utilities that are available out‑of‑the‑box.

@echo off
rem ------------------------------------------------------------
rem  Windows 2000 Advanced Server – Basic hardening script
rem  Run this as an administrator (right‑click -> Run as
rem  administrator) and review each section before applying.
rem ------------------------------------------------------------

rem ==== 1. Disable unnecessary services ====
echo.
echo Disabling unused services...
for %%S in ( 
    "RemoteRegistry" 
    "Messenger" 
    "Telnet" 
    "SNMP" 
    "RoutingAndRemoteAccess" 
    "PrintSpooler" 
    "Server" 
) do (
    sc config %%~S start= disabled >nul 2>&1
    sc stop %%~S >nul 2>&1
)

rem ==== 2. Enable the Windows Firewall (if installed) ====
rem    Windows 2000 does not ship with a built‑in firewall, but
rem    you can install the Microsoft “Internet Connection
rem    Firewall” (ICF) or a third‑party host‑based firewall.
rem    The following line disables the ICF if it is present.
net stop "Internet Connection Firewall" >nul 2>&1
sc config "Internet Connection Firewall" start= disabled >nul 2>&1

rem ==== 3. Enforce strong password policy ====
echo.
echo Configuring password policy...
net accounts /minpwlen:12 /maxpwage:90 /minpwage:1 /uniquepw:5
net accounts /lockoutthreshold:5 /lockoutduration:30 /lockoutwindow:30

rem ==== 4. Disable LM & NTLMv1 authentication (if possible) ====
rem    Windows 2000 only supports LM/NTLM; you can at least force
rem    the use of NTLMv2 for newer clients.
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" ^
    /v "LMCompatibilityLevel" /t REG_DWORD /d 5 /f >nul

rem ==== 5. Turn off anonymous SID/Name enumeration ====
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA" ^
    /v "RestrictAnonymous" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f >nul

rem ==== 6. Enable audit logging for logon events ====
echo.
echo Enabling audit logging...
auditpol /set /category:"Logon/Logoff" /success:enable /failure:enable >nul 2>&1

rem ==== 7. Remove default guest account ====
net user Guest /active:no >nul 2>&1

rem ==== 8. Apply latest patches (manual step) ====
echo.
echo *** IMPORTANT ***
echo Make sure the server is fully patched via Windows Update
echo or by applying the latest Service Pack (SP4) and security
echo hotfixes. This script does not install patches automatically.

echo.
echo Hardening steps completed. Review the output for any errors,
echo then reboot the server to apply all changes.
pause

How to use it

1. Copy the script into a plain‑text file named hardening.bat.
2. Save the file on the server (e.g., C:\Scripts\hardening.bat).
3. Open a Command Prompt with administrative rights.
   Right‑click Command Prompt → Run as administrator.
4. Execute the script:C:\Scripts\hardening.bat
5. The script will:
   • Disable a set of services that are rarely needed on a server (e.g., Telnet, Messenger, SNMP).
   • Enforce a stronger password policy (minimum length, expiration, lockout).
   • Reduce anonymous enumeration and force NTLMv2 where possible.
   • Turn on basic audit logging for successful and failed logons.
   • Deactivate the built‑in Guest account.
6. Reboot the machine after the script finishes so that service changes and policy updates take effect.

Additional hardening tips for Windows 2000

Area	Recommendation
Patch level	Install Service Pack 4 (the last SP for Windows 2000) and any subsequent security hotfixes. Windows 2000 is no longer receiving updates, so consider migrating to a supported OS for long‑term security.
Network	Place the server behind a modern perimeter firewall and restrict inbound traffic to only the ports you truly need (e.g., 443 for HTTPS, 3389 only if RDP is required and secured).
Account management	Remove or disable any legacy local accounts you don’t use. Enforce unique, complex passwords for all remaining accounts.
File permissions	Audit shared folders and remove “Everyone” or “Guest” permissions. Use NTFS ACLs to grant the minimum required access.
Logging	Forward the Security Event Log to a centralized log collector or SIEM, because the local log can be tampered with.
Antivirus	Deploy an AV solution that still supports Windows 2000 (e.g., older versions of ClamAV or a lightweight commercial product). Keep its signatures up‑to‑date.
Remote administration	Prefer Remote Desktop over Telnet/SSH, and restrict it to specific IP ranges. Use strong RDP credentials and consider VPN‑only access.
Backup	Schedule regular, offline backups of critical data and system state. Verify restore procedures periodically.

Note: Windows 2000 is an end‑of‑life operating system. Even with these hardening steps, it remains exposed to many modern threats. For production workloads, plan a migration to a currently supported Windows Server version (e.g., Windows Server 2022) or another actively maintained platform.

Feel free to adjust the service list or registry keys to match the exact role of your server. If you need more granular configuration (e.g., specific firewall rules or application‑level hardening), let me know and I can help craft additional scripts or guidance.