It is part of the Microsoft Windows NT line of operating systems and was released on February 17 , 2000 . Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers , business desktops , laptops , and servers . Released on 17 February 2000 , it is the successor to Windows NT 4.0 , and is the final release of Microsoft Windows to display the `` Windows NT '' designation .