Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional now supports more than 6,500 hardware devices, such as infrared devices, scanners, digital cameras, and advanced multimedia devices, that Windows NT Workstation 4.0 does not support.
Enhancements to hardware support in Windows 2000 Professional include:

Add/Remove Hardware wizard
Allows you to add, remove, troubleshoot, and upgrade computer peripherals. When a device is not working properly, you can use the wizard to stop operation and safely remove the device.

Windows Driver Model (WDM)
Provides a common model for device drivers across Windows 98 and Windows 2000. Drivers that are written to the WDM will work on both Windows 98 and Windows 2000.

Plug and Play support
Enhances previous Plug and Play functionality and allows:
- Automatic and dynamic reconfiguration of installed hardware
- Loading of appropriate drivers
- Registration for device notification events
- Changeable and removable devices

Power Options in Control Panel
Prevent unnecessary power drains on your system by directing power to devices as they need it. With Power Options, you can:
- Select a power scheme.
- Put your computer on standby.
- Put your computer in hibernation.
- Set a low battery alarm.
- Test the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) configuration.