A cumulative hotfix package is available for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 build 2187

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 hotfixes are created for specific SQL Server service packs. For example, you cannot apply a hotfix that was designed for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3 (SP3) to an installation of SQL Server 2000 SP4 unless a special case is noted for that hotfix. You must apply a SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2000 SP3. You must apply a SQL Server 2000 SP4 hotfix to an installation of SQL Server 2000 SP4.

By default, any hotfix that is provided in a SQL Server service pack is included in the next SQL Server service pack. For example, the SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfixes are included in SQL Server 2000 SP4. However, there are two special cases where a hotfix is not included in the next SQL Server service pack:

• The hotfix was released after the next service pack was locked down for Beta testing: For Beta testing to be effective, the testing must cover most of the changes that will be included in the product. Therefore, at some time, we have to decide what will be included in the final version of a service pack. We must lock down the contents so that we can create the Beta version that customers will test. After the service pack has been locked down, only critical changes may be added to the lock-down version of the service pack.
• The hotfix was released after the next service pack was released: After any service pack is burned to CD and released, we cannot change that service pack.

The lock-down build of SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfixes that is included in SQL Server 2000 SP4 is build 8.00.0996. For more information about which SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfixes are included in SQL Server 2000 SP4, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

810185 SQL Server 2000 hotfix update for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3 and 3a

Any SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfix that was included in build 8.00.0996 or in an earlier build is included in SQL Server 2000 SP4. By default, any SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfix that was included in build 8.00.1000 or in a later build is not included in SQL Server 2000 SP4.

This cumulative hotfix package contains the SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfixes that roughly correspond to build 8.00.1009 through build 8.00.1031, inclusive. Therefore, any SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfix that was included in that range of builds is included in SQL Server 2000 SP4 build 8.00.2187. This build is also known as build 2187.

Important notes

• You may have to restart the computer after you apply this cumulative hotfix package.
• If you are currently running a SQL Server 2000 SP3 build from build 8.00.1009 through build 8.00.1031, test SQL Server 2000 SP4 before you upgrade. You can also upgrade to SQL Server 2000 SP4, and then immediately install this cumulative hotfix package.
• If you are running a SQL Server 2000 SP3 build that is later than build 8.00.1031, you may require a later hotfix than this package contains. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  
  894905 Cumulative list of the hotfixes that are available for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4
  
  
• SQL Server 2000 SP3 hotfixes that were included in build 8.00.1032 and in later builds are included in later SQL Server 2000 SP4 builds. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  
  894905 Cumulative list of the hotfixes that are available for SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4
  
  
• If you attempt to install or to uninstall this hotfix package on a 32-bit cluster, the hotfix package may not be successful.For more information about the hotfix installer of SQL Server 7.0 and SQL Server 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  
  
  842960 Description of the 32-bit SQL Server 7.0 and SQL Server 2000 hotfix installer