Read Me First

This document provides late-breaking content and information you need for installation. It supplements the documentation for the Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 operating systems.

Before you install a Windows Server 2003 operating system, print and read this document for critical pre-installation information concerning this product. For the most up-to-date list of supported hardware, see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog. In addition, print and read the following documents located in the \Docs folder on your product CD:

  • Setup instructions

  • Release notes (relnotes.htm), which contain important compatibility and postinstallation information

New features are described in detail in Help and Support Center. To view Help and Support Center in the Windows Server 2003 operating systems, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.

Pre-installation Notes

Check minimum system requirements

Review the minimum and recommended system requirements for Windows Server 2003 at the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0

If you upgrade from an operating system in the Windows® 2000 Server family with IIS 5.0 to one of the following operating systems:

  • Windows Server 2003 operating system, Standard Edition

  • Windows Server 2003 operating system, Enterprise Edition

  • Windows Server 2003 operating system, Datacenter Edition

The World Wide Web Publishing Service (WWW service) is not enabled by default due to increased security measures. If you have already upgraded, you can start the WWW service by using the Services snap-in as described in the Release Notes (relnotes.htm), located in the \Docs folder on this product CD.

If you have not yet upgraded and you want the WWW service to be enabled by default after you upgrade, you must perform one of the following steps before you start the upgrade:

  • If you have not already done so, run the IIS Lockdown Tool on the computer that you want to upgrade.

    The IIS Lockdown Tool reduces the server's exposure to attack by disabling unnecessary features and giving you the choice to enable and customize features for your site. This tool is available from the Microsoft Web site.

  • Create the registry key RetainW3SVCStatus under the node, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W3SVC, and then add a DWORD value of any name equal to 1.

    For example, create the key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W3SVC \RetainW3SVCStatus\do_not_disable, with the DWORD value of 1.

    Caution:
    Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.

  • Add the entry "DisableWebServiceOnUpgrade = false" to the script that you will use to perform an unattended installation. After the upgrade is complete, ensure that all unnecessary IIS features have been removed or disabled and that the enabled features are configured with the highest security settings that your organization can support.

For more information, see the topics "What's Changed" and "Security Best Practices" in IIS 6.0 Help.

Security restrictions on viewing Web pages and running executable files

The default security settings in Internet Explorer are more restrictive in the Windows Server 2003 operating systems than in earlier versions of Windows. When you upgrade, any settings that do not match the new default settings are overwritten. These changes decrease the exposure of your servers to attacks that are launched through Web content. However, users will not be able to view many Web pages correctly with the default security settings. To allow users to see these Web pages correctly and maintain the default security settings, you must manually grant access to each particular Web site. In addition, users will not be able to run executable files from Universal Naming Convention (UNC) shared folders until you or another user has added the shared computer to the Local intranet security zone in Internet Explorer.

For more information about security settings and how to change them, see the Release Notes (relnotes.htm), located in the \Docs folder on the operating system DVD.

Copyright

Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property.

© 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT®, Windows Server, are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.