PART 2 OF 4

This topic applies to the Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 operating system, Standard Edition, and, except where noted, the x64-based version of Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition.

This section describes the basic steps to take in preparing your server for an upgrade.

This section explains how to start Setup for an upgrade on an x86-based computer. You can start Setup for an upgrade from the CD or from a network, as described in "Starting an Upgrade" later in this topic.

For important information about upgrades in the context of a domain, see "Getting Ready for an Upgrade: Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition," on your Setup CD. For information about unattended Setup and other options available when you start Setup, see "Planning for Unattended Setup" later in this topic.

This section provides general information about unattended Setup. For detailed instructions on running unattended Setup (also called automated installation), see "Automating and Customizing Installations" in the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit.

To simplify the process of setting up a product in the Windows Server 2003 family on multiple computers, you can run Setup unattended. To do this, you create and use an answer file, a customized script that answers the Setup questions automatically. Then, you run Winnt32.exe or Winnt.exe with the appropriate options for unattended Setup. Choose the command according to the operating system that is running when you start unattended Setup:

• To start unattended Setup on a computer running MS-DOS or Windows 3.x, use Winnt.exe (with the appropriate options).
  
  
• To start unattended Setup on a computer running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or a product in the Windows Server 2003 family, use Winnt32.exe (with the appropriate options). With Windows NT 4.0, before starting unattended Setup, apply Service Pack 5 or later.
  
  

To learn about unattended Setup, see the following sources:

• For detailed instructions on running unattended Setup (also called automated installation): See "Automating and Customizing Installations" in the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit.
  
  
• To view the command options available for Winnt.exe: On a computer running Windows 3.x or MS-DOS, insert the Setup CD for Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition, in the CD-ROM drive and open the command prompt. Then, change to the CD-ROM drive, change to the I386 directory, and type:
  
  winnt /?
  
  
• To use an x86-based or x64-based computer to view the command options available for Winnt32.exe: On a computer running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, or a product in the Windows Server 2003 family, insert the Setup CD for Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition, in the CD-ROM drive, and open the command prompt. Then, change to the CD-ROM drive, change to the I386 directory, and type:
  
  winnt32 /?
  
  

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After you install a product in the Windows Server 2003 family, if the product was purchased individually rather than through a volume licensing arrangement, you will have to activate the product unless your hardware manufacturer has preactivated it for you. Product activation is quick, simple, and unobtrusive, and it protects your privacy. It is designed to reduce software piracy (illegal copies of a product). Over time, reduced piracy means that the software industry can invest more in product development, quality, and support. This results in better products and more innovation for customers.

The following details help explain product activation:

Software reminders   Until you activate your product, it provides a reminder each time you log on and at common intervals until the end of the activation grace period stated in your End-User License Agreement (30 days is the typical grace period). If your activation grace period passes and you do not activate the product, your computer will continue to function, except that when you log on locally or log on through Remote Desktop for Administration (the new name for the Windows 2000 functionality known as Terminal Services in Remote Administration Mode), you will only be able to use the Activate Windows Wizard.

How the software handles activation   Activation is simple and anonymous. When you activate your product, it means that your product key is now associated with the computer (the hardware) it is installed on. After that happens, your product key cannot be used for activation on other computers (unless you are enrolled in a special program that permits additional activations, for example, a program through the Microsoft Developer Network).

Your local operating system does some of the work for creating the association between your product key and the computer it is installed on. It uses your Product ID, which is derived from your product key, and puts it together with a coded number (called a hardware hash) that uniquely represents the hardware components that make up your computer (without representing any personal information or anything about the software). When you activate, you provide this number, through the Internet or by phone, so that it can be confirmed as representing a legal installation. After you activate, if another person has an illegal copy of your software, and that person tries to use your product key to activate the software on another computer, the coded numbers will show that your product key is already associated with a particular set of hardware (your computer). The other person’s activation will not work.

The Installation ID that the local operating system generates, representing the association between your product key and the computer it is installed on, is used only for the purpose of activation.

Methods for activation   After your operating system is installed, begin activation by clicking Start and then clicking Activate Windows (you can also click the key icon that appears in the lower right corner of the screen). By following the instructions on the screen, you can activate through the Internet or by phone:

• Internet: When you activate through the Internet, your computer transmits coded information that shows that your product key is associated with your computer hardware. Activation is carried out through a secure server. A confirmation ID is passed back to your computer, automatically activating your product. This process normally takes just a few seconds to complete. No personally identifiable information is required to activate your product.
  
  
• Phone: When you activate by phone, information on the screen guides you through a few simple steps. When you choose the country where you are located, a phone number (toll-free, wherever possible) appears on your screen. When you call the number, a customer service representative asks for the Installation ID that is displayed on your screen. The customer service representative enters that number into a secure database, confirms that the number represents a legally installed product, and provides a confirmation ID to you. Then, you type the confirmation ID into the spaces provided on the screen, and activation is complete.
  
  

Reactivation (rarely needed)   If you overhaul your computer by replacing a substantial number of hardware components (not just a few), the operating system might view your hardware as a completely different computer, not the one on which you activated. In this situation, you can call the telephone number displayed on the telephone activation screen, and, through a quick, simple process, you can reactivate your product.