How I started my switchover to Windows Server 2008
Being a technology consultant, I have a subscription to Microsoft’s Action Pack. It lets me keep up with what they are doing, and I get software much less expensively this way. The Windows Server 2008 DVDs have been in my possession for several months now, but I hadn’t decided to do the upgrade from Windows Server 2003. The reasons were:
1. I would need to do a complete new install. The x64 version of 2008 would not install over the x32 version of 2003.
2. I would need to upgrade my memory to 2GB, so I could run Exchange Server 2007, which needs the x64 version of 2008.
So…. the other night in preparation, I bought 2GB of memory. I figured I would add it to my server. When I got home, I found that I only had two memory slots, and they were both populated. To my further dismay, I bought DDR2 memory, and my system takes DDR. The chips are keyed differently. It is embarrassing to have learned this the hard way, since I am a consultant, but truthfully, I do better at software. I have been so busy I haven’t kept up with the latest and greatest hardware improvements in the marketplace.
I decided to put the original RAM chips back in and return the ones I bought to the store. I turn the system on, and it won’t boot, saying that a file has been corrupted. Great. So I cycle power a few times, and the system shuts itself off automatically.
Sidenote: I’m not going to buy a SystemMax server again. At the time, it was all I could afford. Big mistake. While it does work, I’ve found that their power supplies conk out after a year of use. I bought the system in 2006, had to replace the power supply which was a couple days out of warranty (they still did take care of me) in 2007, and then now in 2008, I had the same problem. I really don’t know what to think.
So I go to repair the Windows Server 2003 installation after fixing the power supply issue. Server 2003 gives me the BSOD. I try again, same thing. I figure, now is as good a time as any to just get the upgrade over with.
So I’m going to be installing Windows Server 2008, and then Exchange 2007. From what I’ve read, I’ll still need to get the 2GB of memory, but I’ll try the install anyways as the memory will be on order. I’ll have to create a new domain, and then re-issue the permissions on my data files.
Hopefully in the end, I’ll have a server and operating system that will be good for at least 3+ years. I’ve learned my lesson: continue to buy name brands with warranties beyond 1 year. I always seem to come out ahead.
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