Looking for Advice on Downgrading 2008 Server to 2003

Hello,

I am looking for advice on how to make the process of downgrading a web server from Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2003 as easy as possible. The server is relatively new and was purchased from Dell with 2008 pre-installed. The I am not an IT expert, so I hired a MSCE who spent most of a day configuring it. This included:

• Setting up networking and DNS
• Installing SQL 2005 and setting up SQL statements to regularly backup the database
• Bringing the OS and SQL up to date with all of the security patches
• Updating all of the drivers, firmware etc.
• Installing and configuring Backup Exec to work with my RD1000 removable drives
• Set-up and configure default website in IIS
• Writing robocopy scripts to push the SQL flat files over the network to a backup device

Long-term I think I will be better off running 2003 Server and IIS 6. The problem is I cannot afford to have my IT person and software developer "start from scratch" in configuring the server with 2003. I am 99% sure that backups won't help since the OS will be different.

Dell sent me 2003 Installation disks and a tool that captures some system settings to facilitate the OS installation. I won't know for sure what it will capture until I start the process and use it. Is there any software out there (hopefully free/cheap) that can make this so that I can do most of the work and the consultant can come in and wrap things up? I do plan to backup my database offline to restore on 2003. I have also downloaded the latest service packs for SQL and the OS.

I use Belarc Advisor to profile my system, if that helps.

Thanks!
Chip

 

Why would you want to downgrade, i would use 2008 without a doubt.

Being that its all setup, i would hope correctly, do you really want to break all that. If you felt ok with seting it up your self you would have, not hired somone.

I beleve it would be a huge mistake.

Also OEM licenses do not permit you to downgrade, i believe you need a Retail or VL to do so.

 

oh did they change that? I seem to remember that OEM could not downgrade at one time.