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In some scenarios, you must remove Windows Server 2003 SP2 before you upgrade to the full retail version of Windows Small Business Server 2003 or before you migrate to Windows Server 2003

Article ID: 932600 - View products that this article applies to.

INTRODUCTION

This article discusses scenarios in which you must remove Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2) before you upgrade to the full retail version of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 or before you migrate to Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

MORE INFORMATION

In the following scenarios, do not install Windows Server 2003 SP2 until the upgrade is complete or the migration is complete. If Windows Server 2003 SP2 is already installed, remove it until after the upgrade is complete or the migration is complete.

You upgrade from an evaluation copy of Windows Small Business Server 2003 to the full retail version.
You upgrade from Windows Server 2003 to the full retail version of Windows Small Business Server 2003.
You migrate from Windows Small Business Server to Windows Server 2003 by using the Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Transition Pack.

After you complete the upgrade or you complete the migration, you can install Windows Server 2003 SP2. However, if you later try to remove Windows Server 2003 SP2, you may receive the following error message:

If this software update is removed, these programs may not run correctly

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

823836

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823836/ )

Removing Windows software updates in the wrong order may cause the operating system to stop functioning

After you install Windows Server 2003 SP2, if you try to upgrade to the full retail version of Windows Small Business Server 2003 or if you try to use the Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 Transition Pack, you may receive the following error message:

Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the CD.

If you receive this error message, contact Microsoft Support Services for help. For more information about how to contact Microsoft Support Services, visit the following Microsoft Web page:

http://www.microsoft.com/services/microsoftservices/srv_enterprise.mspx

(http://www.microsoft.com/services/microsoftservices/srv_enterprise.mspx)

This issue also occurs when you run the Windows Small Business Server Setup.exe command on one of the following versions of Windows Small Business Server. These versions of Windows Small Business Server do not include Windows Server 2003 SP2.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Small Business Server
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for Small Business Server with SP1

However, this issue does not occur if you run the Setup.exe command that is included in the slipstreamed version of Windows Small Business Server 2003 with Windows Server SP2 installed. The Windows Small Business Server 2003 SP2 Setup program lets you reinstall Windows Small Business Server 2003 with Windows Server SP2 only on an equivalent version of the product or on a newer version of the product.

For more information about Windows Server 2003 SP2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/bb229701.aspx

(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/bb229701.aspx)

Properties

Article ID: 932600 - Last Review: December 3, 2007 - Revision: 4.5

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition Service Pack 1 (SP1)
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (SP1)
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium Edition
Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)

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