Re: Upgrading from broken W2k to SBS 2003

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Dave Nickason [SBS MVP] (gwdibble_at_NOSPAM.frontiernet.net)
Date: 03/02/05 

Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 16:11:04 -0500

As Jim points out, you're going to be converting to a workgroup at some
point anyway. That will disjoin the workstations from the failed network
and rejoin them to the new one. It's just a matter of whether you do it
now, or as a single step immediately following the new SBS install.

I'm not aware of any way to actually "convert" the offline files to regular
local files, but they can be copied from the CSC (client-side cache) to
regular folders on the desktop PC.

"Mark" <blog1952@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%235nD4I2HFHA.896@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Thank you for the information. I am now reading even more stuff. I am
> being
> VERY careful, and haven't done anything, yet.
>
> I just had a thought, and it may be junk, but...
>
> Is it possible to convert the clients to a peer-to-peer config, converting
> the "off line" folders to true local folders. It seems this would become a
> fairly straight forward upgrade from P2P to SBS. The only possible problem
> I
> see could be the .pst file sitting on the old server. However, that and
> all
> other non-OS data is stored on a separate drive and accessed via virtual
> drives on the clients.
>
> IF this is possible, we should be able to save the normal user settings,
> dropping the network authentication (and therefore the security ID's),
> which
> would permit us to do a "normal" upgrade type install, adding a server.
>
> I am also considering making heroic efforts to get the old system drive
> running one more time so we can make a proper stateful backup. It sounds
> easier than the other options.
>
> Thank you so much.
>
> Mark
> "Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]" <gwdibble@NOSPAM.frontiernet.net> wrote in
> message
> news:O%23zg4EoHFHA.3332@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> You need to plan this very carefully, providing a bulletproof backup of
> all
>> work on the desktops before doing anything to connect them to the new
>> domain. When you say working offline, I'm assuming you're talking about
>> regular files such as Office documents. If you attach the desktops to a
>> newly installed SBS, you will have lost the security information
>> necessary
>> to access the offline files.
>>
>> What I would do is to go to Windows Explorer and click Tools ->
>> Synchronize -> Properties. That'll bring up a list of all the offline
> files
>> stored on the computer. Copy them out to a location where you're
> absolutely
>> sure you'll be able to recover them, without interference from the
> security
>> settings of the old domain.
>>
>> If you're not going to use SQL, you may want to leave it uninstalled,
> since
>> your hardware is toward the low end of the scale. I would not attempt to
>> run SBS with less than 1 GB memory.
>>
>> One of the first things you'll want to do upon installing SBS is to get
>> everyone's e-mail onto Exchange Server and Outlook, with all messages
> stored
>> in the server mailboxes rather than in PST files. Immediately after
>> that,
>> you'll want to get backups running properly and set up to include
> Exchange.
>> There's a backup and restore white paper for SBS that's worth getting -
> it's
>> first on this list, which also includes several other documents you'll be
>> interested in
>>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/sbs/techinfo/productdoc/alpha.mspx.
>>
>> IMO you should be running Outlook 2002 or 2003. 2003 comes with SBS, but
> if
>> your users are on Office XP you can wait to upgrade. If you mix Outlook
>> 2003 with a prior version of Office, the main thing you lose is the
> ability
>> to e-mail docs, spreadsheets or whatever from the File menu of the Office
>> apps. You also can not use Word as your e-mail editor. Personally, I'd
> get
>> your server sorted out before worrying about desktop apps.
>>
>> ISA should be installed and set up in conjunction with the SBS install.
> The
>> basic configuration is done by the CEICW, so there's not much involved in
>> installing and configuring, especially compared to the security it
> provides.
>>
>> Again, I'd wait for the RAM. You can get it in a day or two from
>> www.crucial.com or Dell.
>>
>> Post back with any more questions you have, or just to let us know of
>> your
>> success. Good luck!
>>
>>
>> "Mark" <blog1952@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:OEAGN%23hHFHA.2648@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>> >I am working with a broken W2k Advanced Server network, wherein Active
>> > Directory was extensively applied to the clients. The office has
> downsized
>> > considerably, now having only 6 clients.
>> >
>> > The server lost its HD, and the backup system is impressive, but poorly
>> > executed and not maintained.
>> >
>> > All the clients are now running in "offline" mode.
>> >
>> > One client (XP Pro) cannot use Outlook, because the .pst was stored on
> the
>> > server. The other clients either did not use the server for mail, or
>> > depend
>> > on Yahoo or some such.
>> >
>> > The other 5 clients are W2k Pro. Some have Office 2k, some only have
>> > Outlook
>> > 2k.
>> >
>> > I am installing SBS 2003 Premium, utilizingExchange services,
>> > Sharepoint
>> > and
>> > ISA. SQL will not be used, but will be installed (I think). The domain
>> > name
>> > needs to remain the same as it was.
>> >
>> > Now the questions:
>> > 1. When the server comes up on the network, how will the clients
>> > synchronize? They have been working offline for about 2 weeks, and I
> don't
>> > want to lose their changes.
>> > 2. We can upgrade the clients to Office 2003 (where applicable). Should
>> > this
>> > be done before the server install? I was reading about some problems
>> > between
>> > Office 2k, Outlook 2003, and SBS 2003. I just don't know where to put
> the
>> > upgrades in the plan. I would prefer to do it later, after basic
> services
>> > have been restored.
>> > 3. Is ISA an apple better taken on its own after the basic setup is
>> > running
>> > right? There is a small, older Netgear wireless router/firewall/switch
>> > available to use as a firewall. (connection is via fractional T-1
> through
>> > a
>> > Cisco 1601).
>> > 4. Hardware: Dell Precision dual PIII 733 w/256MB, (3) 50 GB SCA
>> > drives.
>> > Is
>> > this enough RAM to run it all? run the basics? should I wait for ram to
>> > arrive before starting?
>> >
>> > Thank you for your help.
>> >
>> > Mark
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

Quantcast