Installing Windows Server 2003 Before Migrating

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

The primary concern when installing Windows Server 2003 is to ensure that the security of the target server is maintained. When you install Windows Server 2003 as a dedicated Web server, the default components and services are configured to provide the lowest possible attack surface. You can further reduce the attack surface of the target server by enabling only the essential Windows Server 2003 components and services.

The migration process presented here assumes that you install Windows Server 2003 with the default options. If you use other methods for installing and configuring Windows Server 2003, such as unattended setup, the default configuration settings might be different.

Note

When you complete the installation of Windows Server 2003, Manage Your Server automatically starts. The migration process assumes that you close Manage Your Server, and then further configure the Web server in Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel.

For more information about the essential components and services to enable in Windows Server 2003, see Enabling Only Essential Windows Server 2003 Components and Services.