Verifying Software and Hardware Compatibility

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

As with any operating system installation, you need to make sure that your software and hardware are compatible with the new version of the operating system. You can use any of the following tools to check hardware and software compatibility.

Windows Catalog

Windows Catalog contains a list of software and hardware products that are designed for, or are compatible with, Windows XP Professional. You can search the catalog by manufacturer, product type, product name, or model. If you do not see a product in the Windows Catalog, it does not mean the product will not work with the Microsoft® Windows® XP family of operating systems — check with the product’s manufacturer to determine whether the product works with Windows XP. To use the Windows Catalog, see the Windows Catalog link on the Web Resources page at https://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources.

Upgrade Advisor

Windows XP Upgrade Advisor and Windows Upgrade Advisor are tools that check your system hardware and software to see whether they are ready to be upgraded to Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003. Although these tools are designed for use in upgrading to Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003, you can use them to identify software and hardware that is not compatible with a clean installation of Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003. To download the Upgrade Advisor tools, see the Windows Upgrade Advisor link on the Web Resources page at https://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources. You can also run the Upgrade Advisor tools by using the /checkupgradeonly parameter with the Winnt32.exe tool. The Winnt32.exe tool is included in the I386 folder on the Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 operating system CD.

Application Compatibility Toolkit

The Application Compatibility Toolkit contains documents and tools to help you diagnose and resolve application compatibility issues. For more information about the Application Compatibility Toolkit, see article Q294895, "Description of the Application Compatibility Toolkit 2.0 for Windows XP," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base. To find this article, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base link on the Web Resources page at https://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources.