Choosing a Method Based on Clean Installations and Upgrades

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

The decision to perform either clean operating system installations or upgrades is important when determining the best automated installation method to use. When moving to a new operating system, most organizations choose to perform clean installations. This helps them to maintain uniformity and, for client computers, to reset the corporate-installed base. If, however, you have older line-of-business applications or peripherals that you plan to continue using in your organization after moving to the new operating system, you might need to perform an upgrade to retain the ability to use those applications and device drivers.

If you are deploying clean installations of Windows XP Professional or Windows Server 2003, you can use any of the Windows Server 2003 automated installation methods. Before you perform a clean installation or an upgrade, test the installation of your older software and device drivers to be sure they work. For more information about performing upgrades, clean installations, and upgrade paths, see "Planning for Deployment" in Planning, Testing, and Piloting Deployment Projects of this kit*.*

Figure 1.2 illustrates the place of this step in the process of choosing an automated installation method.

Figure 1.2   Choosing a Method Based on Clean Installations and Upgrades

Installation Tools for Upgrading the Operating System

You cannot use RIS or Sysprep to upgrade an operating system. The only automated installation method you can use to perform upgrades is unattended installation using Winnt32.exe. You cannot use Winnt.exe to perform an upgrade.

Because some registry settings and system files are retained when you perform an upgrade, you need to thoroughly test your upgrade scenarios in your test lab before rolling out the installation to the production environment. Testing the upgrade can help avoid unexpected loss of data or configurations. For more information about designing an unattended installation, see "Designing Unattended Installations" in this book.

Installation Tools for Performing Clean Installations

You can use any of the Windows Server 2003 automated installation tools to perform clean installations of the operating system. If you are deploying clients and you want to retain user settings and data before using an automated installation method to deploy clean installations, consider using the User State Migration Tool (USMT). The guidelines outlined in the remainder of this chapter help you determine which of the Windows Server 2003 automated installation tools is best for a clean installation in your organization.

Note

• The USMT tool is included on the Windows Server 2003 operating system CD in the \ValueAdd\Msft\USMT folder.