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I have one HP server proliant ML350 G6 with OS windows 2008 standard edition installed. I would like downgrade the OS and Microsoft could let me a Kit for the operation with windows server 2003 R2 standard edition. Now I have a doubt for the drivers compatibility. In fact on the page of the product there are Windows Server 2003 and the 64-bit Extended Systems. I think that Win server 2003 and Win server 2003 R2 are different by the kernel and I suppose I will have problem for driver compatibility. What do think about?

best regards,

massimo

maxim
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1 Answers1

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2003 R2 was not a kernel change. The drivers would be the same as for 2003.

VER on Windows 2003 R2 reports the same as 2003: Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790]

2008 R2 is however very much different from 2008.

If you are not using the HP installation CD, you may need to install using a floppy drive if you want to have the latest storage driver from the start or the Windows media does not recognize the storage controllers. During setup, you would press F6 when prompted, to install a different storage controller driver. Of course with modern hardware, that would be a USB floppy drive. 

03/01/2010  02:07 PM            37,576 cp011324.xml
06/29/2009  07:35 AM           233,248 cpqsetup.exe
06/29/2009  07:28 AM           372,736 generic.dll
03/01/2010  05:17 PM             9,330 hpcisss2.cat
02/22/2010  01:01 PM           114,280 hpcisss2.sys
02/22/2010  01:01 PM            12,741 hpcissx2.inf
04/05/2005  09:33 AM               200 install.xml
02/22/2010  01:01 PM             4,030 txtsetup.oem
               8 File(s)        784,141 bytes
Greg Askew
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  • Windows Server 2003 R2 was nothing but [Windows Server 2003 SP1 and an add-on CD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Server_2003#Windows_Server_2003_R2) with extended features like differential compression replication (DFS-R) and the new resource manager. – the-wabbit Nov 02 '11 at 21:43