windows-server-2003/mergedcomponents/releasenotes/ia64/server/common/read1st.txt

**********************************************************************
                      "Read First" Release Notes
 		                for the
                 Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family
                               
**********************************************************************

======================================================================
CONTENTS
======================================================================

   1.0 Read Me First
   2.0 Pre-installation Notes
       2.1  Check Minimum Hardware Requirements
       2.2  Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
       2.3  Security restrictions on viewing Web pages and running
             executable files 
   3.0 Copyright

======================================================================
1.0 Read Me First
======================================================================

This document provides late-breaking or other information that
supplements the documentation for the Windows Server 2003 family.

Before you install a product in the Windows Server 2003 family, print
and read this document for critical pre-installation information 
concerning this release. For the most up-to-date list of supported 
hardware, see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows 
Catalog (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/). In addition, 
print and read the following files located in the \Docs folder on your
operating system disc:

   * Setup instructions

   * Release notes (relnotes.htm), important compatibility and
     postinstallation information

New features are described in detail in Help and Support Center.
To view Help and Support Center in the Windows Server 2003 family, 
after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.

======================================================================
2.0 Pre-installation Notes
======================================================================

2.1 Check Minimum Hardware Requirements
=======================================

You should read article 814617, "System Requirements in Windows Server
2003" in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/) 
to check for any updated hardware requirements for installing and 
running products in the Windows Server 2003 family.

2.2 Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
===========================================

Products: Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003,
Enterprise Edition; Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition 

Because of increased security measures, the World Wide Web Publishing
Service (WWW service) is not enabled by default in these products
after you upgrade from the Windows 2000 Server family with IIS 5.0. If
you have already upgraded, you can start the WWW service by using the
Services snap-in as described in relnotes.htm in the \Docs folder on
the operating system disc.

If you have not yet upgraded and you want the WWW service to be
enabled by default after you upgrade, you must perform one of the
following steps before you start the upgrade:
  
  * If you have not already done so, run the IIS Lockdown Tool on the
    computer that you want to upgrade. 
  
    The IIS Lockdown Tool reduces the attack surface of your server by
    disabling unnecessary features and gives you the choice to
    enable and customize features for your site. This tool is
    available from the "IIS Lockdown Tool" page on the Microsoft Web
    site 
    (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/recommended
    /iislockdown/default.asp).

  * Create the registry key RetainW3SVCStatus under the 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W3SVC node, 
    and then add a DWORD value of any name equal to 1. For example, 
    create the key
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W3SVC
    \RetainW3SVCStatus\do_not_disable with the DWORD value of 1.
  
CAUTION: 
Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system.
Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued
data on the computer.
	
 * Add the entry "DisableWebServiceOnUpgrade = false" to the script
   that you will use to perform an unattended installation.
   After the upgrade is complete, ensure that all unnecessary IIS
   features have been removed or disabled and that the enabled features
   are configured with the highest security settings that your
   organization can support. 

For more information, see the topics "What's Changed" and "Security
Best Practices" in IIS 6.0 Help.

2.3 Security restrictions on viewing Web pages and running executable
    files
======================================================================

The default security settings in Internet Explorer are more
restrictive in the Windows Server 2003 family than in earlier versions
of Windows. When you upgrade, any settings that do not match the new
default settings are overwritten. These changes decrease the exposure
of your servers to attacks that are launched through Web content.
However, users will not be able to view many Web pages correctly when
using the default security settings. To allow users to see these Web
pages correctly, you must explicitly grant access. In addition, users
will not be able to run executable files from Universal Naming
Convention (UNC) shared folders until you or the users have added the
shared computer to the Local intranet security zone in Internet
Explorer. 

For more information about security settings and how to change them,
see relnotes.htm in the \Docs folder on the operating system disc.

======================================================================
3.0 Copyright
======================================================================

Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web
site references, is subject to change without notice.  Unless
otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products,
domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places and events
depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real
company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo,
person, place or event is intended or should be inferred.  Complying
with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. 
Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document
may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without
the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. 

Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks,
copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject
matter in this document.  Except as expressly provided in any written
license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does
not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or
other intellectual property.

(c) 2003 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Microsoft, MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows NT are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States
and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.