MSDN Customers, Beta Testers Get Windows Server 2003 RTM alongwith Final Code

Late Friday, Microsoft made the Gold, or RTM, code for Windows Server 2003 available to MSDN subscribers and beta testers. MSDN Universal and Professional subscribers now have download access to Windows Server 2003 Web, Standard, Enterprise, and Enterprise 64-Bit editions, as well as System Resource Manager and a customer support and diagnostic toolset. Windows Server 2003 beta testers received access to 180-day time-limited versions of the final code; the editions they received depend on which editions they tested during the beta. Microsoft said that beta testers will not receive a retail copy of the final code, as is typically the case with the company’s server beta programs.

“The Windows Server Product Development Team is pleased to announce the release-to-manufacturing (RTM) of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (Build 3790)!” the company wrote in an email to beta testers late Friday. “Microsoft officially signed off on this version March 28, 2003 and released the master media to our product manufacturing vendors.”

Despite the fact that Microsoft was touting the Release Candidate 2 (RC2)-to-RTM upgrade path previously, the company also alerted testers Friday that it does not recommend that users perform this upgrade. “While upgrading from RC1 or RC2 to RTM is possible, it is not a supported scenario unless you have a pre existing agreement with Microsoft to support your upgrades from beta to RTM,” Microsoft told testers. “Note that Techbeta agreements do not include support for that upgrade path. Microsoft strongly recommends that you clean install [the final] build.”

Screenshot: Windows Server 2003 Download Page at WindowsBeta

Source : ieXbeta.com