Remote installation of Windows 2000 on a Windows 2003 machine

[justatech2004]

I'm about to get a Windows 2003 server box from a self-managed online
hosting company and I need to remotely change the OS on that box to
Windows 2000 because most of our software does not support 2003 yet and
the hosting company has no Windows 2000 boxes anymore (can't go with
anyone else either. Long story)

I've been googling and have found stuff about Microsoft's RIS (Remote
Installation Services) but I shouldn't have to make it that complicated
since my box already has an OS installed (Windows 2003)

Can I simply upload the entire windows 2000 setup CD to the server and
just install off of that or do I have to go the RIS route? Or better
yet, install Windows 2000 using my local PC's cdrom by connecting my PC
and the remote 2003 server's drives via Remote Desktop Connection?

Any help or links to tutorials would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

Since you have a later version of Windows on the box than the one you'll be
installing, you have no option but to blow away what's there and reinstall
from scratch.

Unless you've got some sort of hardware-based remote control capability, you
won't be able to do this. To use RIS, you'd need to have RIS installed on a
separate machine.

One alternative might be to run Windows 2000 in a virtual machine using
Microsoft Virtual Server or VMware. Of course, this will mean an extra
Windows Server license, but it may well be the only way to achieve what
you're asking for.

Regards

Oli