Windows Server 2003?

[metroplex]

Can anyone give me a brief explanation of Server 2003?
Is it a non-general use OS? Meaning, will games designed for XP work on it?

 

[Presence]

Im gonna go out on a limb and think its designed to be a server.

 

[metroplex]

So there's no other purpose to this OS? I'm just asking to see if any games or apps would run on it.

 

[RebateMonger]

There's a series of (about ten) web pages on the 'Net on how to modify Windows Server 2003 to make it more suitable as a desktop operating system, including adding consumer-grade sound and graphics engines.

Yes, games can run on it if DirectX is installed and some other modifications made.

I can't find the link at this moment, and, frankly, with the WMF Exploit lurking out there potentially at almost ANY web site, I'm not going to browse for it right now. But if you do a search of UseNet and the Web, you should find it.

 

[MiniDoom]

Games will play better on XP, why would you want to pay alot more to play games on a system that doesn't work as well?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: rdubbz420
Games will play better on XP, why would you want to pay alot more to play games on a system that doesn't work as well?

A lot of folks have free NFR copies of Server 2003. It used to be a LOT easier to get a free copy of Server 2003 than it was to get XP for free.

Over three years, Microsoft has given me dozens of NFR copies of Server, and only ONE copy of XP.

 

[MiniDoom]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: rdubbz420
Games will play better on XP, why would you want to pay alot more to play games on a system that doesn't work as well?

A lot of folks have free NFR copies of Server 2003. It used to be a LOT easier to get a free copy of Server 2003 than it was to get XP for free.

Over three years, Microsoft has given me dozens of NFR copies of Server, and only ONE copy of XP.

I would rather buy XP than play games on a free w2k3 server. I have MSDN and never had the urge to use a server OS for anything other than a server.

 

[metroplex]

WMF exploit?
regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll

Yes, I was inquiring about W2003 Server because I can get free copies from a MSDN account given to me by the univ. $200 can be spent on better things elsewhere, like ammunition and mags.

 

[MiniDoom]

Originally posted by: metroplex
WMF exploit?
regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll

Yes, I was inquiring about W2003 Server because I can get free copies from a MSDN account given to me by the univ. $200 can be spent on better things elsewhere, like ammunition and mags.

hmm good point, about time for me to get another case of .223.:beer:

 

[metroplex]

44mag.com has low prices on AR mags (I'm not sure which firearm you have). I bought a bunch of D&H 30rd mags with Magpul followers for $13 ea, or you can get the D&H mags w/ USGI followers for $10 ea. I'm not sure if the prices are recent, it was from a few weeks ago.


Thanks for the help!

 

[MiniDoom]

Originally posted by: metroplex
44mag.com has low prices on AR mags (I'm not sure which firearm you have). I bought a bunch of D&H 30rd mags with Magpul followers for $13 ea, or you can get the D&H mags w/ USGI followers for $10 ea. I'm not sure if the prices are recent, it was from a few weeks ago.


Thanks for the help!

AR15, that is a good price these days. Usually just go to the gun show and get wolf+mags. thanks

 

[metroplex]

Wow, a fellow AR-15 owner and a Wolf shooter! I use Wolf as well. I had to fix a leaky gas key on my RRA bolt carrier to use Wolf. I find the 62 gr stuff gets pretty good groupings (I have a Bushmaster 1/9 twist barrel) versus the 55 gr.

I bought out the stock of Wolf 55 gr at the local grocery store when they had a 20% sale. Winchester 9mm Luger was also on sale - so my Glock has more stuff to eat!

 

[MiniDoom]

Originally posted by: metroplex
Wow, a fellow AR-15 owner and a Wolf shooter! I use Wolf as well. I had to fix a leaky gas key on my RRA bolt carrier to use Wolf. I find the 62 gr stuff gets pretty good groupings (I have a Bushmaster 1/9 twist barrel) versus the 55 gr.

I bought out the stock of Wolf 55 gr at the local grocery store when they had a 20% sale. Winchester 9mm Luger was also on sale - so my Glock has more stuff to eat!

I just plink trash at 100-200yds so accuracy isn't a big deal. 62gr as well. After a while one gets stuck in the chamber because that stuffs so dirty. I usually hang out on ar15.com for gun talk. Here is a pic of my boys. Before the mods yell at us. Take it easy.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: metroplex
WMF exploit?
regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll.

Unfortunately, that fix may or may not prevent the exploits. I've advised all my clients to unregister shimgvw.dll, and I'm looking at the new 3rd party patch that was published yesterday.

 

[mmike70]

Google for "windows 2003 workstation" and you'll get a lot of hits about what you want to know.

I've been using 2003 on my dev box for a while which I also now use as my main gaming rig. I did do performance testing on it when I had my 3.2Ghz northwood box and there was essentially zero difference in game performance but 2003 did feel snappier and seemed to handle bad code/crashes and multitasking better. This was back when SP1 came out for XP and XP just felt flabbier (purely anecdotal I know but that was my impression).

You do have to watch out for certain apps detecting it as being a server os and as such, it will ask you to install their server based product (ie anti-virus/defragger/backup/etc... software). The major intel/nvidia chipsets have 2003 drivers as do ati and nvidia for their graphics cards. All other drivers I use are just standard XP.

I get 8484 on 3dmark05 on the 2003 box with zero issues in any games. In-game performance seems to be a little better than others are getting with similar systems so that's good enough for me.

Bottom line is if you follow the google links it works great and even better if you already have it as part of MDSN.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: rdubbz420

I just plink trash at 100-200yds so accuracy isn't a big deal. 62gr as well. After a while one gets stuck in the chamber because that stuffs so dirty. I usually hang out on ar15.com for gun talk. Here is a pic of my boys. Before the mods yell at us. Take it easy.

I remember, a few years ago, playing paintball with some local SWAT team members. Ten years ago, they'd all be talking about guns, cars, and women. Now, the wussies are talking about CELL PHONES and COMPUTERS! What's up with that?

 

[bsobel]

Bottom line is if you follow the google links it works great and even better if you already have it as part of MDSN.

There are some components, like UPnP which simply aren't on the server version.

 

[mmike70]

Which is why it runs better. I've never missed any of these services and always turn off upnp on my xp boxes anyway.

 

[RebateMonger]

Against my better judgement, I did a search and found the site that I referred to earlier:

How to convert your Windows Server 2003 to a Workstation!

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: mmike70
Which is why it runs better. I've never missed any of these services and always turn off upnp on my xp boxes anyway.

:roll: It does not run better, its the same code.

 

[mmike70]

I'm just giving you my impression back when I had identically configured systems on XP and 2003. It did run better. The GUI was faster and apps loaded quicker with fewer crashes. (same hardware).

I never said it didn't have the same code but that's not a requisite for it to run better.

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: metroplex
So there's no other purpose to this OS? I'm just asking to see if any games or apps would run on it.

General purpose office apps will generally run just fine. Games can run with a little effort. But the question is, why bother? XP is a perfectly good workstation OS.

And I hope you have a legal copy of Server 2003.

 

[crobusa]

Where are the best events to pick up free Server NFR? I could use some backup servers.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: crobusa
Where are the best events to pick up free Server NFR? I could use some backup servers.

There haven't been any lately. It's been almost a year since we got three NFR copies of Server 2003 Enterprise with 25 CALS. But, a couple of years ago, Microsoft was handing out Server 2003 and SBS 2003 right and left.

 

[crobusa]

Rebate, does MS do it with SQL and the other enterprise products when they come out?
I should start going to more MS events.. I've gotten W2k3 Ent from a AMD MS event with MB purchase, and Office from their XP release.