Windows 2000 on a Proliant DL380 G7 ??

[Gabble Ratchet]

I have a requirement to install Windows 2000 on a Proliant DL380 G7 (for Exchange 5.5) but Smartstart 8.60 doesn't give that operating system as an option. I've previously installed w2k on a G6 server using Smartstart 7.91 but it doesn't seem to work on a G7.

How do I install w2k on a G7 ??

Many thanks

[David Claypool · Accepted solution]

Drivers are not available for the modern hardware of a G7 for Windows 2000 nor would it be possible to develop them and support them since there is no recourse to Microsoft for supportability. Your only option would be to host it as a virtual machine on top of a supported hypervisor. But you should also re-consider your situation here with W2K and Exchange 5.5, unless you're doing it for funzies and have no real expectation of relying on this as a messaging solution...even if you were to 'turn the clock back' and acquire a platform that originally supported W2K like a G4, you are so far outside the Microsoft support matrix at this point as to have no recourse.

[Gabble Ratchet]

I have succesfully installed W2K and Exchange 5.5 on a G6 server without any issues. So it seems that something has changed between G6 and G7 ??

If only it was just for fun. Unfortunately it's a requirement in my organisation so will have to ask my supplier to swap the G7 for a G6. I didn't anticipate this being an issue when purchasing.

Thanks for your help.